Our next author, Chimamanda Adichie, will challenge us with the complexity and depth of her novel set in Nigeria during the late 1960s when there was a fight for independence by a her ancestors in Biafra. She will educate and delight us with her depth of character and the difficulty of the world she recreates for us.
Her first lesson for us is in her Ted.com called "The Danger of a Single Story."
Marriage is certainly a theme in my life and a year ago she was married before the publication of her third book--a collection of short stores. Read about it in this brief article.
Here is the official website for the book and more on the author.
I don't see any guidelines/questions for our post regarding Adichie's book. Does anyone else?
ReplyDeleteIt took me a little longer than expected to finish the first part of Half of a Yellow Sun, but I enjoyed the different characters. My favorite at the moment is Uguw. Aside from his constant thoughts about sex (weird, but I guess normal for a 13 year old boy, ha!) I find his constant egarness to please Odenibgo very sweet. And I think it's great that Odenbigo treats him so well, it makes me happy for Uguw.
I feel like I should be posting something with more depth, but it was a little hard focus my attention. Maybe it dragged on a little? Maybe because I knew in advance that the book is set during a time of war, I was expecting it to start there? Adichie is probably setting the background for what's to come. I'm excited for part two.
I have to agree with Adreah that Uguw is a nice, hardworking boy but it’s just weird to me when I read about the sex thought going on in his head. However, I like the way Adichie described it because I think it is not easy to talk about such things without making the readers feel sexually awkward about it.
ReplyDeleteOlanna is an attractive young lady that I can imagine her beauty is so delicate that even me, as a girl cannot resist. Not only her beauty but the way she carries herself is very elegant and charming. She has class and great respect to people.
As our teacher said, this is a bilingual country and during the novel, I find it hard to understand conversation with mixed languages in it. English is hard enough for me already, maybe it’s just me having problem with this. You guys would not mind the local language, would you?
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ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this novel. Ugwu is endearing with his toddler like innocence and exploration. The class division is very aparant, but I am enjoying the starting relationship of Ugwu and Master( not typing his real name...). Master's willingness to "coach" ugwu shows his compassion and concern for the Nigerian people. Ugwu is just a small representation of what master wants to do or see for Nigeria's people. This is only my impression after reading the first chapter. My views of the characters will likely change.
One of the first things that stuck out to me was the very first word of the book: Master. I read it, paused and read it again, a bit confused. It was quite jarring. What’s even more jarring is the clear juxtaposition of Ugwu, a village boy in awe of modern technology and housing, that the privileged and educated Odenigbo no longer notices. More so than Changes, this book highlights the differences in experience between those that have adapted to modernization and those that have not, those who live the “village” life, and those who live in the suburban industrial areas. Another thing I noticed was how political the book is. Odenigbo and his friends are constantly going over current events, giving opinions on policy issues, etc. I really like the multiple perspectives in this book. It gives the story a richer texture, and illustrates how a person’s politics of location shapes how they see the world. Like when Odenigbo’s mother says she’ll go to the diaba (125), Ugwu sees it as a terrible threat to Olanna because in the context he’s grown up in, the work of a diaba is taken very seriously. Olanna and Odenigbo on the other hand, see it as simple superstition and are more concerned about the conflict his mother’s outburst has caused. Another time, there is a misunderstanding between Okeoma and Richard when he expresses his awe of the bronze carvings: “It was the look in Okeoma’s eyes that worried him the most: a disdainful distrust that made him think of reading somewhere that the African and the European would always be irreconcilable. It was wrong of Okeoma to assume that he was one of those Englishmen who did not give the African the benefit of an equal intelligence” (143). Here, Richard considers how his own politics of location comes with a history of oppression and cultural misunderstanding and is saddened when he sees the scars of this history play out in the exchange with Okeoma. I don’t think it was terribly unfair of Okeoma, though, since he was listening from the perspective of an African man used to the condescension of Englishmen. I’m really enjoying the book so far, and I look forward to talking with people about it.
ReplyDeleteI am already loving this book. I am finding it to be a quick read because of it's interesting characters and how Adiche has set up the chapter changes and paragraph pauses so that their is a change of scene, time, or character point of view.
ReplyDeleteHow about that poor, poor, Richard. Ha! He cracks me up. Some of the tough luck stuff that has been happening to him is some serious comic relief. I am fascinated with Kainnene and also how to say her name. I love the description of her character. I kind of agree with that critic who said that aren't that developed but I think that allows the reader to develope them more themsleves. I have all the intimate detail I want about the top five personalities. That could just be me though.
I was very excited with the first chapter being narrated from the houseboy's perspective. I think that lends nicely to different views of class within the novel. It seems like that is an important part of the story. I think it is interesting too how differently Olanna and her sister treat the servants around the house. It is completely opposite. I also noticed that since Richard has broken up with Susan and is now with Kainenne he is starting to draw a line between the help and himself.
I can't wait to dig deeper into this book and talk more about it with everyone in class and via this blog.
