Half of a Yellow Sun

The recent coup is on everyone’s mind, though the excitement of the event has died down a bit. In the aftermath of this incident, Olanna travels to the town of Kano in order to visit with her cousin Arize who is pregnant. Once Olanna arrives in Kano, she finds herself feeling anxious about letting Baby play with the other children of the town, whom Olanna perceives as being filthy. She quickly feels guilty for harboring such condescension, and she realizes that Arize desires her child to be safe, taken care of, and educated just as Olanna desires for Baby. Arize mentions Kainene to Olanna, but it is apparent at this point that the siblings are not talking to one another because of their differences.

Soon thereafter, Olanna travels to the residence of her parents in Lagos, which is currently empty. Her parents left the country when the coup began in order to stay far away the danger of the uprising. Olanna travels with Arize into the center of Kano in order to look around and perhaps purchase cloths for Baby, and she cannot help but notice that the locals are reading a newspaper article that was written by Odenigbo which bemoans the need for a unified nation and a unified government. 

It is at this moment that Olanna and Arize walk past a gathering of people who appear to be slapping a man around. The angry crowd begins asking the man if he is an Igbo. To blend in better, the two women speak the Yoruba language in order to hide their Igbo heritage. Arize confirms to Olanna that she has heard of similar occurrences happening all over the country after the coup led by Major Nzeogwu. Arize tries to soothe Olanna by saying that soon everything will be better, but Olanna is still greatly worried.

The viewpoint of this chapter shifts back to Richard’s. The chapter opens with Richard and Kainene attending a grand festivity that many of the new leaders of the revolutionary regime are also attending. As the two arrive, Kainene’s drunken mother approaches Richard and tells him that she and her husband will likely be leaving for London in the coming days until the turmoil caused by the coup simmers down. After being told this, Richard goes to find Kainene and discovers her on the balcony with Madu.

As Richard approaches the two, Richard makes a comment to Madu in Igbo, though Madu refuses to answer in Igbo: he always replies in English. Richard listens to the conversation occurring between Kainene and Madu, and he hears that Madu has just been promoted to the rank of Colonel. Kainene and Madu continue their discussion of topics pertaining to their business affairs, though eventually Richard interjects by saying that it is his estimation that another coup will soon follow the one that has just occurred. This comment irritates Madu, who disagrees and quickly changes the topic of conversation.

Two weeks later, Kainene and Richard are back in Nsukka, and Richard is reading a letter that he has just received from his cousin. This particular cousin is getting married soon, and Richard plans to travel back to London to attend the event. As Richard reads the letter, his cousin describes how Richard has changed and become like the Nigerian locals. Just then one of the servants of the house loudly claims that another coup has occurred. Richard immediately thinks of how Madu was wrong in believing that another coup would not happen. 

Richard rushes to turn the radio on, and the news is confirmed. The BBC is reporting that Northern Hausa-affiliated military officers have overthrown the Igbo regime and that a massacre of Igbo officials is currently occurring in the city of Kaduna. This news horrifies Kainene, as she realizes that Madu was supposed to be in Kaduna. Soon thereafter, Kainene receives word that Ekechi, the man who criticized her relationship with Richard, has just been tortured to death during the Hausa overthrow.

Several days later, an emaciated Madu arrives at Kainene’s residence. Madu describes how he survived the Hausa’s purge by hiding inside a chicken coop for two days. After this, he began to make his way slowly and discreetly to the Southern portion of the country. On his journey, he claims that he saw hundreds of Igbo soldiers and civilians who had been murdered during the latest coup.

As he relays his story, Madu looks very upset and ill. He claims that the country can never be the same again and that the Igbo and Hausa tribes will never be able to have a lasting peace because of the coup that has happened. He is infuriated that General Gowon has been chosen as the new leader of Nigeria, as Madu believes the General is completely unqualified for the position. He claims that Gowon only became a General because of the ethnic policies that the Nigerian military had utilized at the behest of their British administrators. During this last comment, Madu shoots Richard a nasty look, and with this the chapter closes.

Again, this chapter utilizes the viewpoint of Ugwu to further the narrative. At the beginning of this section, it has been several weeks since the Hausa coup has occurred. The mood is quite somber; Odenigbo and his guests no longer debate and joke over trivial things. Instead, all conversations surround alleged incidents that are occurring within the Northern regions of the country. Odenigbo overhears the radio reporting that 500 innocent Igbo civilians have just been massacred in a Northern Nigerian town, though Odenigbo is denial and completely incredulous about this report. He merely retorts “rubbish” (179).

