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How does the war affect individuals? Describe with reference to the novel Half of a Yellow Sun

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How does the war affect individuals? Describe with reference to the novel Half of a Yellow Sun

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Many of the greatest literary works of all time have war as their focal point. Chimamamda Adichie, one of the most gifted modern Nigerian writers, shows the horrors of war, as well as its heinous and atrocious nature, in her critically acclaimed and widely celebrated novel Half of a Yellow Sun. The novel follows the lives of five people (a patriotic and energetic lecturer Odenigbo, his forward-thinking, kind, and beautiful girlfriend-then-wife Olanna, his faithful and naive houseboy Ugwu, Olanna's charismatic and sharp-witted twin sister Kainene, and Kainene's English boyfriend and struggling writer Richard) in addition to many other characters, their relationships, and how they are affected by the war between Nigeria and Biafra that breaks out in 1967 and continues until 1970.

War brings along devastation and despair. The lives of the five main characters in the novel are irrevocably changed. For instance, in the beginning of Half of a Yellow Sun, the author introduces Odenigbo as an optimistic and confident intellectual; he is sure that his country and his people will prevail. Odenigbo even transfers this hope and confidence to those close to him, reassuring them time and again that victory is guaranteed. He cannot  contemplate the possibility of failure. This is apparent when Odenigbo refuses to accept that the defeat of Biafra, in whose independence and future he so vehemently believes, is imminent. To cope with the pain of losing his mother, having his hopes mercilessly shattered, and not being able to fulfill his promise to Olanna that one day they shall live in a free country, Odenigbo drowns his sorrow in alcohol and becomes increasingly secluded.

Another character, Olanna, is deeply affected by the war, too. The dream of living a peaceful life with Odenigbo and their daughter Baby is cruelly snatched from her as the war breaks out. Olanna becomes traumatized mentally, emotionally, and even physically as she witnesses the familiar world around her collapse. Her husband turns into a barely recognizable and distant alcoholic, her relationship with Kainene is strained, Baby gets sick, and she forgets the comfort of her previous life in Nsukka. Nevertheless, Olanna manages to regain her composure because she has never completely believed in the idealistic picture of the outcome of the war that Odenigbo paints and tries to preserve until the very end.

Furthermore, Olanna's sister Kainene finds herself in the situation where she has to rethink her priorities as the war between Biafra and Nigeria begins. Her sarcastic and harsh character is softened somewhat in the course of the war. Kainene restores her relationship with Olanna after numerous misunderstandings, finding enough strength and willingness within herself to forgive both her sister and Richard for the betrayal. Family and friends prove to be of utmost importance and value to Kainene, but she is not left unscathed. The war has a deep and lasting impact on her life, and in the end of the novel the reader finds out that she disappears after having gone to enemy territory. Kainene's future remains unclear.

Chimamanda Adichie in Half of a Yellow Sun shows that war can transform all people, regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity. Richard, an Englishman living in Nsukka, has to face the realization that his countrymen are cruel, racist, and promote discrimination for the sole reason of perpetuating chaos and suppressing the spirit of the many ethnic communities in Africa and Nigerian in particular. The war makes Richard completely sure that he is not like the rest of the Westerners, and he dedicates his support to the Igbo people. He sees in them a sense of cultural identity that is almost imperceptible to other people from England, who are only able to make the basic and crude distinction between Whites and Blacks -- those superior and the uneducated, boorish, and barbaric inferior Africans. Even before the war begins, Richard leaves his English girlfriend Susan after falling in love with Kainene. The war only solidifies his sense of belongingness in Nsukka and faithfulness to the Igbo community of which he becomes a part. However, Richard also feels unconfident about his abilities as a writer, and witnessing the horrendous acts of violence and ultimately losing Kainene leaves him deeply grief-stricken.

