Checking Out

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an acclaimed Nigerian author and speaker. Her novels Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013) explore themes of race, gender, and identity. Adichie often delves into the intricacies of Nigerian society and offers insightful commentary on the challenges faced by individuals in a rapidly changing, globalized world. In March 2013, “Checking Out” debuted in various literary magazines and anthologies as an excerpt from the novel Americanah, which was published a month later. The narrative charts the experiences of Obinze, an undocumented immigrant living in London, and examines the complexities of immigration, assimilation, and the challenges faced by individuals navigating between cultures.

This summary of “Checking Out” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie refers to the short fiction piece first published in The New Yorker’s March 18, 2013, fiction issue.

The story is narrated entirely in the third person. Obinze, the Nigerian protagonist, lives in London after entering the United Kingdom on a six-month visa. After two years in the country, his visa has expired, making him an unauthorized immigrant. Although he finds London cold and unwelcoming, he longs for the benefits of legal citizenship. Obinze meets two Angolans who offer to arrange a marriage for him to gain citizenship. He gives the men a deposit of £200 and agrees to pay £2,000 later. The Angolans claim that they will not profit from the arrangement, as they must pay the woman Obinze will marry. A few days later, Obinze meets Cleotilde, his future wife. Obinze is surprised by her “dewy and fresh” appearance (Paragraph 11).

Over the following weeks, Obinze and Cleotilde meet several times to get to know each other and prepare for their immigration interview. Cleotilde reveals that she is saving to help her mother and go to fashion school. The Angolans gave her £500 for the marriage. Cleotilde’s mother is Portuguese, and her father, who left when she was three, is from Angola. She talks about Africa “wistfully, like an admiring foreigner” (Paragraph 27), saying she would love to go there.

The Angolans provide a fake driving license and other forged supporting documentation for Obinze, and he goes to the marriage registration office to present his documents. Hearing a woman commenting disapprovingly on “sham marriages,” he panics, believing he is about to be exposed. However, the registrar congratulates him on his forthcoming wedding. Obinze sees the name of a former classmate on the “intended marriages” board behind the registrar.

Obinze recalls how, as an undergraduate in Nigeria, he was determined to go to American, get a postgraduate degree, and remain there. He remembers watching the “Andrew Checking Out” advert as a child (Paragraph 40). Obinze longed to be like Andrew, who, frustrated with Nigeria’s lack of resources, declared he was “checking out” to go to America. At the time, Nigerians were suffering under the corrupt and violent regime of General Buhari, and Obinze’s mother limited him to one bottle of Fanta per week. Obinze remembers his mother predicting that everyone she knew would soon abandon Nigeria.

Obinze’s dream of going to the United States was thwarted by increasingly strict immigration guidelines. Due to terrorism fears, the US became “averse to foreign young men” (Paragraph 42). Obinze’s mother, a university lecturer, was an honest person. However, recognizing that Obinze was determined to leave Nigeria, she got him a six-month visa to the United Kingdom by claiming he was her research assistant.

When Obinze arrived in the UK, he worked as a janitor, cleaning toilets. He attempted to befriend a young Ghanaian performing the same work, as he sensed that she was from a similarly comfortable, middle-class background. However, the woman remained aloof. Obinze felt angry when he noticed the Ghanaian woman chatting warmly with a Polish woman who also worked as a cleaner. Obinze tolerated the job until he was faced with a pile of feces deliberately left on a toilet lid. He quit and contacted Iloba, a childhood acquaintance now living in London. Obinze always found Iloba’s relentless cheerfulness annoying. However, Iloba was delighted to hear from him, greeting him by his old nickname, “The Zed.” He readily agreed to help Obinze get a National Insurance number, an essential requirement for most jobs.

At Iloba’s flat, Obinze met Vincent Obi, a fellow Nigerian. Iloba served them “fried chin-chin” (Paragraph 60), making Obinze feel homesick. Vincent’s combative manner suggested that he came from a less privileged Nigerian family and liked having power over Obinze. Obinze noted that Vincent vacillated between a Nigerian and British accent. He reluctantly agreed to Vincent’s demand of 35% of Obinze’s wages in exchange for the use of his National Insurance number. Taking on Vincent’s identity, he began his current job working at a warehouse.

The warehouse manager, Roy Snell, likes Obinze and assigns him the best-paid jobs. Obinze observes the conversations of the other workers with curiosity, noting how they revolve around cars, football, and women. However, he feels accepted and is given the nickname “Vinny Boy.” Obinze and another young man, Nigel, deliver and fit kitchen appliances. Obinze is surprised when Nigel describes one customer as “a real gent” (Paragraph 90). The man looked unkempt, his kitchen was filthy, and he did not give them a tip.

One day, Obinze arrives at the warehouse and senses that something is wrong. The men avoid his eyes, and he fears that his fake identity has been exposed. Finally, Obinze realizes that it is Vincent’s birthday and the men are surprising him. Obinze is overwhelmed with relief and a sense of belonging.

That night, Vincent calls Obinze and demands 45% of his earnings. Obinze ignores the request, believing Vincent will not give up the money he is already making from him. The following day, Roy reveals that someone called him, claiming that Obinze was working under a false identity. Roy asks Obinze to bring in his passport to clear up the situation. Obinze works the rest of his shift, trying to behave naturally. He never returns to the warehouse. He also faces mounting financial demands from the Angolans, who claim that they need more money to finalize the marriage.

The wedding day arrives, and Obinze wears a suit too large for him, borrowed from Nicholas. Both he and Cleotilde are nervous but excited. On entering the civic center, Obinze notices two policemen and a red-cheeked immigration officer approaching him. The officer states that Obinze’s visa has expired, making his presence in the UK illegal. He is handcuffed and led to a police car. Cleotilde throws herself to the ground and bursts into tears. Obinze wonders whether her tears are for him, herself, or their dashed hopes of a life together.

At the police station, Obinze is instructed to remove his belt, watch, and shoes. Without the belt, his trousers slip down. His cell reminds him of an animal’s cage at the zoo. A weary lawyer explains that there is a strong case against Obinze and that fighting it will only delay his deportation. Obinze expresses his willingness to return to Nigeria. The lawyer, relieved by his cooperation, quickly departs. Obinze is left alone in the cell, feeling like an “inanimate” object destined for removal.