Summary
We Need New Names is a novel by NoViolet Bulawayo that follows the life of Darling, a young girl who grew up in Zimbabwe. The first half of the book focuses on Darling and her childhood friends, and the way that they comprehend what is going on in their country, since they are living in a time of turmoil and distress in Zimbabwe. They often use games to play out what is going on in the world. The second half of the book follows Darling to America and shows her experiences in trying to immerse herself into the culture. One of the realizations that Darling comes to in America, is the fact that she goes from being “Zimbabwean” to being just “African”. This causes her to lose her identity of being a Zimbabwean. Darling comes to terms with the fact that America is not what she expected, and she often thinks about being back home with her family and friends.</p style>
World Literature ’18