PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
CHALLENGING COLONIAL EDUCATION IN ADICHIE’S
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
A Thesis
Presented As Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement to Obtain the Magister Humaniora (M.Hum.) in English Language Studies
by
Febby Winda Pelupessy
Student Number: 156332016
THE GRADUATE PROGRAM OF ENGLISH LANGUANGE STUDIES
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017
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APPROVAL
A THESIS
CHALLENGING COLONIAL EDUCATION IN AI}ICHIE'S
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
&h*1, -r<= Patrisius Mutiara Andalas, S.J., S.S., S.T.D. Ft, Thesis Arlvisor Yogyakarta, Novemb er l, 20L7 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
THESIS DEFENSE APPROVAI. PAGE
CHALLENGING COLONLAL EDUCATION
IN ADICHIE'S IIALF OF A TELLOW SLTN By
Febby Winda Pelupessy'
Student N'umber. i 563320 I 6
Defended before the Thesis Committee and Seclaretl Acceptable
't' IESIS {:0esM HTTIlE.
qtal-^* ehairpers*n : Ifra. F.i*vita. Ilervi. M.S.. M.A tHons.), Ilh.t-r. Secretary : Faulus S;tnvotri" Ph.D. Meinbers . I. Dr. {:i. Fa"j*r Sasr:tita Aji" M.}"lum.
2. Fatrisius Muiiara Andahrs. SJ.. 5.1'.D.
Yogyakarta, November 16, 2017
e Graduate Progrann Director arma Universi
Budi Subanar, SJ.
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STATEMENTOF'ORIGINALITY }
This is to certifiz that all ideas, phrases, sentences, unless otherwise stated, are the
ideas and sentences of the thesis writer. The writer understands the full consequences including degree cancellation if she took somebody else,s ideas, phrases, or sentences without proper references.
Yogyakarta, Novemb er l, 2017
\J^lta-
Febby Winda Pelupessy
111 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH T]NTUK KEPENTINGAI\ AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangandi bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Febby Winda Pelupessy NIM :156332016 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
CIIALLENGING COLONIAL EDUCATION IN ADICHIE'S IIALF OF A
YELLOW SI.JN
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu memintaizin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selam atetapmencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada Tanggal 1 November 20ll Yang menyatakan
Ao ilr {JW.r Febby Winda Pelupessy
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I thank Jesus Christ for His blessing and Guidance for the accomplishment of my thesis. I give my gratitude towards my thesis advisor,
Patrisius Mutiara Andalas, SJ., S.S., S.T.D. for his guidance and insight during the writing of this thesis. I also thank the lectures in English Language Studies especially
Paulus Sarwoto, Ph.D. and Novita Dewi, M.S., M.A. (Hons), Ph.D through their classes and discussions, I learn a lot.
I would also extant my gratitude to both my parents Jonias Pelupessy and
Merna Pelupessy/C for their love, kindness and support in my life. Many thanks also attributed towards my brother and sisters, Imanuel Ianrush, Sarah Novani, Selvina
Juliana, and Stella Adriana Natalia. I also would like to thank my friends in English
Language Studies especially from the B class of 2015 and literature batch. I would like to thank my friends in literature batch, mbak Laksmi, mbak Sophie, mbak Angel, mbak Nana, mbak Mila and mas Wibi. During our classes we all learn a lot.
I also thank Anna Anganita Theresia Latumeten, Theodesia Lady Pratiwi,
Dias Gita Chrismana, Agnes Kenya, Fina, Marschall Eirence, Yosafat Barona.
Flavianus Batan, and Maximilianus Soter Mite Kombong for the friendship and support during my study. My deepest gratitude also goes to Adela, Ririn, Kristin,
Bela and Ria for the time we spend together.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPROVAL ...... i STATEMENT OF WORK ORIGINALITY ...... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... vi ABSTRACT ...... vii ABSTRAK ...... viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ...... 1 A. Background of the Study ...... 1 B. Research Questions ...... 8 C. Chapter Outline ...... 9 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ...... 10 A. Review of Related Studies ...... 10 B. Review of Related Theories ...... 23 1. Education ...... 23 2. Education Neocolonialism ...... 27 CHAPTER III THE PORTRAYAL OF EDUCATION IN ADICHIE’S HALF OF A YELLOW SUN ...... 34 A. Traditional Education ...... 35 B. Colonial Education ...... 56 CHAPTER IV CHALLENGING COLONIAL EDUCATION IN ADICHIE’S HALF OF A YELLOW SUN ...... 66 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ...... 81 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 87
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ABSTRACT
Pelupessy, Febby Winda. 2017. Challenging Colonial Education in Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. Yogyakarta: The Graduate Program in English Language Studies, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis focuses on how Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the colonial education in Nigeria. This thesis intends to find out how the impact of colonization is embedded in Nigerian education system. In doing so, two research questions are formulated which focus on how education is portrayed in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun and how this novel challenges the combination of traditional and the colonial education in Nigeria. This thesis employs two theories in order to answer the research questions. The first theory is education theory proposed by John Dewey and the second theory is educational neocolonialism proposed by Philip G. Altbach. This thesis finds out that education in Nigeria is spread into traditional and colonial education. Traditional education focuses on how moral and values in Nigerian is shared from one generation to another. Oral tradition plays an important role in spreading traditional education. Furthermore, the depiction of colonial education in this novel can be seen from three different aspects. The first is the use of English language in Nigeria, the second is the control towards the teaching material, and the international education provided British. This thesis also finds out that Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the the combination of traditional and colonial education through the teaching materials which are presented in the class. The combination of traditional and colonial education is also difficult because of the boundaries between each of tribe in Nigeria which are set during the colonization period.
Keywords: Traditional education, Colonial education, Education Neocolonialism
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ABSTRAK
Pelupessy, Febby Winda. 2017. Challenging Colonial Education in Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. Yogyakarta: Program Pasca Sarjana Kajian Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma. Thesis membahas bagaimana novel Adichie berjudul Half of a Yellow Sun menentang pendidikan colonial di Nigeria. Tesis ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa bagaimana dampak kolonisasi tertanam pada sistem pendidikan negara hasil jajahan. Dua rumusan masalah diformulasikan pada tesis ini. Rumusan masalah yang pertama adalah bagaimana pendidikan digambarakan dalam novel Half of a Yellow Sun dan bagaimana novel mengkritik penggabungan antara pendidikan tradisional dan pendidikan kolonial. Thesis ini menggunakan dua teori untuk menjawab rumusan masalah tersebut. Dua teori ini adalah teori pendidikan oleh John Dewey dan teori pendidikan neocolonial oleh Philip G. Altbach. Hasil penelitian thesis ini menunjukan bahwa pendidikan di Nigeria tersebar melalui dua bentuk pendidikan yaitu pendidikan tradisional dan pendidikan kolonial. Pendidikan traditional fokus kepada penyebaran moral dan budaya di masyarakat Nigeria. Selain itu penggambaran pendidikan kolonial dibentuk dalam tiga bagian yaitu penggunaan Bahasa Inggris di Nigeria, Kontrol terhadap penyebaran materi sekolah seperti buku, serta sekolah internasional yang disediakan oleh Inggris. Thesis ini juga menemukan bahwa novel Half of a Yellow Sun mengkritik penggabungan pendidikan tradisional dan pendidikan kolonial melalui penyebaran materi yang diberikan di kelas. Penggabungan dua jenis pendidikan ini juga menjadi sulit dikarenakan adanya perbedaan cara pandang terhadap masing-masing suku di Nigeria karena hasil penjajahan.
Keywords: Traditional Education, Colonial education, Education Neocolonialism
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Colonization has a huge impact in Africa history. It has an important part in developing African identity. Philip Higgs notes that colonialism in Africa provides the framework for the organized subjugation of the cultural, scientific and economic life of many on the African continent.1 As the result, the impact of colonization is rooted deeply in Africa including Nigeria even after the colonization is ended.
Leela Gandhi writes that the colonial aftermath is marked by the range of ambivalent cultural moods and formations which accompany periods of transition and translation. It is, in the first place, a celebrated moment of arrival charged with the rhetoric of independency and the creative euphoria of self-invention.2 In other words, colonization puts colonized country such as Nigeria in a huge challenge to find its own identity and culture without being controlled by the colonizer country.
Colonization also plays a huge part in shaping world perception about Africa.
Africa has been associated with barbaric and uncivilized country for many years.
1 Philip Higgs, ―Towards an Indigenous African Educational Discourse: A Philosophical Reflection.‖ International Review of Education 54. 3/4 (2008): 446. PDF. 23 November 2017.
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Literary works are important in amplifying these stereotypes. Adichie argues that the problem with stereotypes, especially in literature, is that one story can become the only story: stereotypes lead people ability to think in complex ways3. In other words, stereotypes limit people ability to think and question their own perception.
Adichie adds that these wrong perceptions lead to the history of slavery since the colonizers assume that it is acceptable to control the colonized agriculture resources, to take their land, and to ―civilize‖ them.4 In line with this statement,
Aimé Césaire also questions the notion of civilization in the colonization by explaining that through the mission to civilize one country during the colonization period, it actually does not provide any human value for the colonized country.5
Through her literary works Adichie gives the voice to Nigeria and clarifies the misinterpretation about Africa. She portrays the misinterpretation about Africa, especially Nigeria, in all of her works including in Half of a Yellow Sun. This novel is a historical fiction based on Nigeria civil war happened from 1967 to 1970. Half of a Yellow Sun is Adichie‘s second novel after Purple Hibiscus which was published in
2003. Half of a Yellow Sun was published in 2006.
Both of Adichie novels are set after the colonization period in Nigeria. These two novels also puts family as the main conflict in the story. Different from Purple
Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun presents three different voices which enables readers
3 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, ―African ―Authenticity‖ and the Biafran Experience.‖ Transition 99 (2008): 43. PDF. 11 February 2017.