The character who is a symbol of innocence in Half of a Yellow Sun is Ugwu. As he comes to Odenigbo's house in the beginning of the novel to work as a houseboy, we see him as an unexperienced and naive boy. He is in awe of his master and has a strong desire and passion to learn new things and become educated. As the war begins, he proves his faithfulness by following Odenigbo and Olanna wherever they go and helping them in any way he can. Later, Ugwu falls in love with a girl named Eberechi, but after he finds out that she has physical relations with an army official (she is compelled to do this in view of the circumstances), Ugwu becomes extremely upset and heartbroken. He is forcefully recruited by some soldiers and becomes directly involved in the war. The brutality and harsh reality of the life on the battlefield makes Ugwu like the raw feeling of power that a soldier gets to taste, and in this dazed state he commits certain deeds that he later regrets.

It is an incredible feat for such a young author as Ms. Adichie to be able to vividly convey all the subtle and blatant emotions that people who have witnessed and/or found themselves in the epicenter of war experience. The writer, through the thoughts, actions, and interactions of the characters, demonstrates the development of their inner world and how war has a direct influence on this process. Readers can perceive how apathy and hopelessness slowly creeps in amidst of the five main characters in the novel. Each of them finds some of his or her biggest hopes shattered, and they are disillusioned.

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Odenigbo drives Olanna to Enugu Airport. She is offered to be taken to the VIP lounge after the ticket seller learns who she is (Chief Ozobia's daughter), but Olanna politely refuses, sitting instead in the general lounge. There she sees a poor man, three little children and an elderly lady. Olanna finds out that they are waiting for the man's brother, who "is the first in [his] village to go overseas[.]" A man flirts with Olanna aboard the airplane, and she remembers how she first met Odenigbo: It was two years ago and Olanna was in a relationship with a man named Mohammed. She was standing in a line to buy a ticket to the theater when the ticket seller beckoned a white man who was behind her to come forward. This angered Odenigbo, and he told the ticket seller to apologize to everybody in the line. Olanna found herself attracted to Odenigbo (whose "untidiness" substantiated his "radicalism"), and they soon fell in love. It was a long-distance relationship in the beginning, but now she has decided to move in with Odenigbo -- "the intensity [of their relationship] ha[s] not abated after two years[.]"

After arriving in Lagos, Olanna has dinner with her parents, her twin sister and Chief Okonji, the finance minister. The dinner is "important because of the building contract her father want[s]." Chief Okonji offers Olanna a job at the ministry, but she declines the offer, saying that she is going to Nsukka to work as instructor in the Department of Sociology. The man then asks her sister, Kainene, about her plans, and she tells him that she is going to Port Harcourt to manage her father's business there. A rather stiff and tense relationship between Olanna and Kainene makes the former miss the days when they were close. Chief Okonji invites the Ozobia family over, but Olanna declines his offer once again because she has planned to go to Kano to meet her uncle and his family. She remembers the time when Odenigbo and her father had a row in this house in Lagos. Chief Okonji tells Olanna that he loves her and is ready to provide her with everything she wants, but Olanna ignores his advances. Later, Olanna wants to ask her mother "if they [promised] him an affair with her," but eventually she does not do that. Olanna's mother tries to persuade her to stay in Lagos, and Olanna realizes that her mother's disapproval "colored most of her major decisions[.]" Kainene seems somewhat jealous of Olanna's beauty, the attention she always gets, and is condescending. She tells Olanna that their parents use her as sex bait. Kainene talks about her lover, Richard, and his plans to move to Nsukka. Olanna realizes how distant she and Kainene have become, but she does not remember any particular incident that caused this.

Olanna rides a train to Kano to see Uncle Mbaezi, her mother's brother. Uncle Mbaezi is an Igbo man living in Umunnachi, which is in the North. Olanna meets Auntie Ifeka, who breastfed her and her sister when they were little. There are many people staying in Uncle Mbaezi's house, and the place looks poor, but Olanna likes the "lucid peace." Olanna's cousin, Arize, comes back from her sewing classes and is delighted to see Olanna. While Auntie Ifeka and Arize are cooking, Arize tells Olanna that she wants to get married as soon as possible. Olanna replies by saying that she is too young and should focus on her sewing instead. Arize tells Olanna about a boy she likes, Nnakwanze. When staying with her uncle and aunt, Olanna realizes how artificial her parents' relationship is in comparison to that of Uncle Mbaezi and Auntie Ifeka. It is evident that Olanna is very close with her relatives.

