The main theme in the text ”The Thing around your Neck” must be that outstanding culture clash a lot of hope full immigrants in America are exposed to. Just from the very beginning we experience that the main character Akunna from Nigeria has very high thoughts of going to America. Her family is also very convinced that it is going to be a huge thing for her, they are expecting her to send them presents and they tell her; “In a month, you will have a big car. Soon, a big house. But don’t buy a gun like those Americans” (p. 57 l. 3-4)
And this trip she won did turn into a huge thing, - but it resulted in an acknowledgement of not belonging to America and a home journey.

The first thing Akunna realizes when she arrives at her uncle’s house is that black and white people do not have the same rights, because they for instance not aloud to use the same hairdresser. The uncle also tells that; “The trick was to understand America, to know that America was give -and- tak. You gave up a lot but you gained a lot too” (p. 58 l. 14-16)
You have to put up a lot to obtain something, - maybe even less than you gave up. The uncle, who explains this, is a black man, so it shows that he has just accepted the conditions and the way it is. The inequality between blacks and whites is deep-rooted and universally accepted. When the uncle starts to abuse Akunna we learn that she is a strong person, - she gives up everything an leaves. The fact that Akunna has to work for less money than the other waitresses also shows us that immigrants are putting up a lot to make it. Again we learn about Akunna’s