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to experience not only one perspective but three different perspectives about the conflict which is presented in this novel clearly.
Although Half of a Yellow Sun is set six years after the colonization, this novel echoes the impact of colonization towards economic and social aspect in Nigeria, including the challenges in developing a new identity as a nation. This novel depicts the effect of Nigeria Civil war from the eyes of Ugwu, a houseboy, Olanna, an Igbo woman and Richard, a British journalist.
The story starts in the early sixties as Ugwu works as a new houseboy. As a thirteen years old boy Ugwu needs to work in order to support his family financial.
Ugwu cannot be able to continue his study because his parents cannot afford tuition.
This condition is different from Odenigbo his master. As a lecture Odenigbo really values the importance of education. Odenigbo also enrolls Ugwu as a student in a staff member school in the University of Nsukka where Odenigbo works as a lecture.
During his time in school, Ugwu learns how to use English language well to communicate with Odenigbo and other people. Odenigbo‘s personality as a smart and charismatic professor in the University of Nsukka really inspires Ugwu to study hard. Furthermore, working in Odenigbo‘s house also benefits Ugwu to improve his knowledge by reading many historical books provided in Odenigbo‘s library.
One day, Odenigbo‘s girlfriend named Olanna moves to live with him. Olanna comes from a rich family. She is the daughter of Chief Ozobia, one of the prominent figures in Igbo community. She has a twin sister named Kainene. Both of Olanna and
Kainene‘s parents really concern with their education. Although their parents do not
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have enough formal education background, Olanna and Kainene pursue their education in one of the best schools in Nigeria. Kainene and Olanna are also able to continue their education in London.
Although Olanna and Kainene are twins, they have different personalities.
Kainene is more outspoken than Olanna. Kainene will not hesitate to express her honest opinion although it hurts other. Different from Olanna, Kainene is never interested in Nigerian men. Kainene loves white man. This fact then leads Kainene to be in love with Richard Churchill, British Journalist.
The story moves from the early sixties to the late sixties, which depicts the beginning of Nigeria civil war. The Islam Hausa starts to execute Christian Igbo who live in the Northern Nigera including Olanna‘s beloved auntie and uncle. A new republic, called Biafra, is created by the Igbo. This war then leads many Nigerian, including Olanna, Odenigbo, and Ugwu, to move from one place to another.
During this war, many schools are closed down, even burned. Olanna starts to teach children near her neighborhood together with Ugwu. Odenigbo organizes the discussion with the university member about the possibility to help Igbo people.
While Kainene runs a refugee camp (incomplete sentence). Kainene decides to trade across enemy lines. However, she never returns, even after the end of the war a few weeks later.
Divided into four parts, Adichie combines the events between late sixties and early seventies which happen to be the time period of Nigerian war. She also gives the detailed information of each character, especially the different cultural
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background that makes this novel interesting not only as a reading material but also as a research object. Adichie‘s bravery to voice about Nigerian war puts her novel in a similar position to prominent Nigerian writers, such as Chinua Achebe.
Heather Hewett notes that Adichie has published her short stories in several literary magazines including prestigious American journal such as The Iowa
Reviewer and Zoetrope All-Story. Adichie‘s works have won several awards, including the O. Henry Prize; and her novel Purple Hibiscus is shortlisted for the
2004 Orange Prize for fiction, and longlisted for Booker.6 Hewett also notes that unlike some of her peers, Adichie has made no such assertion of difference about her writing.
Hewett notes that Adichie revises Achebe‘s novel in several ways. She takes one of his themes, the breakdown of family and community under the pressures of colonialisms and religions, and recasts it in post-independent Nigeria, at a time when colonialism‘s heirs, corruption, political strife and religious dogmatism strain family and community.7 Adichie‘s Purple Hibiscus really depicts this issue clearly.
One aspect echoed in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun is the depiction of education. The notion of education is strongly depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow
Sun. Adichie creates her characters‘ personality along with their education background. The interesting point is that Adichie depicts those who have good and
6 Heather Hewett, ―Coming of Age: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Voice of the Third Generation.‖ English in Africa 32. 1 (2005): 75. PDF. 31 January 2017.
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enough formal education, and also those who never experience any kind of formal education. Colonization also affects the education system in Nigeria even after the colonization period ends.
Nina Asher writes that postcolonialists in the field of education such as
Hickling-Hudson, Matthews, and Woods note that the result of colonialism pervades the metropolitan countries that built empires as well as their former colonies. It follows educational system, curriculum, and teaching are shaped in context specific ways by legacies of colonialism.8 As one of the British colonized countries, it cannot be denied that the impact of British in Nigeria is so strong even in Nigeria education system.
Before the colonization, Nigeria applies traditional education as an education system. According to Fafanwa traditional education emphasizes on social responsibility, job orientation, political participation, and spiritual and moral values.9
The purpose of traditional education is limited to maintain culture and values in the colonized countries. Thus, the colonizer develops formal education system which also refers as colonial education in order to improve Nigerian people.
Religion plays an important role in developing education system in Nigeria.
Michael Omolewa notes that the Christian missionaries were later supported by the
8 Nina Asher, ―Chapter 5: Decolonization and Education: Locating Pedagogy and Self at the Interstices in Global Times.‖ Counterpoints 369 (2009): 68. PDF. 24 November 2017.
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colonial administration in using the new education system as a means of cultivating the mind of Africans to accept European values and practices.10 The emergence of colonial education brings a standard in Nigeria education system. Colonial education enables the spread of equal education with equal standard across Nigeria.
Nevertheless, Omolewa notes that the coming of European education from the late 15th century onwards has disrupted the traditional system and brought the formal school system at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, the learning of European languages, literature, history, philosophy, as well as the science subjects, including mathematics, biology, physics and chemistry.11 This statement is also supported by
Adichie‘s own experience. Adichie explains that
I grew up in Nsuka, a small university town in southeastern Nigeria, and started reading when I was perhaps four years old. I read a lot of British children literature, and I was particularly enamored of Enid Blyton. I thought that all books had to have white people in them, by their very nature, and so when I first started to write all my characters were white and had blue eyes and played in the snow and ate apples and had dog called Socks. This, by the way, at a time when I had not been to England and had never seen snow and was more familiar with mangoes than apple.12
Education plays an important role in developing a country. Education enables human to comprehend their role in life and fulfill their basic role in the society.
10 Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World.‖ International Review of Education 53.5/6 (2007): 594. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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Nevertheless, the aims of education comes into question especially to the colonized countries since it can also be used to control the society.
The importance of education is also depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun.
Therefore, the research which is related to colonial education presented in this novel is essential to be conducted. It is important to address the issue on the implication of colonization, specifically in education system since this aspect is rarely examined by other researchers. This thesis examines two important things in colonial education.
The first point deals with the depiction of education in Nigeria. This point is important in order to find out how Nigeria educate their people before, during and after the colonization. This point is important to see how Nigeria culture and tradition are presented in the education system. This point also explores how the novel deals with the combination of traditional and colonial education.
The second important point this research would like to address deals with how this book challenges the combination of traditional and colonial education. It cannot be denied that formal education set by British forever changes Nigeria education system. Nevertheless, it is important to examine whether the formal education is really helpful to liberate the students or it is just another way to control this country.
Therefore, the research of colonial education depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow
Sun is essential to be scrutinized.
B. Research Questions
In order to examine Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun, This research addresses two research questions as follows
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1. How is education portrayed in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun?
2. How does Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenge the combination of
traditional and colonial education in Nigeria?
C. Chapter Outline
In order to develop a systematic research, this thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction of the thesis. This chapter elaborates the background of the study, the research questions, and the chapter outline.
The second chapter is divided into two subtopics. The first subtopic deals with the review of related studies. This subtopic examines five previous studies which deal with postcolonial perspective in Half of a Yellow Sun, and how they help extending the research‘s idea about this novel. The second subtopic elaborates the theories which are used in this thesis.
This thesis applies two theories. The first is the theory of education proposed by John Dewey. Dewey‘s theory of education is used to answer the depiction of education in Nigeria. The second theory which is used the theory of education neocolonialism by Philip G. Altbach. This theory is used in order to find out how this novel challenges the combination of traditional and colonial education.
Chapter three deals with the depiction of education in this novel while chapter four examines how this novel challenges the combination of traditional and colonial education to liberate the society. The last chapter explains the conclusion of this thesis and also presents some suggestions for the future researchers who is interested in examining the same novel.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
In the previous chapter the background of the study and also the research questions have been presented. The need to examine the impact of colonization in
Nigeria education system leads to two research questions. This chapter is divided into two subsections. The first subsection elaborates the previous studies related to
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun, while the second subsection deals with the theories used to support the findings of this research.
There are many studies on Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun. However, this study focuses on the issue of postcolonialism examined in others studies. The review of related studies will enrich the research‘s knowledge about postcolonial issues depicted in this novel. Moreover, the review is also needed in order to locate this research among the other studies.