So far, I have really enjoyed ‘Half of a Yellow Sun.’ At first it felt a little slow, but after getting to know all the characters, I’m eager to know what’s to come. ‘
ReplyDeleteThe characters all correspond with each other nicely. I love books that show multiple perspectives; it makes me feel like I’m somehow apart of the story as they’re all telling me their own outlooks and secrets. Ugwu’s innocence and honesty, and his love to please Odebigo make him so sweet. And Harrison and Jomo’s tiffs over what Richard would like better are funny.
What I’m curious about is Richard’s sort of weird fascination with Olanna and what’s to come of it. I can’t tell if he is just finds her extremely beautiful and therefore is nervous around her or if he hungers for something more from her. Speaking of Richard, what do you guys think of him? I think his quiet ways or sweet. I wish he would sum up a little more confidence though. It seems that’s the root of why strange things always end up happening to him and why he has a hard time making decisions.
This story has been interesting so far in that it shows many clashes between cultures and race. One example is when Odenigbo's mother comes to visit Odenigbo's house and meets Ugwu and Olanna. We see Odenigbo trying to cook like a village woman in a modern kitchen much to Ugwu's chagrin. She acts like a villager despite the fact that her son is so financially rich showing that culture isn't necessarily tied to how wealthy you are.
ReplyDeleteI also liked Richard's conversation with Okeama when he remarked how amazed he was with the bronze workings of "these people" and how Okeama jumped on this as a condescending remark by saying "you sound surprised, as if you never imagined these people capable of such things" (141). Richard seems like the most unassuming guy and it is interesting to see that even he can be accused of rascist condescension. This exchange shows the how far the gap is for mutual understanding between Europeans and Africans at the time.
After reading the first chapter of the book, I felt like I was back home (Philippines). The scenes were so similar, an older woman/man will introduce a boy or a girl to help out with daily chores at home. My grandparents had a houseboy before as well, they don't only let the houseboy clean the house but they also sent this boy to school like what Odenigbo have told Ugwu.
ReplyDeleteFirst chapter was full of excitement! There were so many things happening; relationship between Odenigbo and Ugwu, Odenigbo and friends, and Odenigbo and Olanna.
It was really funny that Ugwu, started being so attached to his Master and went all the way to having opinions of who's the right girl for his Master. He felt scared of losing the connection/relationship between Odenigbo and him because a new person is in his Master's life, thus his life as well.
I am impressed by Odenigbo’s ethnocentricity throughout the first part of the novel. I feel like he is very sensitive when it comes to race discussion and he can relate it to how much he dislikes the white culture. Any lecture he has with his friends, we could see his enthusiasm to discuss national issues, race, war, ect.
ReplyDeleteFor example, when they are having dinner and he gives a comment about “…the Europeans took out the insides of an African woman and then stuffed and exhibited her all over Europe?” (137-138) It was simply the food they are eating but I think Odenigbo is a little bit extreme to voice his opinion even though it was during the war time. And Richard – our poor white man – would feel all awkward about that as an expat in Africa when Odenigbo argues “we are living in a time of great white evil. They are dehumanizing blacks in South Africa and Rhodesia, they fermented what happened in the Congo, they won’t let American blacks vote, they won’t let the Australian aborigines vote, but the worse of all is what they are doing here…” (140) After all, I think Richard is a very clever man to play a role of an “outsider” of the story above. I like the way he handles life in a new place though I feel his confusion and shyness in what he does
I’ve just finished parts two and three of the novel and I cant get the story out of my head!
ReplyDeleteThere are tons of things to talk about in those pages, but I wanted to talk about how Richard reacted to the events of the war. His character was affected by the events of the war but he expresses the desire to be more affected by it. “She often withdrew into silence in the middle of a conversation, and when she did he let her be; sometimes he envied her the ability to be changed by what had happened” (210). I can feel his yearning to be apart of this life in Africa and actually respected and accepted by citizens there. When the attacks broke out in the Lagos airport, Richard seemed almost saddened by the fact that he was completely safe. He wanted to be apart of this country and feel the pain of its losses more. “He had not feared for his own life, so the massacres became external, outside of him; he had watched them through the detached lens of knowing he was safe” (211).
Another thing is his quiet resentment of Madu. The only reason he feels envy of him is simply because he shares something with Kainene that he feels he can never share; a past, a culture. I’m curious on how everything will play out with Richard and Kainene and all the other characters….
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ReplyDeleteI apologize for having missed our discussion on Thursday.
After having completed the second two parts of the book I had a greater sense of this particular war and the depth of emotional toil it took on the Igpo and the people of Nigeria (Biafra). I now see why maybe the characters were not necessarily deeply developed. I am deeply engrossed by the late sixties aspect of the war. I have been following the theme of war and it's impression it makes on differnt characters, especially family. I have also been focusing on family. I think the two made really great correlations through the book which will be interesting to talk about in class and in my seminar paper(s).
