“A Private Experience” explores class, ethnic, and religious differences in Nigeria through a specific incident: a violent riot. Drawing on real-life events, the story is written in a realistic style, which lends a tone of gravity and authenticity. This is supported by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s writing style, which limits the use of adjectives and obscure words and features carefully selected metaphors to convey the tension and horror of what Chika and the Hausa woman are experiencing.

The story is told in a combination of present-tense narration, flashbacks, and flash-forwards. The present tense creates a sense of immediacy that heightens tension, mimicking the stress of being endangered. Flashbacks add context to the political situation leading to this riot and Chika’s privileged and insulated life, which has left her ill-prepared for the challenges of everyday life, still less the riot. Flash-forwards reduce suspense but lay bare the extent of the violence, with descriptions like “Later, Chika will learn that, as she and the woman are speaking, Hausa Muslims are hacking down Igbo Christians with machetes, clubbing them with stones” (44). These moments prevent the story from taking on too optimistic or naïve a tone; while Chika and the woman have moments of solidarity, understanding, and compassion, Chika never sees her or her sister again.