The first study is entitled ―The Global North in Achebe‘s Arrow of God and
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellows Sun‖ by Chima Anyadike. Set in 1920s Achebe‘s Arrow of God starts with a war between two neighboring regions of rural Igbo land, named
Umuaro and Okperi. The conflict of this novel depicts the struggle of Ezeulu who tries to bring his people together in order to appreciate their own culture and belief.
However, Ezeulu needs to face difficult circumstances between his own people and also the colonizers who try to control Igbo people using their western style. Similar
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to Achebe‘s previous works, Adhicie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun explores the effect of colonization by connecting the plot with Nigerian war which happened in 1967.
Through this study, Anyadike challenges the notion of globalization for the third world countries, specifically Nigeria, by comparing two white people characters in these two novels. According to Anyadike, globalization is a double-edged sword.
Globalization opens the door for nations around the world to be interconnected to one another. However, it also opens the big door for the domination.13 This grim picture of globalization can also be seen in Arrow of God and Half of a Yellow Sun.
Through the character of Richard, Anyadike tries to examine the true globalization in
Nigeria depicted in Half of a Yellow Sun.
Different from the white characters in Achebe‘s Arrow of God who clearly show their hatred towards Igbo people, Richard is portrayed as someone who adores
Nigeria, especially Igbo culture. Anyadike argues that Richard does not only abandon the possessive love of a fellow white woman, but he also undergoes the full processes of wooing and genuinely feeling the anxieties and jealousies of falling in love before he happily gets engaged to a cynical Nigerian girl, Kainene.14
Before dating Kainene, Richard was in a relationship with a white woman named Susan. During his time with Susan, both of them usually attended a group meeting of white people who usually shares their negative judgment towards
13 Chima Anyadike, ―The Global North in Achebe‘s Arrow of God and Adichie Half of A Yellow Sun.‖ The Global South 2. 2 (2008): 140. PDF. 16 March 2017.
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Nigerian. However, Richard does not easily agree with their judgment. His love for
Igbo culture and Igbo-Ukwu art then leads him to find a Nigerian lover, Kainene.
It is interesting to see how Adichie uses white person character as a tool to attack the negative judgment. Nevertheless, another interesting point from Richard‘s character is his dependency on Kainene. Richard‘s dependency appears because of his insecurity of not being able to suit Kainene‘s environment. His insecurity leads him to learn Igbo language and culture quickly. This action is quite different from most of the white people characters in postcolonial novels who always try to force their language and culture upon the native.
Anyadike describes that in Half of a Yellow Sun, Igbo land has been opened up not only to international trade and business but also to the influences from institutions like universities and international organizations as a result of liberation.15
Therefore, this novel shows how easy it is for white people to come to Nigeria as the impact of international trader. However, Anyadike argues that this easy access also triggers the Nigerian civil war related to an international oil politics issue.16
This proves that the progress of globalization cannot be seen easily since the control of the economy is still in the hand of the dominating nation. Anyadike argues that when the society loses the control over its economy, it can only take forward to an intensification of inequalities as we have in the actually existing global order.17 In other words, the analysis of Half of a Yellow Sun in this study proves that the
15 C. Anyadike, p. 147 16 C. Anyadike, p. 147 17 C. Anyadike, p. 148
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progress of globalization can only be measured if the society are given a full access to control their own economy. Thus, this study proves that Half of a Yellow Sun still depicts the impact of colonization even after Nigeria gets its Independence in 1960.
The second study is entitled ―Dancing Masquerades: Narrating Postcolonial
Personhood in Three Novels‖ written by Aghogho Akpome. Akpome argues that
Half of a Yellow Sun is a form of self-referential writing since the narrative is composed based on the combination of Adichie‘s personal life and Nigeria historical background. However, the connection between this novel and Adichie is not conspicuous.
Akpome notes that there are similar and equally relevant connections between the story and Adichie‘s personal, family and cultural identity and history that appear in a number of nuanced, subtextual and paratextual ways, and assert the novel‘s credentials as an example of self-referential writing.18 The settings of places in this novel describe the environment where Adichie grows up, such as the University of
Nsukka, and the village of Abba and Umunnachi from where her father and mother hail respectively. Some major characters are also taken from Adichie‘s real life such as Ugwu and Odenigbo. Adichie‘s story also portrays the ethnic identity in general, and Igbo material cultural in particular.
Akpome argues that Odenigbo as one of the main characters in this novel plays an important role in questioning Nigeria‘s problematic multi ethic national
18 Aghogho Akpome, ―Dancing Masquerades: Narrating Postcolonial Personhood in Three Novels‖ English in Africa 40.1 (2013): 151. PDF. 31 January 2017.
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formation.19 Odenigbo is described as an educated professor who does not only show his love for math but also to his country. Odenigbo also initiates numerous intellectual discussions in which he always shares his political insight. Odenigbo refuses to be connected to any identity given by the white people since he thinks that his only true identity is his ethnicity.
Similar to Odenigbo‘s opinion towards culture, many characters in this novel are clearly described by their ethnic affiliation. This style can be seen through the name selection and also the use of language. Adichie also applies some local languages in order to distinguish one identity from others. Moreover Akpome also brings the similar argument from the previous study by Chima Anyadike about the character of Richard Churchill.
Akpome argues that the most instructive indication that Adichie considers ethnicity as central to the definition of personal identity is the novel‘s representation of Richard. Through Richard‘s point of view, the readers can clearly see Richard‘s admiration for Igbo culture.20 This admiration also leads Richard to learn Igbo language and use that in his daily life. Richard also refuses to be treated like the other white people. Lara Adeboyo, one of the characters also says that Richard was an
Igbo people in his past life.
Nevertheless, in the end of the story Richard refuses to write a story about Igbo and Nigeria war. Richard feels that the story of Nigeria is not his right to tell. This
19 A. Akpome, p. 153 20 A. Akpome, p. 154
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demonstrates that ethnicity has a major part for Nigerian. Moreover Akpome concludes that Half of a Yellow Sun tends to resist the affirmation of hybridity and sycreticism as determining factors of self-definition and retreats instead to a position that tends whether deliberately or not privilege notions if origination and purity.21 In other words, hybridity cannot always be an easy solution to accommodate the problem of ethnicity.
The third study is composed by Obi Nwakanma entitled ―Metonymic
Eruptions: Igbo Novelist, the Narrative of the Nation, and New Developments in the
Contemporary Nigerian Novel‖. Nwakanma notes that Nigeria is in its current formation, a hybrid state; a nation of multiple nations coalescing to form the basis of nation and national belonging.22 Similar to other colonized countries, Nigerian national identity is a problematic discussion considering its multi ethnicity and difficult process of hybridity.
As one of the dominant ethnic groups in Nigeria, Igbo takes an important part in the discussion of Nigeria national identity. However, Nigeria is a multi-ethnic society which consists of more than five hundred ethnic. Because of its multi- ethnicity, it is hard to decide which ethnic really represents Nigeria. Thus, this study locates its problem on the development of Igbo novelist and how these writers‘ works contribute in shaping Nigeria national identity.
21 A. Akpome, p. 155 22 Obi Nwakanma, ―Metonymic Eruptions: Igbo Novelists, the Narrative of the Nation, and New Development in the Contemporary Nigerian Novel‖ Research in African Literatures 39. 2 (2008): 1. PDF. 23 May 2017.
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Nwakanma also adds that according to Abiola Irele, the most striking aspect of
African discourse is its character as a movement contestation.23 This movement emerges from the 18th century when modern Nigerian literature began effectively with the publication of Amos Tutuola‘s Palmwine Drinkard (1952) and Cyprian
Ekwensi‘s People of the City (1954), but most importantly, the publication of Chinua
Achebe‘s Things Fall Apart (1958).24 Nwakanma adds that in the years between
1952 and 1970, Nigeria dealt with covering its nationalist movement in order to be acknowledged as a nation free from colonization.25 Thus, many literary works in those years portray the range of emotions of the new nation and the character of its location within late modernity, and the most prominent theme was an expression of the conflicts of postcolonial condition.
Nwakanma notes that the new generation of novelists has emerged within the last decade to shape the direction of contemporary Nigerian fiction in the third phase.26 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is considered as one of the prominent novelists in this generation. Moreover, Nwakanma argues that this huge emergence of many
Igbo novelists is supported by Igbo politic and intellectual life in the two decades of the interwar and post-World War II years between 1925 and 1945 that helped to influence the rise of the Nigerian novels and the prominence of these Igbo
23 O. Nwakanma, p. 3 24 O. Nwakanma, p. 3 25 O. Nwakanma, p. 3 26 O. Nwakanma, p. 4
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novelists.27 Among many factors, the spread of western education is assumed to be a prominent factor.
James Coleman in Nwakanma notes that by 1945 in spite of their relatively late entry, the Igbo had outstripped every other Nigerian group in the number of people with secondary education.28 In the same year, the Igbo accounted for more Nigerians in British universities and by far more in American universities; they had the highest number of candidates admitted to Yaba Higher College, Nigeria‘s premiere post- secondary institution. In other words, Igbo people get enough education support.
This fact then triggers many Igbo novelists to use novels as a means of narrative nation.
Based on his analysis Nwakanma notes that the first generation of modern
Nigerian writing such as Achebe‘s Things Fall Apart and its project of national imagining confronts the conflicts of colonial society and the challenges of the new nation and becomes deeply involved in the crisis of the postcolonial state with the onset of the Nigerian civil war29. Most of Chinua Achebe‘s works deal with colonial conflict and anticolonial struggle and resistance at the onset of the colonial intervention.