There is a really powerful section that intermingles greatly about the war and the family matters that are arising. The dark swoops have taken over Olanna since the incident she witnessed and now she has been summoned back to Umunnachi to retell the story so that the rest of her extended family may make peace. I loved this scene and it stood out to me.
"Others have come back and we have kept our eyes on the road for our son Mbaezi and our wife Ifeka and our daughter Arize as well as our in-law from Ogidi. We have waited and waited and we have not seen them. Many months have passed and our eyes ache from being focused on the road. We have asked you to come today and tell us what you know. Umunnachi is asking about all her children who did not return from the North. You were there, our daughter. What you tell us, we will tell Umunnachi" (Adichie 240).
My goodness, not only is Olanna suppose to recount the images and details of this horrific memory but it will be her word of that tale that lives on in her family over and over. As I read this I began to think about Adichie writing this novel and how she not only researched and read stories of the war but also had listened to countless tales of how the war had affected her family. It gave me shivers.
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ReplyDeleteA big turning point in part 4, as everything is coming to a culmination and sometimes you feel yourself not taking a breath as your reading, is when Kainene decided she wants to see her sister.
Throughout the entire novel there has been discourse between them and then the utter silence that Richard and Olanna's affair had brought to the table. I believe the turning piont for Kainene is having Ikejide's head ripped up from some shrapnel.
"A piece of shrapnel, the size of a fist, wheezed past. Ikejide was still running and, in the moment that Richard glanced away and back, Ikejide's head was gone. The body was running, arched slightly forward, arms flying around, but there was no head. There was only a bloodied neck. Kainene screamed. The body crashed down near her long American car, the planes receded and disappeared into the distance, and they all lay still for long minutes..." (Adichie 398).
"You know Olanna saw a mother carrying her childs head," Kainene said (Adichie 399).
"I want to see her" (Adichie 399).
This is incredibly powerful. It has taken for her man servants head to be blown off before Kainene realizes that she wants to see her twin sister! I thought for sure that they would never get to see each other again before the end of the story. It is an intersting idea that the sisters only seem to undertsnad each other and appreciate each other now that they're surounded by death and the prospect of their own death.
" 'Sometimes I them,' Kainene said.
'The vandals.'
'No, them.' Kainene pointed back at the room. 'I hate them for dying.'
Kainene took the baby inside and gave it to another woman, a relative of the dead woman's whose bony body was quivering; because her eyes were dry, it took Olanna a moment to realize that she was crying, the baby pressed against her flattened, dry breasts.
Later, as they walked to the car, Kainene slipped her hand into Olanna's" (Adichie 438).
Olanna and Kainene make peace before Kainene goes missing at the end of the story. I think that was a big step for Adichie to make in the story.
I found that this story was not only about the terrible war and it's affect on the people of Nigeria but it was truly about forgiveness. It just amazed me how everyone throughout the story was so forgiving of theother during a time when they were surrounded by war, which by definition is an unresolved conflict by two or more parties.
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ReplyDeleteThis is my 2 of 3
ReplyDeleteI thought a lot about the politics of the war and the motivation of the Igbo people for seceding. As I mentioned in discussion, I was wondering why they were so convinced they would win despite their situation deteriorating so rapidly. And not only were they convinced they would win they believed that "the war would will be brief" (226) according to Kainene. They were fighting a government supported by almost every other power in the world including Britain. Yet no one on the Biafran acknowledges the possibility of defeat, or even the difficulties, at least until the very end. This is despite mention of some Biafran soldiers armed with only rifle-shaped pieces of wood and continual announcements of their cities being captured by the Nigerians. So I think certainly, Adichi represents Biafran secession as an exercise of political naivite.
And I also believe their independence was a desperate and morally justified bid for survival of the Igbo ethnic group. Certainly the odds were against them but when an ethnic group becomes massacred and bombed by the thousands, they'll fight regardless of the odds. Their belief that they had to win stemmed not from propaganda, but because they were on the morally righteous side of the war. Richard describes the situation aptly by saying "There isn't a propaganda machine. The more civilians you bomb, the more resistance you grow" (465). I began having a better understanding of their conviction to win, as the atrocities surrounding them forced them to hold onto that that hope and that belief as their only reason to live.
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ReplyDeleteLooking at the story of Half of a Yellow Sun as a whole, we see how the pressures of war begin to break down certain characters like Odenigbo while others grew like Olanna and Ugwu. Odenigbo was this energetic intellectual in the beginning but by the end he is broken down by the war, sometimes skipping work to go to the bar and possibly cheating on Olanna again.
Olanna meanwhile starts off as the daughter of a rich family that adapts through gradually poorer conditions. Throughout it all she teaches and supports others. Toward the end of the book after she and Odenigbo make love, Odenigbo tells Olanna,"You're so strong" (491), which has some ambiguity. However, this is something I would never imagine him telling her at the beginning of the story.
