The culture perceives ghosts as apparitions that appear in the darkness to petrify the living. Adichie’s interpretation of ghosts transcends the literal, however. In “Ghosts,” the real ghosts are the memories that haunt us. James' past trauma turns into memories, ultimately altering his identity. These memories interrupt his life, forcing him to recognize the pain he has repressed. This traps James between the past and present, resulting in a fractured sense of self. James' changing identity allows him to accept the unreal and deviate from his logical beliefs. Through the war and its aftermath, James recognizes his powerlessness. This change in control changes its approach to corruption. The trauma, however neglected, transforms James's perception of culture, power, and spirituality. By intertwining the past and the present, Adichie highlights the effect of suffering on identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay Suffering shifts James' identity to the border of past and present. He does not fully engage in the present moment nor does he accept the trauma of his past. Adichie constantly oscillates between her memories and the present narrative, reinforcing James's fractured sense of self. When Ikenna asks about Zik, James avoids the consequences of the trauma. “The war took Zik,” I said in Igbo. Talking about death in English has always had a disturbing finality for me” (Adichie 4). James longs for the time before he suffers, unable to express his pain out loud. Its differentiation between English and Igbo reinforces this disparity. Just as he feels stuck on the outskirts of two cultures, he finds himself stuck between the past and the present. As Nkiru, the university, and the townspeople progress, the past isolates James. He detaches himself from his community, while detaching himself from the present. This detachment lends itself to James's story. A distant sense of self forces James to connect everyday events with the suffering of his past. In this way, a detached autobiography allows him to process and reflect effectively. James' developing identity is reflected in his spirituality. Through Ebere's ghost, Adichie illustrates the impact of trauma on beliefs. After experiencing loss, James strays from rationality to enjoy Ebere's comforting presence. The role of a teacher requires a factual perspective, thus triggering Ikenna's self-doubt. This response reflects James' former identity. James reflects, “We are educated people, taught to keep our boundaries strictly rigid in relation to what is considered real” (Adichie 6). James adopts a critical tone towards an ideology based on reason. It mocks the assumption that education cannot coexist with spirituality. Through suffering, James's thought system evolves beyond the tangible. His feelings of isolation and loss manifest in Ebere's ghost. In this sense, it serves as a coping mechanism. James' detached autobiography moves the reader seamlessly from the real to the unreal. Its reliable narration causes the reader to have difficulty deciding Ebere's reality. James's evolving beliefs, supported by his perspective, favor his eventual acceptance. Although James admits his helplessness, he looks to the future with hope. He recognizes the futility of fixing a broken system and finds peace in this acceptance. James no longer wants to rebel like he did during the war, but instead accepts corruption as inevitable. Seeing the fake.