Final answer:
Adichie's childhood stories were influenced by the books she had read, but she discovered African books that reflected her own experiences; Adichie was surprised about the artistic abilities of Fide's family due to the single story of Africa that portrayed it without art; Adichie blames Western literature for perpetuating the single story of Africa and limiting understanding of its rich culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
1. Adichie's stories as a child were surprising because they were influenced by the books she had read, which predominantly featured foreign characters and topics she couldn't personally identify with. She wrote them this way because she believed that books had to have foreigners and be about unfamiliar things. It was only when she discovered African books that she realized there were stories that reflected her own experiences.
2. Adichie was surprised that Fide's family could create art because she had been conditioned to believe in the single story of Africa, which was portrayed as a place without art or creativity. This single story of Africa overshadowed the diverse narratives and contributions of its people.
3. Adichie blames Western literature for the single story of Africa because it has historically depicted Africa and its people as exotic, primitive, and impoverished. These narrow portrayals perpetuated stereotypes and limited the understanding of Africa's rich culture, history, and achievements.
4. Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the only story. In other words, those in positions of power have the authority to shape narratives and control how stories are told and who gets to be represented.
5. Adichie didn't have a single story of America because she understood the danger of reducing a complex and diverse country to a single narrative. She recognized that America, like any other place, is composed of many overlapping stories and experiences that cannot be encapsulated in one representation.