As for Ugwu, his growth through the war is a testament for why it was fitting for him to write the story of the war and his people. In the beginning of the book he was an uneducated village boy more interested in pleasing his master than anything else. By the end, he's much more educated and acting more independently. He seemed to care more about finding Eberechi, the woman he loved, rather than making sure he satisfied his master's every whim. Therefore, I think it was better for him to write the story rather than Richard, because he symbolizes the progress that can be made in Biafra/Nigeria despite the destructive war.
And yes, Ugwu partakes in a terrible act later in the book when he participates in gang rape as a conscripted soldier, which complicates his "progress". However, it also shows how none who participate in war are ever really innocent. It gives the story moral depth, painting characters in shades of gray rather than black and white, which made it all the more real to me.
While I had difficulty finishing the book due to the heavy subject matter toward the end, I have a lot of respect for Adichi's ability to convincingly portray several very diverse characters and their changing relationships through an epic story. I find her presentation of an expat like Richard especially perceptive. It would be analogous to me trying to put myself in the mindset of an expat Nigerian woman, which I can't fathom.
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ReplyDeleteHi All,
My apologies for missing class on Thursday. I have been pretty ill, but feeling better now.
This post is for about halfway through the book.
There are two things I wanted to mention. 1.) Richard is a very interesting character; what is most interesting is his impotence. He is, thus far, sexually impotent and moreover, in his relationship with Kainene and her social circle, he is socially impotent. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, especially because of his racial background of being a white Londoner. Metaphorically, what does he represent?
2.) Observing the class system thus far has also been interesting. You have Ugwu and the tribal people who make up a lower class. Odenigbo who represents a revolutionary educated "middle" class (very dangerous), and Kainene who is representative of the upper class. At this point in the novel, it appears that Olanna is shedding her upper class identity for a middle class role, and Richard is striving to, but impotent in moving upward in class; middle to Upper. Ugwu is also actively trying to jump up to the middle class through education and aspiration.
This book is very interesting and entertaining, but it reads painfully slow. I look forward to seeing its conclusion.
Bret S.
Meep! I wrote my posts up in Word, but then forgot to post them! Oh, distraction and busyness! Anyway...
ReplyDelete1/3
So, I'm already in love with this book. I'm hooked. I am so eager to see where it all goes.
I have to say that I'm not quite sure about Odenigbo's & Olanna's relationship - maybe it's residue from "Changes", but I'm worried it's going to end in disaster or cheating or something.
I find Olanna really interesting, though; I'm intrigued by the way she seems to be transcending her upper class upbringing, becoming politically aware and motivated. We can see this by how frustrated she becomes with some of her parents' attitudes. Kainene is an enigma; I'm curious about where her character goes from here.
I think I'm probably the least interested in Odenigbo - so far he seems to be all bombast with no background or substance. Will that change? Also, yeah, he may be a kinder "master" than many, but he also called Ugwu a "stupid ignoramus", which is not the behavior of a kind or benevolent person. It really put me off Odenigbo right from the start. I'm wondering if this is a clue as to what sort of person he will be as the book goes on.
Ugwu currently seems like the heart of the book, the one whose journey we'll have the closest link to. So far, anyway. The eagerness with which he embraces Odenigbo, Odenigbo's life, and all the middle class intellectual trappings could easily be read as the effects of colonization - a book I've read in my Coordinated Studies course talks about the way oppressed peoples absorb the drives, desires, and messages of the dominant culture unconsciously, and Ugwu certainly exhibits signs of that.
I'm interested to see how Richard develops - how sincere are his interests in both the Igbo people and Kainene? Is it just a white man's cliched pursuit of "the exotic", with its tendency to other the non-white, or is he sincere? I guess we'll see.
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ReplyDeleteI both like and don't like the switch to the late 1960s partway through the book. It builds interest, that's for sure. And I understand (at least I think I do) why she chose it as a narrative device. As a narrative device, I can deal with it. But! It delays my gratification! :)
I'm still in love with the book, by the way.
Though it's utterly heartbreaking, I really appreciate that Adichie's portrayals of what happens in a war are completely unflinching. To write a book about the Biafran war and not be brutally honest and clear-eyed would be a tremendous disservice, despite how painful it is to read. When Olanna's family was slaughtered during her visit to Kano, I knew the stories - the trauma, the bloodshed, the brutality - were only going to get worse as the book continued. It's hard to read, but it's so vital.
I do not understand why Richard remains friends with Susan. She's awful. Yes, I know we're supposed to hate her (and I do), and I understand the purpose she serves in the book, but why does Richard continue his friendship with her? If he truly considers himself a Biafran (and I believe that he sincerely does), how can he let her racistly slander his fellow Biafrans. How can he calmly tolerate her talk about "those people" when the woman he loves and wants to marry is one of "those people"?
I don't understand why Olanna slept with Richard. Was it just revenge? Solace? Cold comfort? Self-sabotage? I know it will permanently damage her relationship with Kainene, and that makes me sad.