Baby is oblivious to what is happening, and so she giggles and remarks upon the chickens she dreamed of the prior night. She asks Ugwu about her mother, who at this point is still in Kano, but just at this moment there is a frantic knock at the door. Several dazed men enter and claim that Igbos are being murdered and tortured all throughout the North of Nigeria and that this sudden spurt of violence began in the city of Kano.

Ugwu is horrified at the prospect that Olanna could be dead in Kano. The radio continues to play, and it relays that churches are being burnt down and that people in the North are being massacred left and right. Furthermore, the report claims that thousands of Igbo are taking trains to the Southern portions of Nigeria and asks listeners to please donate food and materials if possible to help take the burden off of the nation’s train stations.

Odenigbo quickly sends Ugwu to the local train station armed with tea and bread. Once Ugwu arrives, he is terrified to find many people there maimed and covered in blood. Ugwu passes a man who has had his eye plucked out, and the man claims that soldiers intervened in his abuse and saved him from being murdered. Ugwu is unable to find Olanna at the station, and he returns to the university in desperation.

This chapter begins in the viewpoint of Olanna several days before the events of Chapter 10. We find Olanna resting at Mohammed’s lavish residence, but he bursts inside quickly and demands that she must now go. Olanna is aware of the turmoil that has been occurring, but she still does not realize the intensity of the situation. She claims that if she cannot stay, then it is her intention to travel to her aunt and uncle’s village. Being more aware of the political situation than her, Mohammed says that that specific village has been ransacked and that many people have been killed there. Upon hearing this, Olanna begs Mohammed to take her there.

In order to travel safely, Mohammed has Olanna dress up in the garb of a Muslim woman and begins escorting her to her aunt and uncle’s village, Sabon Gari. Upon arriving, they see that it has been utterly destroyed and most of its buildings burnt to the ground. Once the two step out of the car, Olanna is horrified to see the maimed remains of her aunt and uncle. A man who had previously been a friend of Olanna’s uncle walks up to Mohammed and Olanna with a machete in hand. He declares that he and compatriots murdered the entire family that they see before them in accordance with the will of Allah. Mohammed quickly ushers Olanna back into the car and utters that Allah could never forgive such transgressions.

Shortly thereafter, the narrative cuts to a scene in which Olanna is aboard a packed train. As she is on the floor of the train, she begins to feel liquid touch her and she realizes it is urine. Furthermore, her eye begins to burn. She turns over to a woman that is sitting next to her, and Olanna realizes she is transporting a calabash that holds her daughter’s head within it. The woman makes the comment that her daughter’s hair was very difficult to braid, and on this grim note the chapter ends.

This chapter opens through Richard’s viewpoint. He is returning to Nigeria after his visit to his cousin’s wedding in London, and his plane has just landed in Kano. He opens a letter that he has discovered, and he realizes it was written by Kainene. In it, she expresses her love for Richard. Because of this, Richard is emboldened in his passion for her and decides to ask Kainene to marry him whenever he sees her next. 

Upon arrival, Richard speaks to the customs officer in the Igbo language. The man’s name is Nnaemeka, and the two men have an extremely pleasant conversation until they are interrupted by the call to board the next flight. At this precise moment, Hausa militants burst into the airport and demand that all the Igbos present to indicate their presence. One of the Hausa soldiers demands Nnaemeka to say Allahu Akbar, knowing that it will reveal whether or not he has an Igbo accent. Nnaemeka remains silent, so the militant shoots him, and the rest of the Hausa continue to kill all Igbos present at the airport. Richard is beyond disturbed and vomits, but he quickly makes his way to his next plane and departs. 

Once again, Richard’s plane lands and this time he is in Lagos. He travels to Susan’s house as he is completely distraught at the massacre that he has just witnessed and needs to decompress. Once he arrives, Richard is surprised to find her undisturbed and making small talk with him. She goes on to say casually that the Igbos had their treatment coming all along, and that the locals could not control their murderous behavior because they were uncultured savages. Richard goes to the bathroom, and he feels disgusted with himself. He begins to wash his face and cry. 

This chapter closes with another description of The World Was Silent When We Died. The anonymous author begins to discuss the political circumstances that were directly responsible for providing the catalyst that allowed the widespread murder of Igbos in the north of Nigeria. When the nation was navigating its independence process with England, the north of the country wanted to be its own separate nation and secede from the South. England worked to keep the two parts connected as it still wanted access to the vast oil resources located in the south of Nigeria.