--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In that strained, still second when her…" description: "\"“In that strained, still second when her eyes met Christina Tomas's before she took the forms, she shrank. She shrank like a dried leaf. She had spoken..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_american-accent_in-that-strained-still-second-when-her-e_2038961.png" --- # In that strained, still second when her eyes met Christina… ![“In that strained, still second when her eyes met Christina Tomas's before she took the forms, she shrank. She shrank like a dried leaf. She had spoken English all her life, led the debating society in secondary school, and always thought the American twang inchoate; she should not have cowered and…” quote by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_american-accent_in-that-strained-still-second-when-her-e_2038961.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_american-accent_in-that-strained-still-second-when-her-e_2038961.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_american-accent_in-that-strained-still-second-when-her-e_2038961.png) > ““In that strained, still second when her eyes met Christina Tomas's before she took the forms, she shrank. She shrank like a dried leaf. She had spoken English all her life, led the debating society in secondary school, and always thought the American twang inchoate; she should not have cowered and shrunk, but she did. And in the following weeks, as autumn's coolness descended, she began to practice an American accent.”” [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman feels self‑conscious about her accent, leading her to suppress her natural voice and later adopt a new one to fit in. **In simple terms:** She feels embarrassed about her speech and changes it. Key Takeaway Embrace authentic voice; avoid self‑censorship. Themes identity language self‑esteem assimilation Mood anxious reflective Type personal cultural psychological When to use this quote - starting a new job - social gatherings - public speaking - language learning - immigration Key Concepts cultural adaptation ling pressure self‑identity Questions to Reflect On - Do you change your speech to fit in? - How does accent affect your sense of self? A Different Perspective Changing accent may mask deeper insecurities rather than solve them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American accent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-accent/) [Forms Shrank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forms-shrank-3784224/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Shrank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrank-631951/) [Shrunk Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrunk-did-3784223/) [Thought American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-american-685338/) ## Related quotes > [It's true: one of the things that I've always thought about American society is that you never get the sort of natural politicisation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/it-s-true-one-of-the-things-that-i-ve-always-thought-about-american/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [Dusty Rhodes, do you think you're what our forefathers were thinking about when they thought up the American Dream? 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