I keep finding myself surprised by how strongly I'm affected by this book. I am deeply invested with most of the characters (I still find Odenigbo boring and less than upstanding - his mother's fault he slept with Amala, indeed) and in their struggle for independence. Even though I *know* that their fight ultimately fails, I find myself rooting for them and their side so intensely as I'm reading. Every time a character expressed their faith in a positive outcome, their belief in the righteousness of their cause, my heart breaks a little.
What is the story with Madu and Kainene? Are they involved? In love? Will we find out? I find Madu intensely unlikeable, but I suspect that I'm supposed to. I wonder what his purpose in this narrative is?
I am both eager and trepidatious to take on the final section of the book. As I am so deeply connected to many of these characters, I am almost desperate to see what happens next. But I'm also hesitant, as I know it's going to get worse as we move towards the end. I'm preparing to have my heart ripped out completely.
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ReplyDeleteYep. Heart ripped out. What a powerful, breathtakingly brutal and beautiful book. I want to recommend this to everyone I know. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars on goodreads.com. It really moved me.
So... gosh, so many thoughts. Most lingering: what happened to Kainene? She became a completely different person as the war progressed, and that was wonderful to read; I was so happy that she and Olanna came back together and forged a new bond and closeness during the war. It was beautiful. But... I am not good with ambiguous endings. They haunt me. I don't know what to think about Kainene - I really, REALLY want her to still be alive out there somewhere... but I just can't seem to bring myself to believe it. Grief!
Speaking of ambiguities, I still can't figure out what the nature and depth of Kainene's relationship with Madu is/was. Am I just missing something, or is it supposed to be somewhat unclear?
I expect Olanna and Odenigbo will be together forever; their bond seems unshakeable, though I am not sure that Olanna really loves him anymore. Honestly, I don't know why she ever loved him in the first place. I still find Odenigbo the least interesting and least compelling person in the novel. Is it becausehe lacks depth, even with the transformations he undergoes as the war rages on? Perhaps. I have no doubt that he had an affair with Alice, and I simply can't understand why. I'm also not entirely sure what point Alice served in the book, though I liked her (more or less) and suspected she wasn't a saboteur. Perhaps she was there to provide a closer look at the terror and suspicion that occurs during war.
Ugwu. Well. Humans are complicated, and nobody's path is perfect or unmarred, and, as Eugene said above, nobody who participates in war is ever truly innocent. But. My interest in and affection for Ugwu turned to disgust and near-hatred in just one paragraph. No ambiguity in my feelings, either. Even if I can intellectually understand why he participated in the gang rape (and I can, to an extent), it is utterly unforgivable and I stopped feeling for or caring about Ugwu at that very moment. He ceased being a human being in my eyes when he raped that woman, even though I understand why it happened and why it's an important part of the story.
This book evoked LOTS of strong feelings and visceral responses in me, and I cherish that. It had a profound impact on me, and I suspect it will live on in my heart for the rest of my life. I'm so thankful our class led me to this novel and this astonishing writer.
Wow I have just finished the book and I feel completely torn up. I am so thankful to have read this book, I felt as if I was experiencing war, love and heartbreak with all the characters throughout the book and will miss them now that it has ended.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth part of the book really packs in a lot of change and disaster. Odenbigo and Olanna become distant from each other, Ugqu is conscripted to the army and told to be dead and the most disheartening; Kainene disappears and is has not been heard from when the story ends. I wonder if there was to be a sequel, what Adiche would with Kainene’s disappearance?
It’s interesting to see the changes both Olanna and Kainene go through emotionally throughout the war. Olanna’s endless compassion is minimized as war progresses. She begins to experience the ugliest parts of life and we can see her toughen up and become sterner towards people around her. While Kainene loosens her cynical views on the world and opens up more emotionally. An important illustration of this lies in the fact that she forgave Olanna and welcomed her back into her life. Kainene is a very strict, stubborn character but throughout the whole book, I could always feel her soft side. Although Kainene has disappeared at the end of the book, I am at least thankful that her and Olanna were able to make amends and spend the last part of the war together.
Ugwu has greatly disappointed me in this last part of the book. I always liked Ugwu; yes he was a bit creepy in his sexual nature, but I always found a sweet, eager innocence to him that I enjoyed. I don’t think Ugwu will ever rape a girl again; he was definitely not himself in those moments of war and although he might have shown his strength during his time in combat, he also revealed the lowest form of weakness. Although I don’t appreciate Ugwu anymore, I think I will choose to forgive him, like Victoria said above, this book is about forgiveness. Without mistakes we wouldn’t be able to grow, and without forgiveness we wouldn’t be able to make mistakes.
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ReplyDeleteI’m sorry I was not able to submit my posts before; I could not find the page for Half of a Yellow Sun until I went to my profile page and then found a link to this page. After I finished reading the first and third parts of the novel, I wrote down my posts so that I could post them now.
