On November 4th, writer Imbolo Mbue spoke to the 11th and 12th grade. Mbue recently published her debut novel, Behold the Dreamers. The novel delves into issues concerning race, socio-economic differences, and immigrant life. Throughout her talk, Mbue revealed the process behind creating Behold the Dreamers and how her personal life contributed to its creation.
Mbue emigrated from Cameroon to the U.S. and attended Columbia University. It was there that she first stumbled upon the works of Toni Morrison– the first American writer she had read. She then started to view writing as more of a hobby rather than a task.
The recession of 2008 took a toll on Mbue’s media-related job. She was eventually let go of, and from there she started her writing career. She had been at the Time Warner building when she spotted a chauffeur and wondered what the job was like. The idea for her novel stemmed from this moment.
Source: Sabrina Seneviratne
In Behold the Dreamers, Mbue explores the differences between an immigrant chauffeur’s life and the life of his employers from the Upper East Side. Mbue explained that there are “lots of dynamics between a rich white man and a poor black man. Although I didn’t know the details of being a chauffeur I knew what it was like to be an immigrant”
She began her research for the novel by looking into ads for chauffeurs and what their job entails. While she had to learn certain aspects of a chauffeur’s life in order to write the novel, she also relied on her own experience as an immigrant. “I know what it’s like to be black. I know what it’s like to have some prejudice against you. I know what it’s like to be working class in this country.”
Her research also extended into learning about the different types of people in New York City. This includes the exuberantly wealthy businessmen and socialites. Although these kinds of people come with negative connotations, Mbue stressed the importance of seeing them through a different lens:
“I push myself to see people as humans. Not everybody is wonderful… I don’t believe in black and white. I think life is more nuanced than that.”
Students were fascinated by Mbue’s talk and the obvious passion she has for her work. Marlene ‘18 said, “It was inspiring to hear her take on the American dream. Her perspective on things was unique and shows different sides to people instead of just pigeonholing them.”