Why should you read ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie this summer?

Movie adaptation by Biyi Bandele

Personal Review & Analysis

I discovered Half of a Yellow Sun during my third year abroad in Accra (2020). Sanitary measures due to the pandemic were considerably affecting my spirit as we were all being confined and isolated. Reading this book was then for me, an escape; I was able to nourish my soul with poetry and romance while learning more about deep sociohistorical issues of an African country. Besides, I was glad to read another novel written by my favorite author; the Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Considered as “the most talented novelist of her generation” by Radio France International, Adichie never ceases to impress her readers since her very first opus The Purple Hibiscus.

Half of a Yellow Sun is the third book written by Adichie that I had the pleasure to read; and I can honestly admit that I was shocked, moved and fascinated by its story. Indeed, the book made me discover the realities of a world I was not familiar with.

The novel takes place in the 1960s, in Nigeria prior to and during what is called the Nigerian Civil War or the Biafran War (1967-1970). The lives of five main characters are brilliantly intertwined as the effects of war are progressively shown through their relationships. We discover the twin daughters of an influential Nigerian Chief and businessman – Olanna and Kainene Ozobia; Odenigbo, an intellectual and Professor of Mathematics at Nsukka University which Adichie briefly attended; Ugwu, a young teenager coming from the village of Opi who becomes a servant in Odenigbo’s house; and Richard Churchill, an English expat and aspiring writer, passionate about Igbo-Ukwu art. The story is told through the perspective of Ugwu, Olanna and Richard.

Here, Adichie tells the story of the short-lived Republic of Biafra, after its declaration of secession. The state roughly corresponded the area mainly inhabited by the Igbo population (the third largest ethnic group in Nigeria) in the South-Eastern Region. The book is based on historical facts and archives but is also inspired by the experience of the author’s parents and grandparents (as Adichie was born seven years after the war), and numerous eyewitnesses who have worked collectively and individually with her.

The title of the book refers to the centerpiece of the Biafran flag; which is Red for the blood of the Igbos massacred, Black for mourning and remembrance, and Green for prosperity. The half of a yellow sun is a symbol for the glorious future hoped by Biafrans; and that sun is composed of eleven rays representing the eleven provinces of the state.

Flag, Biafra

Hence, the novel is an imaginative writing but also a politically engaged work. What is remarkable about the novel is how the author manages to entwine serious and violent themes – such as the atrocity of war, neocolonialism, military and diplomatic interference – with romantic and sibling love threatened by deep betrayals. Indeed, Adichie gives us a mature story, addressing historically crucial themes, decisive for Nigerian and African history. She does that by bringing to life characters with complex, strong and realistic emotions, whose evolution we follow and to whom it is easy to become attached. The book begins on an ironic and almost warm tone with Ugwu’s arrival at Odenigbo’s house. This calm atmosphere is already hiding revelations about Nigerian social disparities and the impact of colonization. Ugwu and Odenigbo, just like the readers, have no idea what a tumultuous turn their life will take…

I. THE QUEST FOR IDENTITY AND BELONGING.

Throughout the novel, the author explores problematics of identity, self-representation and shows how complex it can be for a human being to feel a sense of belonging to a homeland. Indeed, we discover how diverse Nigeria is with about 250 to 350 different “ethnic groups”; the three largest being the Hausa (mostly Muslim and living in the North), the Yoruba mostly in the Southwest, and the Igbo mostly in the Southeast who developed the strongest middle-class. Within these groups, we can still find huge cultural and socio-economic disparities represented by the characters.

It is important to note that most of the main characters are Igbo like the author, a personal choice from Adichie, who wanted to write a story from that specific point of view. Olanna and Kainene along with their parents represent wealthy upper-class Igbo; Odenigbo is an intellectual from the middle-class and Ugwu comes from an extremely poor family. When Ugwu arrives at Odenigbo’s, a clash between their two worlds immediately occurs as Ugwu discovers a world he never had access to. Adichie goes deep in the construction of these characters’ self-representation and identification. In the early sixties, Nigeria has just gained its independence; is it really possible for one to “feel” Nigerian in a new and young country unified during colonization?

Odenigbo is the first one to assert his Identification first of all as an African and an Igbo, rather than a Nigerian when he says “the only authentic identity for the African is the tribe [...] I was Igbo before the white man came”. This affirmation can be considered as “tribalist”, in a sense that Odenigbo claims a tribal consciousness and loyalty. His self-representation is constructed in the rejection of colonialism’s consequences and the arbitrary delimitation of borders.

