Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 1342 Words

In Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie attempts to use history in order to gain leverage on the present, to subvert the single story stereotypes that dominate many contemporary discourses on Africa. Written in the genre of historical fiction, Adichie’s novel transcends beyond mere historical narration and recreates the polyphonic experiences of varying groups of people in Nigeria before and after the Civil War. She employs temporal distortion in her narrative, distorting time in order to illustrate the intertwining effects of the past and present, immersing deep into the impact of western domination that not only catalyzed the war, but continues to affect contemporary Africa. In this paper, I will analyze her portrayal of the†¦show more content†¦He develops keen interest in learning the English language and a hobby in reading. Not only does he learn about history, he also learns about current events and politics through Odenigbo and his colleagues, and beg ins forming his own opinions about the war (Adichie 17). His insatiable desire to learn and read leads him to subconsciously memorize, re-read and recite texts from Narrative of the Life of Fedrick Douglas, An American Slave, even while serving the army at war, something which he previously regarded as â€Å"crazy† (Adichie 452). Adichie’s choice of novel allows her to effectively illuminate the impact of Western culture in Nigeria, and to draw a parallel between Ugwu and Douglas who were both exploited as slaves during the colonial era. Ugwu becomes so immersed in western culture that he finds difficulty in adapting to his former traditional lifestyle when he visits home. He finds the food â€Å"unpalatable† and is disgusted by his sister’s lack of hygiene (Adichie 119, 120). Yet, despite being in direct contact with western ideas, Ugwu is still unable to completely free himself of his Nigerian roots. For example, he still believes in the power of the dibia. While Odenigbo and Olanna shrug the dibia off as ludicrous old fashioned thinking, Ugwu is completely convinced that the dibia had something to do with Odenigbo’s mother’s ability to convince Odenigbo to cheat on Olanna (Adichie 241). Adichie emphasizes the cultural fusion by refraining from dismissingShow MoreRelatedHalf Of A Yellow Sun By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie924 Words   |  4 Pageslove† (Morihei Ueshiba). This chain concept is a difficult process in order to encounter trust. However, one must easily begin with simply displaying loyalty from one’s heart and soul towards other individuals. From the novel, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a particular character remained extraordinary in his demonstrations of loyalty that spewed into exhibiting bravery, love, and care towards the people in his world. His name is Ugwu, and the following exposes his experience ofRead MoreWhat Were Your Reading Experiences As A Child?766 Words   |  4 Pagesby listening to the conversations of those who are well-read. List the last five books you have read prior to this class. 1. Drown by Junot Diaz 2. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4. We Should All Be Feminist by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 5. Catching Reader Before They Fall by Pat Johnson and Katie Kerir How long did it take you to read each book? The last five I read took over seven month to read. Did you read anyRead MoreAnalysis Of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies A Private Experience1079 Words   |  5 Pagesthe middle of one of the riots and flee to a store nearby. While staying there they learn that Chika is Christian and the woman is a Muslim. They help each other out instead of fighting about the differences in their religion. An analysis of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s â€Å"A Private Experience† through the religion and feminist lens suggest that the story is really about the unity of female characters during critical times realizing that human life is more valuable, than their religious backgrounds andRead MoreHalf Of A Yellow Sun Analysis1907 Words   |  8 PagesConversely, in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Half of a Yellow Sun, the transformative power of language is not realized by a loss of language, identity, and agency, but rather is realized by a gaining of them. However, the respect and wonder that Ovid holds in regards to language and litera cy is mirrored in this text by Ugwu. Half of a Yellow Sun opens on Ugwu’s move from a small village in Nigeria to Odenigbo’s house in Nsukka. In the first chapter of the novel, Adichie skillfully includes aRead MoreThe Thing Around Your Neck By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie2141 Words   |  9 Pagesby Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, contains twelve short stories about Nigerian characters in either Africa or America. In the collection, it is integrating to see the struggles of the Nigerian characters that straddle two worlds. It is also easy to see individuals act to control their own life, whether it is a woman or a man in the story. The protagonist of each story has the choice to choose whether they will accept, decline, or change the situation of their lives. Through the collection, Adichie emphasizesRead MoreWomen Across Cultures Face Similar Forms Of Oppression1052 Words   |  5 PagesWomen across cultures face similar forms of oppression in varying ways. The stories of Ma xine Hong Kingston, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn, Banana Yoshimoto, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie bring awareness to these heartbreaking yet inspiring narratives of the lives of women outside of North America. While some of the works are fictional, there is still an air of realism that accentuates the general ideas conveyed in the individual narratives. Themes such as tradition, assimilation, racism, classismRead MoreFeminism in Novel Makaan of Paigham Afaqui1301 Words   |  6 PagesMargaret Fuller Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Harriet Jacobs The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Second Sex - Simone de Beauvoir This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color - Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua Makaan - Paigham Afaqui Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body - Susan Bordo A Dolls House - Henrik Ibsen Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Like One of the Family - Alice Childress Reading Lolita in Tehran - AzarRead MoreThe Conflict Between Tradition And Western Influence On Nigeria1665 Words   |  7 Pagesinterpretative expression, and translated idioms in his works. In more recent times as well, Nigerian authors are being recognized for their outstanding work. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (September 15, 1977-present) is a Nigerian novelist best known for her books Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Americanah. The books have won Adichie much praise, awards, and admiration due to the themes discussed in them, such as the long and bloody Biafran War, transformative experiences, race, and feminism