However, Biodun Jeyifo elaborates that the first two generations come into their own in the epoch of the high tide of decolonization while the last two generations have been confronted with the specters of arrested decolonization, failing
27 O. Nwakanma, p. 5 28 O, Nwakanma, p. 5 29 O, Nwakanma, p.7
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or collapsed states, economic stagnation, widespread autocratic misrule and the delegitimation of the grand narratives of emancipation which held that the liberation of African peoples in the modern world is indissolubly linked to the liberation of all the oppressed people in the world.
Nwakanma argues that the sense of an unfinished nationhood or arrested decolonization perhaps accounts for why the contemporary Igbo-Nigerian novels take a radically ambivalent and ironic stance one that now also generally marks the character of much of Nigeria‘s contemporary fictions30. This theme is also depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun which criticizes the impact of colonization towards the social and politic situation in Nigeria. Through the mix of all the characters in this novel, Adichie challenges Western involvement in Nigeria war as the result of
Berlin Conference. Adichie criticizes the government and also social injustice through the eyes of Odenigbo as one of the prominent figures in this novel.
The fourth study is ―Regimes of Waste: Aesthetics, Politics, and Waste from
Kofi Awoonor and Ayi Kwei Armah to Chimamanda Andichie and Zee Gamboa written by Connor Ryan. This study notes that Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun stands out for its treatment of nationhood and experience of social disintegration that follows the traumatic Nigerian civil war.31
30 O, Nwakanma, pp. 7-8 31 Connor. Ryan, ―Regimes of Waste: Aesthetics, Politics, and Waste from Kofi Awoonor and Ayi Kwei Armah to Chimamanda Adichie and Zeze Gamboa.‖ Research in African Literature 44. 4 (2013): 60. PDF. 16 March 2017.
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In doing so Adichie avoids linear chronology but she uses the mix between early sixties before the Nigerian war and the late sixties during the war. The novel is divided into four big chapters. Chapter one and three of the novel are set in early sixties while chapter two and four are set in the late sixties. Ryan elaborates that
Adichie levels classic realism‘s hierarchy of discourse, letting the novel instead unfold in three overlapping narratives.32
Instead of using one single narrator in the novel, Adichie applies multi narrators to develop the conflict in this novel. The plot of the story is described from the eyes of three different characters with three different social background such as
Ugwu a house boy, Ollana an educated woman and Richard a British writer.
Moreover, Ryan claims that Adichie‘s novel prefers the history of Biafra to be penned by an ordinary Biafran not by a sympathetic expatriate like Richard nor by a figure like Odenigbo, the intensely committed intellectual.33 In the end of the novel, the story of Biafra war is written by Ugwu as one of the main narrators of this novel.
Unlike the other prominent characters in this novel, Ugwu is not equipped with enough education background. Ugwu also comes from a very poor family. He does not continue his school because his father cannot pay the tuition. However, Ugwu is the only person whose character changes throughout the novel. Through Ugwu‘s eyes the readers can see the true side of Nigerian especially Igbo people.
32 C. Ryan, p. 61 33 C. Ryan, p. 61
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Ryan also argues that in the context of African women‘s writing Adichie‘s text demands us to consider the idea that novel concerning nationhood foreground nationalist struggles by subordinating the interests of women and other minorities.34
As the result of patriarchal system woman‘s voice is also unheard in the society, including in the struggle of national. Similar to this notion, Ryan noted that Adichie‘s
Half of a Yellow Sun has a complete blurring of the distinction between ―serious‖ national politics and mundane politics of her characters‘ life.35 Through the story, the readers are given a romance relationship between Olanna and Odenigbo. Before dating Odenigbo, Olanna was with a Hausa man from Kano named Mohammed.
During the Nigerian war it is impossible to trust other ethnics especially Hausa people who killed many Igbo people in North. When Mohammed offers a help for
Odenigbo and Olanna, Odenigbo rejects the idea by explaining the killing and raping done by Hausa people to many Igbo people. Although, Olanna still believes that the judgment is brutal and wrong Olanna cannot argue and decides to follow Odenigbo‘s words. Olanna‘s action to follow Odenigbo causes her voice to be unheard.
The fifth study is written by Amy Novak entitled ―Who Speaks? Who Listens?:
The Problem of Address in Two Nigerian Trauma Novels‖. This study argues that
Half of a Yellow Sun is a trauma fiction since it focuses on the massacre of the Igbo during the Nigerian war, by pointing out the effect of the conflict from the
34 C. Ryan, p. 62 35 C. Ryan, p. 62
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civilians.36 This novel does not tell the impact of Nigerian war from the soldier or those who are involved directly in the war, but it tells the impact from three civilians named Ugwu, Olanna, and Richard.
The analysis of this study shows that the novel challenges the concept of
―postcolonial‖ by connecting the violence of post-Independence Nigeria with the centuries of colonial rule.37 Half of a Yellow Sun is set six years after the colonization in Nigeria. Through one of the main characters named Odenigbo, this novel criticizes the government that is still controlled by British. Moreover, this statement is similar to what Frantz Fanon calls as a Manichean order: ―The colonial world is a
Manichean world. The colonist is not content with physical limiting the space of colonized, i.e., with the help of his agents of law and order. As if to illustrate the totalitarian nature of colonial exploitation, the colonist turns the colonized into a kind of quintessence of evil.38
After the colonization, colonization and slavery are exchanged by the creation of a market that relies heavily on the import of European and US products and by the fueling of tension between class and ethnic groups in the name of this continued trade. This finding also supports the study by Chima Anyadike who claims that the progress of globalization is better achieved if Nigeria is controlled by their own
36 Amy. Novak, ―Who Speaks? Who Listens? : The problem of Address in Two Nigerian Trauma Novels.‖ Studies in the Novel 40. ½ (2008): 33. Web. 31 Jan 2017.
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people.39 Novak also argues that Half of a Yellow Sun questions the objective authority of the western observers to know Nigeria.40 Novak elaborates that Half of a
Yellow Sun represents the details of trauma in Nigeria, alongside a critique of the representation and construction of Africa in Western imagination.41
In the novel the readers are presented by the wrong perception about Nigeria before and during the Nigerian war. This wrong perception develops the ignorance by the Western during the Nigerian war. In order to overcome this problem Major
Madu, Kainene‘s close friend asks Richard to write a news about Nigeria war. On the other hand, Richard is offended because he is asked to write the news as an outsider and because of his position as a white man. Madu assumes that white people will concern more if the story of the war is told by a fellow white man.
Thus, Novak argues that to this day, African remains an abstraction in the
West, locked behind imperialist essentialism and generalized racist images.42 Novak concludes that Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun performs such an act of translation by implicating the Western subject and contesting its privileged position as detached observer.43
39 Chima Anyadike, ―The Global North in Achebe‘s Arrow of God and Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun.‖ The Global South 2, 2 (2008): 147-148. Web. 16 March 201.
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Moreover, all of the previous studies are useful in order to enhance the research‘s knowledge about postcolonial issues depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a
Yellow Sun. The postcolonial issues elaborated by these previous studies are mostly about the national identity facing by Nigeria as a new country which filled with a lot of different ethnics. Most of the previous studies also give voices to the main characters in the novel, especially Ugwu.
In addition the previous studies also widen the researcher‘s knowledge about
African literary works especially those who has the same theme and tone. However, the study which examines education point of view in this novel has not been conducted yet. Therefore, the researcher argues that the impact of colonization in education aspect needs to be conducted since education can be a tool to liberate a nation but at the same time it can also be used to dominate other nation.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Education
John Dewey notes that ―The most notable distinction between living and an inanimate object is that the former maintain themselves by renewal‖.44 In other words, the human ability to adapt to a new circumstance and maintain his existence is a basic factor that distinguishes human and an inanimate object in their existence.
Dewey elaborates that ―The primary ineluctable facts of the birth and death of each one of the constitute members of a social group determine the necessity of
44 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. (New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 1.
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education‖.45 It proves that education guides human‘s life. Education enables human to connect his own experience and his surrounding in order to improve his life for the better.
According to Dewey education is a reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which increases the ability to direct the course of subsequent experience.46 It means that education enables human to restructure an information which they get from their experiences and alter that experience to be meaningful.
This is similar to Jean Piaget‘s concern about experience and intelligence.
Piaget elaborates that ―The essential functions of intelligence consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality we learn by constructing meaning from our experiences.47
Dewey divides education into incidental education and formal education.
Incidental education refers to the education which human get from living with others48, or in Aliu Babs Fafunwa‘s word traditional education. Fafunwa notes that traditional education aims at inculcating attitudes and values capable of integrating
45 J. Dewey, p. 2 46 J. Dewey, p. 3 47Jean Piaget, Science and the Psychology of the Child (New York: Orion Press, 1970), p. 27. 48 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. (New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 6.
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the individual into the wider society.49 In other words, traditional education is a crucial device to spread the value and moral to the society in order to guide the life.
Fanfunwa elaborates that the objectives of traditional education is to develop the child‘s latent physical skills, character, to inculcate respect for elders and those in position of authority, to develop intellectual skills, to acquire specific vocational training and to develop a healthy attitude towards honest labor, to develop a sense of belonging and active participation in family and community affairs; and to understand, appreciate and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large.50
Furthermore, Michael Omolewa writes traditional education uses the age as the grading system in which those about the same age are brought together to share responsibilities, work together and to be introduced to activities that will not be burdensome for their grade. The entry to each grade involves initiation during which the initiated person is made to appreciate the degree of responsibility, accountability and privileges of the process into which he or she is being initiated.51 Thus, traditional education does not have measurement system which can be used to measure students‘ ability or knowledge.