When Biafra declares its independence from Nigeria in 1967, we witness a huge change in the characters’ perception of themselves. Indeed, the creation of Biafra represents a new sign of hope for the Igbos – who suffered from massacres and persecution – but above all, a whole sense of belonging to a new nation. Indeed, we notice a mass hysteria fueled by a new patriotism; the construction of a “we / us” VS “them”. Olanna is filled with an immense joy because now “she was Biafran”; Odenigbo sees a glorious and safe future for his new people, shouting “we will lead Black Africa! Nobody will ever again attack us!”.

The Igbos’ need for a nation of their own is exacerbated by the burning political tensions in Nigeria and a strong resentment towards the former colonial power. Indeed, the political situation was fragile and it is shown in the book that many Igbos felt neglected by the government, which they believed was mostly run by Northerners influenced by Britain.

On the other hand, Richard’s character is used to explore another side of the identity theme. Indeed, Adichie wants to analyze but also deconstruct some aspects of the “white savior” trope. For me, Richard represents one of the most interesting elements of the novel because of his complexity and clumsy naivety. He desperately tries to find an identity alongside Kainene, his Nigerian lover when he is still an Englishman – part of the oppressive culture. Through his love and almost obsession for Igbo-Ukwu art and his ability to speak Igbo, Richard tries to immerse himself deeper in Nigerian culture. Moreover, when Biafra is created, he can’t help but have this somehow selfish thought, considering the “possibility Biafra held for him”; “he would be Biafran in a way he could never had been Nigerian – he was there at the beginning [...] he would belong”. So much that he wants to write a book about the war: The World Was Silent When We Died. Yet, Richard constantly has to face reality; although he’s living the war and rooting for Biafra, his privilege as a white Englishman keeps him away from danger. Also, Madu’s character is there to remind Richard of his outsider status, by answering him in English whenever Richard speaks in Igbo. Madu even goes further when he asks Richard to use his white privilege to spread awareness about war atrocity, saying a very striking affirmation: “of course I asked because you are White [...] look, the truth is that this is not your war. This is not your cause. Your government will evacuate you in a minute if you ask them to”.

Finally, Richard manages to accept who he is while keeping a deep connection to Nigeria; thus, he gives up his book project: “the war isn’t my story to tell, really”.

In an interview for The Morning News, Adichie explains that choice: “maybe it is my subtle way of slipping in my politics that maybe it’s time that Africans wrote about Africa. For so long it’s been non-Africans writing about Africa”.

II. THE WORLD WAS SILENT WHEN WE DIED: A FERVENT CRITIC OF COLONIZATION’S IMPACT AND WESTERN NARRATIVE ABOUT NIGERIA.

Another main argument of the novel is to trace the war’s origins back to colonization. Adichie introduces us to a freshly independent Nigeria struggling to get rid of its former colonial power’s influences whether it be in the academic, socio-economic or political sphere.

Indeed, it is Odenigbo who introduces the shadow of colonialism when he warns Ugwu about the seemingly apolitical knowledge taught in Nigerian schools; explaining the difference between British-approved knowledge and real knowledge – “they will teach you that a white man called Mungo Park discovered River Niger [...] our people fished in the Niger long beforeMungo Park’s grandfather was born”. Here, Odenigbo criticizes the Eurocentric narrative constructed about Nigeria and more broadly Africa, which erases the Historical importance of African populations.

Besides, Adichie shows us a society where English –the colonizer’s language – is often the most valued and respected language. Indeed, English is, at first, Ugwu’s measure of people. He is immediately impressed by Olanna when he first meets her because of her “magic” and “superior” language. Harrison’s character (Richard’s steward) also represents a form of alienation as he prefers cooking English food, thinking it is more refined than that of Nigeria. This reminded me of Frantz Fanon’s ‘Black Skin, White Masks’. Indeed, the Martinican psychiatrist explains the colonized’s feeling of inferiority, internalized through the constant dehumanization and racism of the colonizer.