After reading the first part of the novel, I feel like I have a sense of all of the character instead of the perspective of just one character.
Ugwe is a young boy who enters a world of privilege when he becomes Odenigbo’s houseboy. “Ugwe reaches out and touched the chicken. The fridge breathed heavily in his ears. He touched the chicken again and licked his fingers before he yanked the other leg off, eating it until he had only the cracked, sucked pieces of bones left in his land” (6).
Olanna, the daughter of Chief Ozobia, is treated as royalty in Nigeria. Since she was exposed to the ugly reality of a dysfunctional family due to their wealth, Olanna decides to have a relationship with Odenigbo rather than with one of her father’s business partners.
Kainene, Olanna’s fraternal twin, has always been living in her twin sister’s shadow which seems to have caused her to resent her family. Instead of following behind her sister’s shadow, Kainene decides to act in a rebellious way that causes other outside of the family to wonder about the family resemblance between Olanna and herself.
Richard seems to be the outsider in the book who does not feel like he has a say during the conversations at Odenigbo’s house. Although Richard is a white man, he falls in love with Kainene who seems to go against her family values which causes other characters to become suspicion of his affections for her.
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ReplyDeleteIn parts two and three of the novels, many relationships fall apart but they are eventually repaired.
Although Olanna's relationship with Odenigbo mother was already shaken from their first encounter but after his mother causes him to sleep with Amala, Olanna decided to move to her flat.
Even though Odenigbo was educated, I'm surprised that Olanna did not regret falling in love with Odenigbo instead of one of her father's business partners in order to make her parents happy. Olanna finally reconciled with Odenigbo after she had slept with Richard which seemed fair but unlike Odenigbo, she willingly went to bed with Richard with the intention to hurt Odenigbo.
The relationship between Richard and Kainene seems to have flourished throughout the book but once Kainene finds out that Richard slept with Olanna, tension appears in their relationship.
I was surprised by how lenient Kainene was with Richard. Rather than seperating herself from Richard, like how Olanna did with Odenigbo, Kainene burns his transcript of “The Basket of Hands”. I feel like Kainene understands the temptations that every human has an accepts it as a part of Richard. It was also surprising to find out that Kainene did not cheat on Richard even though she is described as a prostitute in a picture of her.
Post 3
ReplyDeleteI loved reading Half of a Yellow Sun because it reminded me of the book I read over summer titled A Long Way Gone about a young soldier. It reminds me of how fortunate we are to live in a country where those without homes and food can resort to shelters. Since Nigeria is in a country overseas, the wars and conflicts seem unclear to us which makes it seem unreal. Books such as Half of a Yellow Sun remind me of the tragedies that children younger than me have to see every day because of where they live.
During the time when Olanna, Odenigbo, and Baby were living in uncomfortable conditions, I felt hopeful whenever Olanna received a package from one of her friends.
Instead of always hiding her gifts, it was surprising to see her share her gifts with her neighbors even though they could not give her anything back in return.
Even though Olanna kept warning Ugwe about being conscripted, he continued to go against her will and pass through the forest even after he was conscripted and released. It seemed like Ugwe wanted to fight for the Biafran cause “Ugwu’s fear mixed with excitement at the thought that he was a soldier fighting with a gun. He remembered Professor Ekwenugo describing the ogbunigwq: “high-impact land mine.” How glamorous it sounded, this Biafran-made mine, this Ojukwu Bucket, this wonder that was so perplexing to the vandals that they were said to send cattle herds ahead to inderstand just how the obunigwe killed so many.”
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ReplyDeleteThe book was very good. I like how Adichie is very detailed in some areas. Sometimes too detailed in the way it slows the book down. But, sentences like "The moon floated out once in a while, and the thick trees ahead became dimly outlined, (453)" show the beauty in her writing and the detail in her thought. That line contrasted with the fact that it is used to frame Ugwu sitting in a mud filled trench looking at a spider, shows the duality portrayed often in this book. Some examples are the Twin sisters, twin affairs, two house boys. There is the nature of the dual identity of the country; a country not defined by those who inhabit it, but arbitrarily by Westerners and a more ideal country defined by the identities of the inhabitants.
I think it is very interesting how everyone has condemned Ugwu for his actions in the bar. I see Ugwu as a victim. A victim of his Igbo culture and Colonial oppression. A victim of peer-pressure; of lost identity of the horrors of war. The narrator even says just before Ugwu participates in the gang rape:
"He was not living his life; life was living him. (457)" ... "They tired him. The war tired him." I truly believe that the Ugwu we loved in chapter one was not the same Ugwu we are seeing in this awful scene. He has lost himself, his identity, a testament to how the horrors of war and death can influence people.
I agree with Victoria in that the book says a lot about forgiveness, and Ugwu should be forgiven. Towards the end he seems to regress back to the Ugwu we know and he writes the book that is summarized. Possibly a way for him to atone for his sins...