49 As cited in Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World.‖ International Review of Education 53. 5/6 (2007): 596. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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The second type of education is formal education which related to school and teaching material. In altering the experience, formal education is needed to develop the standard of education in a society. Dewey elaborates that ―Without such formal education, it is not possible to transmit all the resources and achievements of a complex society‖.52
Formal education sets a standard in the education system by providing the devices and also materials to be taught in institutions such as school and universities.
This system is intended to spread the knowledge to a wider society. However, Dewey echoes his concern to formal education by degrading those countries which he assumes still apply traditional education.
Dewey argues that undeveloped social groups are not equipped with special devices and material. As the result, they have little formal education. According to him, undeveloped social group has little formal teaching and training. Savage group relies on instilling need disposition into the young upon the same sort of association which keeps adult loyal to their group. The savage group does not have special devices, material or institutions to support the teaching process.53
Dewey also argues that ―Formal education also opens a way to a kind of experience which would not be accessible to the young, if they were left to pick up their training in informal association with others since books and the symbols of
52 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. (New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 8. 53 J. Dewey, p. 7
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knowledge are mastered.‖54 This excerpt somewhat justifies western perception of the third world countries by emphasizing the importance of mastering book, which can only be accomplished by applying formal education.
Patrick J. Deneen elaborates that Dewey frequently contrasted ―Traditional‖ and ―Progressive‖ education as an imposition from the top-down which put the traditional scheme is in essence, one of imposition from above and outside.55
Furthermore, this strong judgment echoes the spirit of colonization in the third world countries. Frantz Fanon argues that
Native society is not simply described as a society lacking in values. It is not enough for the colonist to affirm that those values have disappeared from or still better never existed in the colonial world. The native is declared insensible to ethics, he represents not only the absence of values but also the negation of values. He is, let us dare the absolute evil.56
It proves that the impact of colonization has embedded deeply. As the result, this impact is also rooted in education aspect both traditional and formal education.
Dewey‘s thought of traditional education puts this kind of education as not essential.
2. Education Neocolonialism
It is a universal truth that the impact of colonization is not easy to be destroyed. Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that colonization does not always bring the negative impact to the colonizer but it also spreads the positive impact for the colonized. For instance, it can be seen in the influence on the education aspect. The
54 J. Dewey, p. 8 55 Patrick J. Deneen, ―Strange Bedfellows: Allan Bloom and John Dewey against Liberal Education, Rightly Understood.‖ The Good Society 17. 2 (2008): 50. PDF. 7 September 2017.
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colonization at least develops an education system and also provides enough teaching sources.
Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin note that education is perhaps the most insidious, and in some ways, the most cryptic of colonialist survivals, the older system now passing sometimes imperceptible, into neo- colonialist configurations.57 In other words, the impact of colonization in colonized education has been embedded deeply. The impact is reproduced not only through established curriculum and set texts, but more fundamentally through the basic attitudes to education itself.
According to Philip G Altbach, education neocolonialism refers the continued post-colonial impact of advanced industrial countries on the educational systems and policies as well as the intellectual life of developing areas.58 He also notes that neocolonialism is partly a planned policy of advanced nations to maintain their influence in developing countries, but it is also simply a continuation of past practices. In other words, education neocolonialism is another form of domination by the colonizer in order to maintain their power.
Altbach argues that the educational systems of most developing countries, on almost all levels, remain rooted in the administrative structures of the former colonial rules.59After the colonization, the colonial power is transformed into a different kind
57 Bill Ascroft. Ed., The Post-colonial Studies Readers (New York: Routledge, 1995): 425 58 Philip G. Altbach, ―Education and Neocolonialism: A Note.‖ Comparative Education Review 15. 2 (1971): 237. PDF. 6 September 2017.
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of domination. Domination towards education aspect is one of them. Altbach also notes that the colonial power may not be the direct cause of this situation, but the fact that the structure and organization of the schools reflect a foreign model necessarily has an impact on the nature of the education provided.60
Furthermore, in a colonized country like Nigeria, Folasade R. Sulaiman argues that the major interest of the colonial government is political and such that by the year 1851 there was already a strong political alliance between the British government and Lagos, and by 1861, Lagos had already become a British colony.61
Colonial education also spreads to the curriculum of school and colleges.
Altbach examines that the curriculum of the schools and colleges often reflects orientations the former colonial rulers or of other advanced countries which provide assistance or are for some other reason powerful in the affairs of the given developing country.62 The teaching material such as textbooks, Altbach argues, are imported from advanced countries, and occasionally patriate teachers can be found in the schools and particularly in the universities.63 Similar to this statement, Ngũgĩ wa
Thiong'o notes that,
Literary education was determined by the dominant language while also reinforcing that dominance. Orature (oral literature), in Kenyan languages stopped. In primary school I now read simplified Dickens and
60 P. G. Altbach, p. 237 61 Folasade R. Sulaiman, ―Internationalization in Education: The British Colonial Policies on Education in Nigeria 1882 – 1926.‖ Journal of Sociological Research 3. 2 (2012): 37. PDF. 29 June 2017.
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Stevenson alongside Rider Haggard. Jim Hawkins, Oliver Twist, Tom Brown - not Hare, Leopard and Lion - were now my daily companions in the world of imagination. In secondary school, Scott and G. B. Shaw vied with more Rider Haggard, John Buchan, Alan Paton, Captain W. E. Johns. At Makerere I read English: from. Chaucer to T. S. Eliot with a touch of Graham Greene.64
This quotation shows that the access to native literary works is limited in colonized countries. The domination of textbooks distribution can easily control the society about what they should and should not read. This is also another way to silence the native‘s voice.
Sulaiman elaborates that during the colonization in Nigeria, the education ordinances that are passed on the education system during the colonial rule significantly gives the control of education to the colonial government, who has previously left the education in the hand of the missionary bodies.65 The ordinance on this colonial education addresses the imbalance in the education system, and to establish a substantial amount of control on the educational activities of the missionary bodies.66
Those ordinance are the constitution of a General Board of Education; Local
Board of Education; classification of schools into government schools and assisted schools; the freedom of parents to choose the religious instruction of their children; school buildings and teachers‟ salaries to be financed by the grants; appointment of
64 Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Decolonizing the Mind. (Nairobi: East African Educational Publisher Ltd, 1986), 12. 65 Folasade R. Sulaiman, ―Internationalization in Education: The British Colonial Policies on Education in Nigeria 1882 – 1926.‖ Journal of Sociological Research 3. 2 (2012): 37. PDF. 29 June 2017.
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inspector of schools for all British West Africa; grants to be made available to industrial schools; defining the school curriculum to include reading, writing,
English Language, Arithmetic and Needlework for girls; and admission of pauper children into government and assisted schools.67
Altbach proposed that the language of the former colonial power remains the medium of instruction in education in some developing countries.68 This is important for the nature of the educational system, the values inculcated, and the availability of education to wide sections of the population. As Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o argues, ―In my view language was the most important vehicle through which that power fascinated and held the soul prisoner. The bullet was the means of the physical subjugation.
Language was the means of the spiritual subjugation‖.69
Furthermore, Altbach also offers some suggestions related to the relation between education and neocolonialism. Most of the suggestions concern with the education policies in both colonized and colonizer countries. Altbach raises some questions in order to spread strong impetus concerning the impact of colonization on education in colonized countries.
Those questions are what are the policy considerations and use made of educational the viewpoint of the developing countries? Why are aid projects often accepted with little scrutiny, and what aims do the developing countries themselves
67 F. R. Sulaiman, p. 92 68 Philip G. Altbach, ―Education and Neocolonialism: A Note.‖ Comparative Education Review 15. 2 (1971): 237. PDF. 6 September 237.
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have for the foreign educational aid which is provided? How much impact do the recipients have on the aid process?70
The first suggestion related to the history of colonized education policies.
Altbach argues that studies concerning the history of colonial educational policies are of reactively recent origin, and more work needs to be done in this area.71 Many kinds of research have been discussed about the history of colonial polices. However, they only focus on the depiction of the recent policies. Whereas, it is also essential to observe the reaction of the colonized people to foreign educational policies.
The history of colonial educational policies is crucial to be scrutinized in order to find out how the education system is improved in a colonized country. In relation to the history of colonial educational policies, Altbach assumes that much of the impact of former colonial countries on education in developing areas stems from the voluntary acceptance of colonial models by indigenous elites and policymakers.72
Therefore, the research has to move from the depiction to the reaction toward the colonizer polices in education in order to understand the postcolonial education problem.
Altbach notes that the educational policies of the advanced nations, and particularly superpowers-the United States and the Soviet Union-are quite
70 Philip G. Altbach, ―Education and Neocolonialism: A Note.‖ Comparative Education Review 15. 2 (1971): 237. PDF. 6 September 237.