That particular racism and disdain is explored through Susan’s character. Indeed, Richard’s ex-girlfriend is the perfect example of how some British still view Nigerians as savages and inferior to white people. By including passages of The World Was Silent When We Died – fictional book written by Ugwu –, I think Adichie defends her point of view in a more subtle, creative and impactful way. The book is obviously written to support an Igbo’s perspective – thus, its arguments can be nuanced – nevertheless, we still learn major political and historical facts about Nigeria. In the passage from Chapter 6 for example, we learn more about the “birth” of Nigeria as a unified country in 1914. It describes how the British caused ethnic tensions by favoring the Hausa over the Igbos; because of their “narrow” features “superior to the negroid Southerners” the author says. They were also easier to rule indirectly.

Here, I find similarities with ethnic tensions that occurred in Rwanda between the Hutus and Tutsis, also strongly influenced by external actors, leading to the Rwandan genocide.

Moreover, when Nigeria was gaining independence, the North was already expressing a desire for secession. But, Britain needed to preserve the unification in order to secure its economic and political interests. Those passages help us understand how tensions between different groups were manipulated and are not necessarily an “age-old-hatred” nor a sign of savagery. This is what Richard tries to explain in an article.

Finally, Adichie denounces how Nigeria – and Africa – is covered in Western media. She explained to The Morning News how that degrading and biased coverage makes her both angry and helpless. The two American journalists (both named Charles!) traveling with Richard represent this western-centered view of the world. Richard sadly learns the rule of Western Journalism: “one hundred dead black people equal one dead white person”. In her interview, Adichie adds “If I wasn’t African, what would I think about Africa based on what I see on American television? I think I would think that Africans were a bunch of stupid people—who kill themselves for no reason.” Personally, as a young African woman, I think that is powerful.

III. HOW DOES WAR DESTROY EVERYTHING? ABSURD VIOLENCE AND DIVISION IN A CLIMATE OF FEAR AND TRAUMA.

I definitely think that one of the novel’s most shocking aspects is the atrocity of war. Indeed, the characters are confronted to terrible scenes that leave them traumatized for life.

We cannot fail to mention the description of that woman in Chapter 3, carrying the severed head of her little girl in a calabash in front of a horrified Olanna. Moreover, betrayals are the common thread of the story; I remember being petrified in front of Abdulmalik’s treason when he coldly assassinates his friends Uncle Mbaezi and Aunty Ifeka. But the scene that touched me the most was the airport scene; this massacre of Igbo passengers which occurred in front of Richard was almost surreal in its horror.

The greatest injustice of the war was in fact the massacres of citizens; multiplied by Nigerian air raids. Besides, war had a terrible psychological impact on the characters. Especially on Ugwu, since he was enrolled by force in the army at a very young age. His naïve admiration for the Biafran government quickly faded away as he realized the atrocities also committed by Biafran soldiers. He also lost a part of his humanity when he was forced to rape a young lady under peer pressure.

Paranoia and fear became a constant feeling; in Biafra, an ethnic-hatred of non-Igbos started growing, as they were even called “saboteurs”. Peaceful lives turned into nightmares as people were massively obliged to flee their homes. For Olanna and Odenigbo, that meant renouncing a life of privileges.

Furthermore, Adichie highlighted Biafra’s lack of preparation for war: with a lack of weapons and soldiers but also a lack of food and medicine. That led to many more deaths than the fighting did. With schools transformed in refugee camps, it was impossible to maintain a solid education system for children. Nigeria’s blockade asphyxiated the country even more causing a general famine affecting children particularly – causing hair loss, memory loss and illness (like kwashiorkor). Talking about the cruelty behind those passages, Adichie even says that it would make her cry.

Finally, even after the end of the war in 1970, Nigeria is far from being a peacefully united country as there is still rampant violence and hatred illustrated by the burning of all the Freedom Square university books and the persecution of ex Biafrans, considered as rebels.

Here is in a few lines my analysis of one of Adichie’s greatest achievements that I highly recommend. By its audacity, its historical accuracy and its poignant emotion the author tells us a difficult part of African history sometimes erased and forgotten. Although I chose focusing on the themes of war and violence, I would like to highlight here the skill with which Adichie achieves a balance between conflict and love. Indeed, the relationship between Olanna and Kainene was almost a reflection of the division between Biafra and Nigeria; drifting away from each other at first but then eventually finding common ground. Forgiveness, reconciliation and hope for a better future are evoked, echoing what every citizen wishes for Nigeria. I would like to end my review with those wise words from Adichie:

“I want to remember the war. I want to remember the people who died. I want to remember —I want to remember that period in our history. “I” just don’t want to. I want “us” to remember.”

©️ LSD