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ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I don’t think I can finish the book by tomorrow. But here are some ideas I'd like to share:
Richard appears to be a sweet man but he can’t decide anything in his life or his feeling toward Kainene. He refers to her as wife but then “He hoped the driver would not tell Kainene that he had said that. He hoped, too, that the driver would not tell Kainene that he had referred to her as his wife” (227) I think he’s a coward at this point. Even when Susan shows her annoying racist attitude on the phone, he hangs up on her but still has hope for her to call back. Richard needs a lot of determination to do what he has to in his life.
I do not know what will happen at the end but when I read to the part Odenigbo asks Olanna to get married, I think there is a foreshadow that something might happen in the war with him, will he die?
“You could be, if you married me. You should be”
She looked at him. “We are fine as we are.”
“We are at war and my mother would have to decide what will be done with my body if anything happened to me. You should decide that.”
“Stop it, nothing will happen to you.”
I’m reading to the part Odenigbo sleep with a village girl and this breaks my heart. Why does everybody have to cheat even though they already have everything?
Anyway, I look forward to our class seminar, there must be a lot to talk and I love to hear different ideas from you all. It is hard for me to make connection with his book as the previous one. But up to this point, this is a massive interesting book to read with different characters and I can see the way they change by the war and how relationships overlap.
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ReplyDeleteHello Everyone, I guess everyone's trying to get the 3blogs done by tonight! It's due in an hour! D:
We have discussed in class the different themes of this book, and I tried my best to just focus on one, Class and Privilege,but I couldn't! It was very interesting book. At first, I thought I'd never get to like the book because "I couldn't relate to it".. but I guess that was just my excuse! haha The first few chapters were very long and it basically bore me to death and I told myself I'm not going to finish the book. There were so many things going on, characters being introduce and different places being mentioned. I was totally lost!
Eventually I found my way in the book! I read through it and I find small things here and there funny! Just like on page 92-93 when Richard was looking for herbs and Harrison replied: "Go to the Medical Center". Then Richard asked Jomo, and then he found out that the herb Richard was looking was do really exist! BUT --- "it no work for white man". hahaha It's was funny!
I think I'll save my last say about the book on my next post...
Peace
Karen
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ReplyDeleteHello again! This will be my final blog on Half of a Yellow Sun! Yay! Trying to put it in before 12am!
Like I have mentioned on my previous post - I tried to stay on Class and Privilege all throughout the book. And here's my take about it..
I think the book heavily talks about Class and Privilege.
1. How having books and reading books while growing up is a privilege. I remember during my Center for Women and Democracy Leadership Institute, all the participants and facilitators participated in this activity called "Circle of Privilege". I remember the question: When you were growing up did you have books to read in your own home? and people who had books stepped in and the rest who didn't stayed where they were standing - I having books while growing up is a privilede.
2. It was talked in the book, how extravagant people look. The dresses and shirts they wear. The style of their hair and more..
3. The tittles/ positions of people in the society. Their occupation and passion is always talked about.
And there are more...
I just want to add a comment not on class and privilege, but the Power of each woman character especially Kainene and Olanna. I was amazed how Kainene, though a woman, have managed to take care of all the businesses of her family during early sixties. In a male dominant job - it is hard for women even in our day to gain respect and show that one is in power. Olanna on the other hand - I like her because she was not intimidated by Chief Okonji. Women are usually portrayed weak and easily swayed. Olanna stayed firm and told Chief Okonji "NO". I was impressed! The Author is definitely stating a positive example of women who have control over their lives, and their decisions are not influenced heavily by the society.
That's a wrap up for me! Yay! Just in time..
I'll continue reading the book and hopefully we'll have a rich seminar discussion tomorrow.
Gnite everyone!
Peace
Karen
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It ate my 3of 3 Blog post!
T_T
Oh now it's up there.. Haha..
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That scared Error Message scared me!!
Maxamed
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I like this novel for the strong emotions, and the details of the events that helped me feel more like with them when all these things were happening.
So far Ugwa is the protagonist hero. He is young boy of only thirteen that moves in to a totally new environment with different socio-cultural standards and expectations. He sis adjusting very fast with the new wold, and smoothly transforms him self. Odenigbo, is his employer that leaves in privileged and intellectual world, as the standard of his educated and westernized class.
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I am following the differences of life style between south and north of the country, and political backgrounds that led the war. after independence, Nigeria was divided primarily along ethnic lines with Hausa and Fulani in the north, Yoruba in the south-west, and Igbo in the south-east. They also differ education wise as south east Igbo have established educational system, which is not the same in south. Igbo also have the main resources of the country that is the oil. This places Igbo to all higher positions of he country. Tribes from north does not at all like this, started hating people from the South east. This created tensions between tribes and led the mass killings of the war.
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war has started, and almost all the world is with the side of the federal government. The author used strong language to explain how severe was the massacre made by federal government army to the Igbo civilians. She compared between what happen in Biafra and the holocaust happen in Germany in world war II. This novel let me know part of African history which I never though before. I sympathized with those helpless civilians, and wondered how most of the world is not that aware like such an unfortunate events happen to people of Biafra.
