Half Of A Yellow Sun Analysis

How can a war between one state be called a “civil” war? How can it be “civil” if people are beheading, blowing up and starving each other? How can a country let another larger country divide its people like that? In Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie writes about the Biafran War, or Nigerian Civil War. Adichie recounts this through the lenses of the Igbo people trying to secede to create their own state of Biafra. Adichie wrote this with a political purpose, one of the four motives of writing listed by George Orwell. Adichie writes against the Nigerians and in support of the Biafrans in this novel. She does this by voicing her political thoughts through Odenigbo and through the term “half of a yellow sun”. Adichie expresses her
He’s their stooge. The put him there, and they tell him what to do, and he does it (139).” Adichie is basically saying that the prime minister of Nigeria is pawn of Britain and blindly follows their instruction instead of leading his own country to how the people want it. He uses Odenigbo to establish this fact since he is already viewed as a one who loves to debate about politics and seems to have a lot of knowledge on the situation. It is important that she used a character like Odenigbo and not someone like Ugwu. Even though Odenigbo is not one of the main three characters, using his opinion is the most credible. Using the established intellectual, Odenigbo, makes her argument more valid and convicting to the readers. It creates a stronger message. Adichie is obviously against the northerners in Nigeria that control the government. She uses “masters” to imply that Nigeria is seemingly owned by Britain and the government only seeks to please Britain to whatever extent they order. It implies that the head of government works for a different country instead of his own people. Additionally, even though Odenigbo is a math professor, he
Adichie purposefully used this fact to name this book Half of Yellow Sun. Using this as the title of the book already proves Adichie’s stance. The fact that she decided to name the book this instead of something like “Green and white”, the colors of the Nigerian flag, proves this even more. Adichie describes the Biafran flag further and its meaning through a rally where Odenigbo speaks. Odenigbo pointed to the flag, displaying “swaths of red, black, and green and, at the center, a luminous half of a yellow sun (205)” and continues by shouting “Biafra is born! We will lead Black Africa (205)”! The flag seems to be a symbol of the emerging state of Biafra. Biafra represents the “half of a yellow sun.” Just by the shape, “half of a yellow sun” implies a rising sun in the beginning of the day. In this case, it represents a rising Biafra in the beginning of its era. Adichie uses the word “luminous” to emphasize how brilliant this Biafran effort is. It’s positive connotation proves her viewpoint. The implication of Odenigbo’s speech and the word “luminous” once again proves how Adichie is in support of Biafra. Adichie uses the phrase “half of a yellow sun” to encapsulate her support and positive views of the Biafrans in the Nigerian Civil