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important.73 This is related to the policy making process, the underlying orientations goals, and other factors related to educational planning for developing the superpowers. Altbach also argues, the impact of specific educational aid projects is not only as case study data but also as a means of evaluating advanced and policy- making for future efforts.74
As the previous chapter has proposed, the aim of this study is to find out how
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges colonial education. Theory of education is useful to scrutinize the depiction of education in the novel. Furthermore, this research focuses on the depiction of both traditional and formal education. Depiction of traditional education is crucial in order to examine the values and cultures of Igbo people that spread to education. Whereas the colonial education is examined through the depiction of formal education after the colonization. Finally, the theory of education neocolonialism examines the impact of colonization towards the education system. This theory is also useful to analyze how colonization brings about impacts on the traditional education of Igbo people.
73 P. G. Altbach, p. 238 74 P. G. Altbach, p. 238
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CHAPTER III
THE PORTRAYAL OF EDUCATION IN ADICHIE’S
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
On the previous chapter, the related studies and theories have been elaborated. There are five related studies which examine Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow
Sun using postcolonial approach. The related studies explore the impact of colonization in Nigeria presented in the novel. This thesis applies two theories in order to answer the research problem. The theories are theory of education by John
Dewey and theory of education neocolonialism by Philip G. Altbach.
The objective of this research is to find out how colonial education is challenged in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun. In order to answer this question, it is significant to elaborate the depiction of education which is presented in this novel.
Therefore, his thesis divides chapter III into two subsections.
The first subsection elaborates the traditional education presented in the novel. This subsection is crucial to get the vivid description on how Nigerian people get the first access to education. Moreover, the depiction of traditional education guides the readers to see Nigeria‘s values and cultures which are embedded in education system.
The second subsection emphasizes on the colonial education presented in the novel. This subsection is useful to scrutinize the impact of colonization in Nigeria formal education system.
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A. Traditional Education
Michael Omolewa argues that traditional African education is an integral part of the culture and history of a local community, which is accumulated in numerous forms and transferred through various modes such as language, music, dance, oral tradition, proverbs, myths, stories, culture, and religion.75 Traditional education is the first form of education experienced by the people.
Omolewa explains that traditional education is passed from one generation to another generation by learning through various modes such as language, music, dance, oral tradition, proverbs, myths, stories, culture, religion and elders.76
Compared to formal education, traditional education does not have its own subject for every material which is given to the learners. Nevertheless, the materials are internalized in the daily activities.
In addition, Folasade R. Sulaiman argues that the historical antecedent of education in Nigeria is based on traditional education with functionalism as a guiding principle.77 In other words, traditional education aims to guide the society. Moreover,
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun also depicts traditional education in Nigeria through some characters from different cultural background. The traditional education also influences the personality development of each character in the novel.
75 Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World.‖ International Review of Education 53. 5/6 (2007): 594. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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One of the characters that depict the description of traditional education in
Nigeria is Ugwu. Ugwu comes from Opi a small village in Enugu State of South-
Eastern Nigeria and he is from Igbo ethnic group. Ugwu is only thirteen but he needs to work in order to support his poor family. He works as a houseboy in Odenigbo‘s house.
Ugwu is an innocent young boy. This personality can be seen since the first time he comes to Odenigbo‘s house. The first impression Ugwu has when he first enters the house is how different it is with his family house,
They took off their slippers before walking in. Ugwu had never seen room so wide. Despite the brown sofas arranged in a semicircle, the side tables between them, the shelves crammed with books, and the Centre table with a vase of red and white plastic flowers, the room still seemed to have too much space.78
Living in a poor family influences how Ugwu sees things in Odenigbo‘s house.
According to Ugwu, the house is wide enough to be filled only with some chairs and flowers. Ugwu is even surprised when he knows that Odenigbo eats meat everyday.
Most of the people in his village including Ugwu‘s family cannot afford to buy meat or any expansive food because of their poor situation. This is so different compared to Odenigbo‘s situation. Furthermore, Ugwu is even surprised when he sees fridge for the first time in the house,
Ugwu entered the kitchen cautiously, placing one foot slowly after the other. When he saw the white thing, almost as tall as he was, he knew it was the fridge. His aunty had told him about it. A cold barn, she had said,
78 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun, (New York: Anchor Books, 2007): 4. The acronym of Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun (HYS) will be used through the analysis.
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that kept food from going off. He opened it and gasped as the cool air rushed into his face. Oranges, bread, beer, soft drinks: many things in packets and cans were arranged on different levels and, at the top, a roasted, shimmering chicken, whole but for a leg. (HYS, 18)
Ugwu gets an information about working in Odenigbo‘s house from his aunty who works as a janitor in the University of Nsuka. Before he comes to Odenigbo‘s house,
Ugwu‘s aunt explains many things that he needs to do as a good houseboy.
In order to be able to impress his master, Ugwu tries to memorize many English words he has learned on the way to Odenigbo‘s house.
However, Ugwu is still surprised to see the fridge for the first time. In addition, Ugwu‘s innocent personality can also be depicted when he decides to keep the food for his family,
Ugwu opened the fridge and ate some more bread and chicken, quickly stuffing the food in his mouth while his heart beat as if he were running; then he dug out extra chunks of meat and pulled out the wings. He slipped the pieces into his shorts‘ pockets before going to the bedroom. He would keep them until his aunty visited and he would ask her to give them to Anulika. (HYS, 9)
Ugwu realizes that his situation in Odenigbo‘s house is better than his family situation in their house. He thinks that he needs to share the food with his family.
Thus, he decides to keep some of the food he gets from the fridge and give it to his aunt so that she can give to his sister. Ugwu does not even realize that the food will be stale quickly.
The quotations which are used previously prove two important things about
Ugwu which are the fact that he comes from a very poor family and he is also an innocent person. Ugwu‘s family condition causes them not to be able to afford a
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proper way of living such as a house and meat to eat. Living in a poor family influences Ugwu‘s personality as a young boy. His poor condition limits himself to see things in a complex way.
In spite of his innocent personality, he is an essential example of traditional education in Nigeria. Ugwu‘s strong belief towards his culture make him the important example of how traditional education works in Nigeria society. Traditional education depicts clearly in Ugwu‘s life. Ugwu is one of the main characters in the novel who applies a tradition which he gets from his grandmother in his daily life.
He uses this tradition to overcome his problem as a houseboy in Odenigbo‘s house. Working for Odenigbo is first working experience Ugwu has. Ugwu is excited when his aunt asks him to work as a houseboy. However, it is not easy for Ugwu to work since Odenigbo‘s house provides many new tools which are hard for Ugwu.
Ugwu still manages to works well and try to win Odenigbo‘s heart so
Odenigbo will be happy and satisfied with his works. One day, Ugwu decides to iron
Odenigbo‘s socks. Ugwu thinks that the socks will be even better when they are ironed. Ugwu then realizes that his decision to iron the socks is wrong when he finds that the hot iron hisses and half of the sock is glued to it (HYS, 17).
His decision triggers Odenigbo to get mad at him. Afraid of getting fired,
Ugwu then chooses to follow his grandmother‘s advice by cooking arigbe79for
Odenigbo because he believes that this vegetable can soften Odenigbo‘s heart. Ugwu
79 Arigbe is a type of herb.
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applies this belief because his grandmother has proven the importance of arigbe.
According to her arigbe is able to soften man‘s heart since it helps her to win her husband heart,
His grandmother had not needed to grow her favorite herb, arigbe, because it grew wild everywhere. She used to say that arigbe softened a man‘s heart. She was the second of three wives and did not have the special position that came with being the first or the last, so before she asked her husband for anything, she told Ugwu, she cooked him spicy yam porridge with arigbe. It had worked, always. Perhaps it would work with Master. (HYS, 18)
This quotation is in line with Michael Omolewa‘s statement which notes that the traditional education in African is transferred through various forms and one of them is through belief owned by the society. The quotation shows that the first type of education Ugwu gets is the traditional education.
He gets traditional education from his elders. Omolewa notes that African traditional education encourages people to respect elders, to accept the values sanctioned by the ancestors.80 This type of education can be observed through how this belief is internalized in Ugwu‘s life. Ugwu values the belief of his family and he strongly believes that following this belief helps him to solve his problem.
Moreover, the importance of the traditional education is also experienced by another houseboy in this novel named Harrison. He works for Richard. Unlike
80 Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World.‖ International Review of Education 53. 5/6 (2007): 594. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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Ugwu, Harrison has more experiences working as a servant. This experience then helps Harrison to develop his skill in cooking western food.
Although Harrison does not have higher formal education background his knowledge about western food is quite impressive. He then learns to get his masters‘ attention by cooking western food. Harrison usually gets compliments because of his impressive cooking ability.
However, Harrison creates a different response to his tradition. Unlike Ugwu,
Harrison does not highly appreciate his tradition. This response can be seen when
Harrison explains his cooking experience for Richard,
He told Richard with unconcealed pride that he had formerly worked for the Irish priest Father Bernard and the American professor Land. ―I am making very good beet salad,‖ he said that first day, and later Richard realized that he was proud not only of his salad but also of cooking with beets, which he had to buy in the ‗specialty vegetable‘ stall because most Nigerians did not eat them. (HYS, 91)
Since the first day he works for Richard, Harrison always cooks western food combine with beet. He assumes that Richard will be satisfied with his cook. After several days of cooking beets, Richard asks him to stop doing that
No more, please, Harrison,‖ Richard said, raising his hand. ―No more beets.‖ Harrison looked disappointed, and then his face brightened. ―But, sah, I am cooking the food of your country; all the food you are eating as children I cook. In fact, I‘m not cooking Nigerian foods, only foreign recipe. (HYS, 91)
When Richard asks Harrison about the traditional herbs from Nigeria, Harrison shows his disapproval to explain about the herb. He thinks that Nigerian herb is from a witchdoctor and it is not good for Richard.