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ReplyDeletePost 2 (Parts 2 and 3)
The second part of the book was really hard for me to read. The train ride back from the massacre of Arize and her family was horrifying. It wasn't as hard as the last section of the book, when things really start to get desperate. Here were some things I tracked while reading parts 2 and 3.
I couldn't believe that Britain was supporting the Nigerian government. It's mentioned multiple times throughout part two (194, 198 and 218). It still shocks me sometimes when I see the hypocritical nature of governments that claim to be reformed. A few years earlier, Britain relinquishes Nigeria as a colony, and then once it's independent, treats it like a colony by suppressing any nationalism that doesn't support their agenda (like trading in oil). It was so frustrating! Things like this are part of what generates the tension between Madu and Richard. Despite his immersion into the Igbo culture, it is clear that it doesn't change how Madu sees Richard: as a white expatriate. On page 172, there is a dispute over whether there will be a second coup and Kainene seems to trust Madu's opinion that there won't be another one. Richard argues back in Igbo that lots of people were talking about the possibility of a second coup. Madu responds in English. Clearly Madu is doing everything he can to exclude Richard from the Igbo culture that Richard has come to adopt. I think Richard throws himself into the Igbo culture as a way of finding a place for himself that he never found at home with his neglectful parents (146).
Another thing that really bothered me was Odenigbo not taking responsibility for his actions. Olanna really sums it up best: what she must feel for him was an awed fear... she had not even considered that she could say no. Odenigbo made a drunken pass and she submitted willingly and promptly: He was the master, he spoke English, he had a car. It was the way it should be" (313). It didn't matter that he had not called her there. What mattered is that in her situation, Amala had no power in the situation: she was played first by Odenigbo's mother and then by the man himself. It would have been hard for her to have had anything but a passive role in the encounter. And the mother's plan wouldn't have worked without Odenigbo's consent, as Olanna also points out (308).
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ReplyDeletePost 3 (part 4)
The last part of the book was even harder to read than part 2. Things just got so desperate and so many people were dying. And by the end, everything’s so unstable! Kainene’s home is no longer hers (533), the military has been ordered to kill academics from Nsukka (527) and the list goes on. It's so tragic that Kainene goes missing just when the twins start to repair their relationship. I hope Olanna is able to find her.
Something that really stuck out to me in this section is just how corrupt the Biafran movement was. Once the war began, it wasn't about the people. It was about making the elites feel nice and cushy (Ojukwu, 393)(Dr. Ezeka; 427-430)and letting the troops loot whatever they wanted (455, 458). There is no excuse for what Ugwu did. None. So he would have been ridiculed, so what? If he can handle the constant presence of death, why couldn't he handle that? Why didn't he try to stop it?? I guess in war, whose side you're on becomes irrelevant and all you care about is survival. It was a very bleak picture of war. I'm glad that Ugwu is able to write about the war and I think his sharing it with others is the only way he will be able to redeem himself.
Another thing I found interesting was how violence and nationalism come to be linked together. At first, the Biafran independence movement is purely social, but then it becomes militarized and even civilians are involved in the processes of war with the building of bomb shelters and rationing of food. A clear moment showing the militarization of the populace is when a young school girl tells Olanna she wants to kill vandals. Olanna is unsettled by the fact that the phrase sounded so ordinary. Odegnibo then tells her, "She doesn't actually want to kill anybody, nkem. You just taught her patriotism" (353). In the Biafran movement, patriotism and violence become inextricably linked, so much so that Odenigbo can make such a shocking statement sound casual.
Richard, for all his cultural acceptance, in the end shows contradictory values. One minute he can have thoughts like this, in response to the exasperatingly racist reporters: “Thousands of Biafrans were dead, and this man wanted to know if there was anything new about one dead white man. Richard would write about this, the rule of Western journalism: One hundred dead black people equal one dead white man” (462). Here he clearly sees the racism inherent in the Western journalism of that time, but even here there is a conflict with who he is identifying with. If he truly wanted to identify with the Igbo people, and write about white people from their perspective, he would have said “and this white man wanted to know” because it would further separate Richard from this man and his beliefs. But he chooses to omit that word, showing that he at least subconsciously identifies more closely with this man even as he tries to differentiate himself from his race. In the end, when he attacks Madu, we see that he was not able to truly shed his race or his culture’s racist beliefs: “Madu got up. Richard reached out and grasped his arm. Come back, he wanted to say, come back here and tell me if you ever laid your filthy black hand on her… Richard hit him across the face” (537). The word black clearly stands out in this sentence and was used intentionally. Richard’s anger clearly stems from the racial stereotypes that Britain generated during its colonization of Nigeria. These stereotypes would have reassured British subjects of their superiority, much as Richard is attempting to reassure himself of his superiority in the face of his insecurity in his relationship with Kainene.