Olanna goes to meet her ex-lover, Mohammed, who has just returned from America. Mohammed is a rich Hausa man. Olanna asks him about his new American girlfriend. Mohammed tells Olanna that he feels empty, and she remembers how they broke up. Both of them go for a drive, and it is obvious that Mohammed still has feelings for Olanna.

Olanna finally moves to Nsukka. Odenigbo introduces her to his friends -- Miss Adebayo seems pitying, Okeoma warm, Dr. Patel shy and Professor Ezeka disdainful. They discuss the Herero people and the cause of the Holocaust. Olanna starts teaching and gets used to life in Nsukka and the regular company of Odenigbo's friends. Olanna and Odenigbo are happy, and she wants to protect this; "she fear[s] that marriage [will] flatten it to a prosaic relationship."

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The novel begins with a young boy named Ugwu and his auntie walking towards Odim Street in the Nigerian city of Nsukka in the early 1960s. Auntie tells Ugwu to work well at his new master's house; the boy is eager to see the place and is excited at the prospect of a new job -- he is going to be a houseboy. On the way to Master's house, Ugwu keeps noticing how beautiful and well-kept the streets are and compares the place with his village. They reach the house, and Ugwu is immediately amazed by how spacious and elegant in design it is. The boy meets his new master, who works at the Nsukka University, and is impressed by him. Ugwu walks around the house and sees, perhaps for the first time, such items as a refrigerator and a sink; he notices that there are a lot of books in every room. The boy is impressed by all the different things in the house. He remembers his home and relatives, compares their lifestyle with that of Master.

Master tells Ugwu that he is going out to play tennis, and Ugwu is mesmerized by the way he speaks in English. While Master is out, the boy goes to the kitchen and slips some pieces of chicken into his pockets, thinking that he might not able to eat meat whenever he wants later. He remembers people back at home (particularly his sister, Anulika, and the girl he likes, Nnesinachi) before going to sleep. Master wakes Ugwu up in the morning and tells him that he smells chicken. The boy confesses that he put some pieces into his pockets last night. They talk for a while, and Master asks Ugwu to do some work. The boy thinks that the man is angry with him for what he did (the meat incident) and is afraid that he might lose his job.

Master tells him about the importance of education and promises to send Ugwu, who is thirteen years old and studies in the second grade, to the staff primary school. Ugwu is somewhat shy around Master but is eager to please him. The boy keeps saying that he learns fast, and to impress him, Ugwu tells Master that he can cook. The man tells Ugwu to call him Odenigbo -- Ugwu, though, prefers the more formal "sah" or "sir."

Weeks pass and Ugwu becomes familiar with Odenigbo's routine. The boy works hard, but one day he burns Master's socks. Blaming the evil spirits for confusing him, Ugwu once again finds himself afraid of losing the job. He looks for the arigbe plant, thinking it possesses calming properties, and meets Jomo the gardener who tells him some of his exaggerated stories. Ugwu still feels nervous about the burnt socks. He cooks stew and Odenigbo likes it. Ugwu notices that Master treats him differently, allowing him to sleep in the house, cook whatever he wants, and so on, unlike how other neighbors treat their houseboys.

Odenigbo's friends come by and Ugwu listens to their conversations. He soon knows all of the regular guests -- Dr. Patel, Professor Ezeka, Okeoma and Miss Adebayo -- and what they like to drink. Ugwu dislikes Miss Adebayo and finds her loud and arrogant. Odenigbo and his friends often discuss politics. Ugwu begins to see Miss Adebayo as a threat after she kisses Odenigbo; he does not want any woman to live with Master. Odenigbo's love interest, Olanna, arrives and Ugwu is immediately impressed by her looks, manners and her English. He feels nervous and anxious and desperately wants to impress her. Olanna helps Ugwu with drying the linen, and Ugwu sees how beautiful she is. He does not want his normal life with Odenigbo to be disrupted by her presence, but finds it "unbearable to think of not seeing her again."