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―By the way, Harrison, do you happen to know of any herbs for men?‖ Richard asked, hoping he sounded casual. ―Sah?‖ ―Herbs.‖ Richard gestured vaguely. ―Vegetables, sah? Oh, I make any of the salad of your country very good, sah. For Professor Land, I am making many different-different salad.‖ ―Yes, but I mean vegetables for sickness.‖ ―Sickness? You see doctor in Medical Centre.‖ ―I am interested in African herbs, Harrison.‖ ―But sah, they are bad, from the witch doctor. They are devilish.‖ ―Of course.‖ Richard gave up. He should have known that Harrison, with his excessive love for all things non-Nigerian, was not the right person to ask (HYS, 91)
Harrison‘s admiration towards western culture shapes the way he sees his own culture. He does not admire his culture, as well as Ugwu, does. He even thinks that western food is the best food and Nigerian people cannot eat western food.
Harrison‘s disrespectful attitude can also be seen when Kainene compliments his cooking,
―And do you cook this in your home?‖ Harrison looked wounded. ―I am not cooking in my home, madam. My wife is cooking native food.‖ ―Of course.‖ ―I am cooking any type of European food, anything my master is eating in his country.‖ ―You must have difficulty eating native food when you go home then.‖ Kainene stressed the word native, and Richard held back his laughter. ―Yes, madam.‖ Harrison bowed again. ―But I must manage.‖ (HYS, 320)
As previously mentioned, Harrison always gets a compliment for his cooking ability.
One of the compliments is given by Kainene. Kainene is Richard‘s lover. However,
Kainene gives him a compliment but also satirizes Harrison‘s admiration for western culture.
Furthermore, the interesting point from these two characters can be seen from the way the react to their own culture. Both Ugwu and Harrison are not supported by
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enough formal education background. Nevertheless, Ugwu and Harrison show a different attitude towards their own culture. Ugwu really appreciates the culture while Harrison does not show a positive response to his culture. Through the quotations presented previously, it strongly depicts that Harrison values western culture higher than his own culture.
It is strongly assumed that Harrison‘s disrespectful attitude is a result of the long period of colonization in Nigeria. It cannot be denied that colonization plays an important role on how people think about their own culture and other culture. The long period of colonization produces a huge gap between colonizers and colonized. It also creates a boundary between different tribe in Nigeria even after the colonization.
Adichie‘ Half of a Yellow Sun explores this gap through Odenigbo‘s character. Odenigbo is a smart and charismatic man. He is a math professor who teaches in the University of Nsuka. One day, he wants to buy a ticket in the university theater. He then witnesses how his people treat white people better than their own people,
Olanna was annoyed, but only mildly, because she knew the queue moved fast anyway. So she was surprised at the outburst that followed, from a man wearing a brown safari suit and clutching a book: Odenigbo. He walked up to the front, escorted the white man back into the queue and then shouted at the ticket seller. ―You miserable ignoramus! You see a white person and he looks better than your own people? You must apologize to everybody in this queue! Right now!‖ (HYS, 35)
Odenigbo is a crucial character in voicing the issue of social injustice in the society.
He usually criticizes Ugwu every time Ugwu calls him Sah (HYS, 15) as one of the respected lectures in his university, Odenigbo also organizes a group discussion
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which focuses on social and political issue in Nigeria, especially in Igbo ethnic group community.
This quotation shows how Nigerian people still have a higher respect for the western people. They prioritize the western people better than their own people.
Odenigbo then feels so angry with this condition. It also proves that Harrison is not the only person who does not appreciate his own culture.
Moreover, the depiction of the traditional education can be seen not only among Nigeria people but also in the character of a white man presented in this novel. One of the characters that echo the use of traditional education is Richard
Churchill who comes from London. Richard starts his first contact with Nigeria especially Igbo ethnic group because he is amazed by Igbo art and culture. His admiration triggers him to travel around Nigeria in order to know more about it.
Richard collects the information about Igbo tradition and culture from Jomo who works as his gardener. However, it is too quick to conclude that Richard‘s curiosity means that he believes in Igbo culture, it still creates positive response and also respect from the western society towards Nigerian culture and tradition. The quotation above proves that the traditional education is still useful even for a white man like Richard who is an educated white person.
As a white man, Richard also faces the negative impact of being a white man.
This novel also describes an extreme boundary between white people and black people through Susan‘s eyes. Susan is Richard‘s former lover. Susan usually asks
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Richard not to be too close to their houseboy because Susan is sure that Nigerian culture is not valuable to be learned.
Nevertheless, Richard does not care about Susan‘s opinion. He still learns about Igbo culture and tradition. As mentioned, Richard‘s admiration for Igbo starts from his love for Igbo-Ukwu art. This admiration then triggers Richard to travel around Nigeria.
As the story goes on, Richard later falls in love with Olanna‘s twin sister named Kainene. Because of his love to Kainene, Richard learns to imitate Igbo language and culture quickly. As a writer, Richard plans to write a book about Igbo-
Ukwu art. In order to collect enough information, Richard goes to Nsukka and meets the labors who make roped pot named Pa Anozie and his son Emeka.
Pa Anozie gave Richard a long, pained look and mumbled something for a while, looking grieved. Emeka laughed before he translated. ―Papa said he thought you were among the white people who know something. He said the people of Igbo land do not know what a king is. We have priests and elders. The burial place was maybe for a priest. But the priest does not suffer people like king. It is because the white man gave us warrant chiefs that foolish men are calling themselves kings today. (HYS, 90)
This quotation highlights the importance of religion in the traditional education which is depicted in this novel. Omolewa notes that the learning process in the traditional education can be taught through religion.
Omolewa argues that fear of God is carefully taught and everyone is encouraged to recognize the presence and continuing activity of the Supreme Being
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who is considered always there to monitor one's activities, motives and intentions.81
This kind of thought is useful to control the society and prevent the crimes which threaten oneself or wider society. This quotation shows how native people respect their God and elders as the highest respected position in the community.
Although Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun is set years after the colonization, some sides of Nigeria still keep and respect the importance of religion. They show their respect by believing in God and acknowledging His power in their lives. Pa
Anzoe and his sons prove that the old thought as an impact of traditional education is rooted deeply in the society. The second significant point from this quotation is the criticism towards the Western government especially the use of king the head of the state. This implies that the use of western government prototyped is not always suitable for the Nigerian.
Furthermore, this quotation also echoes the stereotype of a white man according to the local people. According to local people such as Pa Anozie and his son Emeka, Richard just wants to exploit their land. During his journey in learning the Igbo culture, Richard always tries to clarify this negative stereotype. Richard also witnesses the negative stereotype for native people given by whiten men.
Is ‗going native‘ still used? I always knew you would! Mother tells me you have given up on the tribal art book and are pleased with this one, a sort of fictionalized travelogue? And on European Evils in Africa! I‘m quite keen to hear more about it when you are in London. Pity you gave up the old title: ―The Basket of Hands.‖ Were hands chopped off in
81 Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World.‖ International Review of Education 53. 5/6 (2007): 601. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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Africa as well? I‘d imagined it was only in India. I‘m intrigued! (HYS, 172)
This is a letter written by Martin, Richard‘s brother. This quotation confirms western‘s opinion towards the native people that are connected to the act of killing each other.
As the story goes by, Richard can confirm the other that his love for Igbo values and culture is sincere and he values the tradition highly. In order to show his admiration for Igbo culture and also his knowledge about this ethnic group, Richard tries to communicate using Igbo language every time he meets the native people.
One day, on his way to London Richard meets Nnaemeka. He is an airport officer who Richard meets in Kano Airport when he wants to go to London to celebrate his family wedding. Richard tries to communicate with Nnaemeka using
Igbo language. Richard really gets a respect from Nnaemeka because of his knowledge about Igbo and his ability to speak Igbo language well.
―You speak Igbo, sir?‖ There was a slender respect in the man‘s eyes now. ―Nwanne di na mba,‖ Richard said, enigmatically, hoping that he had not mixed things up and that the proverb meant that one‘s brother could come from a different land. ―Eh! You speak! Ina-asu Igbo!‖ The young man took Richard‘s hand in his moist one and shook it warmly and started to talk about himself. His name was Nnaemeka (HYS, 191)
The same boundary also emerges from Nigerian people. They assume that all British people do not respect their culture and tradition. Therefore, Nnaemeka really respects
Richard for his knowledge and ability to speak Igbo language.
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This quotation shows that Richard‘s depiction is assumed to cut the extreme boundary between Nigeria and British. Although he belongs to colonizer group,
Richard has a quite different perspective about Nigeria. He values and respects
Nigeria as well as his own culture. As the story progresses, Richard then join the discussion which is initiated by Odenigbo for the staff member of the University of
Nsuka. In the beginning this group discussion is for native people only. Therefore, joining this discussion is a huge sign that Richard has eliminated the wrong stereotype about the white men.
Nevertheless, in the end of the story Richard‘s admiration and respect for
Igbo comes into question when he talks to Madu,
―Did you ever touch her?‖ Madu‘s laugh was short and harsh. ―Did you ever touch her?‖ Richard asked again, and Madu was suddenly responsible for Kainene‘s disappearance. ―Did you ever touch her?‖ 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. (HYS, 537)
During the Nigerian war each of the characters in the story needs to face a difficult situation in their live. The biggest consequence is Kainene‘s disappearance.
