"The real tragedy of our postcolonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world" (Adichie 129)
Nigerian
Civil War, also known as Biafran War, was fought from 2 July, 1967 to 15
January, 1970 to reintegrate and reunify the divided country. It was an ethic
and political conflict causing the casualty of 1 million civilians from famine
and warfare. The novel introduces the war with college students rioting, but “this
was not just another demonstration by religion students” (Adichie 185) but beginning
of war. Because this conflict was the result of economic, religious, ethnic,
and cultural tensions between the North and the South Igbos, one can easily
spot racism.
At the end of some chapters, there is a small portion of the book that Richard wrote: “The Book: The world Was Silent When We Died”. Adichie uses her character to get her message out and it teaches the violence happening during the war and brutality of people to their own kind. This novel within the novel is used to provide history and inform its readers. With African as the victim of White superiority, “the white man brought racism into the world” (Adichie 503). Racism was used in war as “a basis of conquest” because it was “always easier to conquer a more humane people” (Adichie 503).
Throughout the novel, Adichie describes the hatred of two different races, between Biafrans and Igbos, but mostly it sums up to black and whites. It is very well known that the English has once dominated parts of Africa and both sides do not have positive views toward each other. “The English people thought they understood African better than Africans understood themselves” (Adichie 45), and the English constantly mocks the African race calling them “bloody beggars” (Adichie 67), “infidels” (Adichie 192), “relatively uncivilized” (Adichie 194), “heathens” (Adichie 350), “crazy people” (Adichie 343), and much more.
The English is constantly looking for an opportunity to dominate and control those they think are lower than them. They also states that the “tribal Nigerian politics” (Adichie 67) “were doomed to failure” (Adichie 324). Although it is natural for Biafrans to earn their freedom and obtain what they want by sacrificing all they have, freedom in this case, but the English do not allow it as if the whites own the Biafrans as their property. Adichie expresses the reality of white domination and supremacy by describing whites as being the antagonist of the novel with black Biafrans being the victim. The whites are “holy” (Adichie 529) but blacks are the ones with “disease” (Adichie 410)that are also “losers” (Adichie 364).
Adichie describes their hatred with brutal scenes and word choice that take the readers into the story and imagine that they are part of the racist conflict. The novel gives the message that there are still conflicts existing all over the world about race and there are people who actually hate each other for them to perform cruelty to human kind based on their color.
At the end of some chapters, there is a small portion of the book that Richard wrote: “The Book: The world Was Silent When We Died”. Adichie uses her character to get her message out and it teaches the violence happening during the war and brutality of people to their own kind. This novel within the novel is used to provide history and inform its readers. With African as the victim of White superiority, “the white man brought racism into the world” (Adichie 503). Racism was used in war as “a basis of conquest” because it was “always easier to conquer a more humane people” (Adichie 503).
Throughout the novel, Adichie describes the hatred of two different races, between Biafrans and Igbos, but mostly it sums up to black and whites. It is very well known that the English has once dominated parts of Africa and both sides do not have positive views toward each other. “The English people thought they understood African better than Africans understood themselves” (Adichie 45), and the English constantly mocks the African race calling them “bloody beggars” (Adichie 67), “infidels” (Adichie 192), “relatively uncivilized” (Adichie 194), “heathens” (Adichie 350), “crazy people” (Adichie 343), and much more.
The English is constantly looking for an opportunity to dominate and control those they think are lower than them. They also states that the “tribal Nigerian politics” (Adichie 67) “were doomed to failure” (Adichie 324). Although it is natural for Biafrans to earn their freedom and obtain what they want by sacrificing all they have, freedom in this case, but the English do not allow it as if the whites own the Biafrans as their property. Adichie expresses the reality of white domination and supremacy by describing whites as being the antagonist of the novel with black Biafrans being the victim. The whites are “holy” (Adichie 529) but blacks are the ones with “disease” (Adichie 410)that are also “losers” (Adichie 364).
Adichie describes their hatred with brutal scenes and word choice that take the readers into the story and imagine that they are part of the racist conflict. The novel gives the message that there are still conflicts existing all over the world about race and there are people who actually hate each other for them to perform cruelty to human kind based on their color.
Works Cited:
Atofarati, Abubakar A. "The Biafran War, Nigerian History, Nigerian Civil War." The Biafran War, Nigerian History, Nigerian Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Atofarati, Abubakar A. "The Biafran War, Nigerian History, Nigerian Civil War." The Biafran War, Nigerian History, Nigerian Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.