This situation puts Richard into a difficult situation and he also argues with Madu who is Kainene‘s close friend. Richard always feels intimidated by Madu since the first time they meet. Richard‘s respect for Igbo is questioned when he refers to Madu as ―filthy black hand‖. It proves that Richard still holds the negative stereotype to the native people.
In the beginning of the story Richard really wants to write a book about Igbo culture and tradition. His eagerness is strong when he witnesses the effect of Nigeria
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war. However, in the end of the story Richard realizes that the story of Biafra war is not his story to tell.
Ugwu gave him the family‘s name and address, and Mr Richard wrote it down, and afterwards they were both silent and Ugwu fumbled, awkwardly, for something to say. ―Are you still writing your book, sah?‖ ―No.‖ ― ‗The World Was Silent When We Died‘. It is a good title.‖ ―Yes, it is. It came from something Colonel Madu said once.‖ Richard paused. ―The war isn‘t my story to tell, really.‖ (HYS, 530)
When he searches for Kainene, Richard comes to Odenigbo‘s house and meets Ugwu. Ugwu knows that Richard plans to write a book about Nigeria.
However, Richard is sure that the story of Nigeria including Nigerian war is not his right to tell. This proves that although Richard admires the culture so much, he is still an outsider for the society. This quotation emerges the challenge in facing the negative stereotype between the colonizer and the colonized even after the colonization period ends.
Another character which experiences the use of the traditional education is
Olanna. Olanna‘s character describes the traditional education through the depiction of myth and the belief in witchdoctor within Nigerian society. The myth signals the boundaries about the good and the bad things in a society. The use of witchdoctor is a common thing in Nigeria. Odenigbo‘s mother is a woman who believes in it.
―I do not mind where the woman my son will marry comes from. I am not like those mothers who want to find wives for their sons only from their own hamlet. But I do not want a Wawa woman, and none of those Imo or Aro women, of course; their dialects are so strange I wonder who told them that we are all the same Igbo people.‖ ―Yes, Mama.‖
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―I will not let this witch control him. She will not succeed. I will consult the dibia82 Nwafor Agbada when I return home; the man‘s medicine is famous in our parts.‖ (HYS, 124)
Looking at Olanna‘s childhood‘s experience, to Odenigbo‘s mother, Olanna is not a perfect woman for his son. When she was a baby her mother did not raise
Olanna well but she was raised by her aunt and even was breastfed by her aunty
(HYS, 122). This proves to Odenigbo‘s mother that Olanna is a witch. Thus, she needs to protect her son from the witch and makes sure that Odenigbo marries someone who is suitable for him.
It is common in Nigeria especially Igbo people to value a male child more compared to a female child. Male child is valued higher because to Igbo they will continue the family tree. Isiugo-Abanihe notes that
A man who died without a son lived a worthless life; he is inherited by his brothers, and is soon forgotten since his branch of the family tree has ended... also, in traditional Igbo society, the status of a man is assessed in part by the number of his sons, a man with many sons is viewed as a wealthy or an accomplished man; his neighbors cautiously avoid confrontation or litigation with him; he is assured of a befitting burial at death. For a woman, the birth male child is of paramount importance as well, because it establishes her firmly in the family. She is said to have 'taken root' or 'established a solid foundation when the first son arrives. Since the birth of a son ensures marital security, given the prevailing high childhood mortality, just a son is not enough. The desire ensure that at least one survives his father encourages prolific childbearing.83
82 Dibia means witchdoctor 83 As cited in Ezebunwa E. Nwokocha, ―Male-Child Syndrome and the Agony of Motherhood among the Igbo of Nigeria.‖ International Journal of Sociology of the Family 33. 1 (2007): 219-220. PDF. 5 October 2017.
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That is why Odenigbo‘s mother needs to make sure that her son will be with someone who is perfect for him. Furthermore, this argument echoes the gender issue faced by Nigeria women. The need to give birth to a boy places women into a difficult condition, since it is a must for them to give birth to boys. Women‘s position in the family and also the society is valued based on their ability to give birth to a boy.
This requirement also happens in Amala‘s life. Later in the story, Amala will be pregnant with Odenigbo‘s baby. However, things become complicated when she gives birth to a girl. Odenigbo‘s mother then decides to give the baby girl to Olanna and Odenigbo because she refuses to raise a girl in the family. This proves that it is a requirement for Igbo woman to give birth to a girl.
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun also echoes this issue as well through the relation between Olanna and Odenigbo‘s mother in viewing the importance of education. According to his mother, it is a huge mistake if a woman gets an access to formal education. Education creates an impolite woman who argues with her husband. Arguing is seen as an insult to the husband (HYS, 124). Therefore, it can be assumed that in Nigeria, women do not get an easy access to education compared to men.
When Ugwu finds out that Odenigbo‘s mother plans to see the witchdoctor,
Ugwu tries to alert Olanna. However, as an educated woman, Olanna does not find that Mama‘s action is something which needs to worry about.
―I saw a black cat yesterday night after Mama and Amala left.‖ ―A black cat?‖
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―Yes, mah. Near the garage.‖ He paused. ―A black cat means evil.‖ ―I see.‖ ―Mama said she would go to the dibia in the village.‖ ―You think the dibia has sent the black cat to bite us?‖ Olanna was laughing. ―No, mah.‖ Ugwu folded his arms forlornly. ―It happened in my village, mah. A junior wife went to the dibia and got medicine to kill the senior wife, and the night before the senior wife died a black cat came to the front of her hut.‖ (HYS, 133)
In Ugwu‘s opinion, Olanna is a beautiful and smart woman. He really adores Olanna because of her intelligence and her personality. Olanna‘s education background really impresses Uguw. To Ugwu, Olanna is a perfect woman for Odenigbo.
However, Odenigbo‘s mother does not really like Olanna. She then decides to let
Odenigbo sleeps with her servant named Amala to ruin Odenigbo and Olanna‘s relationship.
When Ugwu finds out about Mama plans to go to dibia, he then tells Olanna about the plan. Uguw‘s gets even more scared when he finds a black cat in their house on the same day that Amala and Mama leave the house. According to Igbo culture, a black cat is a symbol of bad luck.
The myth of his society is internalized in Ugwu life. He believes that a cat symbolizes an evil. He is so sure that mama will definitely go to the dibia and her plans will work well. Mama will be able to ruin Olanna and Odenigbo‘s relationship.
Ugwu is also the first person who finds out that Odenigbo has slept with Amala and betrays Olanna
He glanced at the corridor, surprised that Master was up so early. But it was Amala who walked out of the room. The corridor was dim and her startled eyes met Ugwu‘s more startled eyes and she stopped for a moment before she hurried on to the guest room. Amala, common, quiet, ordinary Amala, had slept in Master‘s bedroom! Ugwu stood still and
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tried to get his whirling head to become steady so that he could think. Mama‘s medicine had done this, he was sure. (HYS, 270)
This fact really disturbs Ugwu. He cannot believe that Odenigbo sleeps with Amala the woman who is nothing compares to Olanna. Amala is just an ordinary girl who works as a servant which put Amala and Ugwu in the same position. Amala does not even know how to read in English. She does not go to formal school.
Meanwhile, Olanna is a beautiful woman who gets a chance to continue her study in London. Ugwu cannot find one valuable thing in Amala which triggers his master to sleep with Amala. Therefore, Ugwu surely believes that dibia has something to do with this situation. This fact then confirms Ugwu‘s worry about the dibia and also the meaning of the black cat in their house.
The previous quotations indicate that learning through culture is one of the modes in traditional education. The aim of the traditional education is to spread culture, including myth and belief. Nduka notes that culture in traditional education can be seen as a spring of motivation, standard of judgment, basis of stratification means of communication, patterns of production and consumption.84
The fact that Ugwu really believes in the power of witchdoctor and dibia strongly proves that traditional education functions to spread the culture and it is really internalized in Nigeria people life. It is a standard for people to decide whether something should or should not be done properly.
84 As cited in Michael Omolewa, ―Traditional African Modes of Education: Their Relevance in the Modern World‖ International Review of Education 53. 5/6 (2007): 600. PDF. 4 September 2017.
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In elaborating the traditional education in Nigeria it is also important to examine how this type of education maintained in the society. Based on the depiction of traditional education previously, it is strongly assumed that this type of education spreads through oral tradition. Ugwu and Jomo‘s experiences show that oral tradition plays an important part in spreading and maintaining traditional education.
Ugwu and Jomo gain their belief related to the use of herb, myth, and witchdoctor from their older generation, in this case, their grandmothers. Ugwu gets the information about the use of arigbe to soften Odenigbo‘s heart from his grandmother. Ugwu‘s grandmother uses this herb to win her husband‘s heart. As the third wife, she does not have any special position among the other two wives. She then decides to add arigbe in every food that she cooks so that it works well (HYS,
18). Another character named Jomo also proves the same notion related to the spread of traditional education. Jomo echoes the use of dibia to cure the sickness that his brother has. The use of dibia becomes essential for him because his brother has proven it for him. When Richard asks him about this herb, he explains that the herb from dibia is useful to help his brother‘s wife to get pregnant.
These experiences are parallel to Omolewa‘s statement which elaborates that traditional education, passes from one generation to another, is usually by word of mouth and cultural rituals, and has to some extent been the basis for sustainable development in agriculture, food preparation, health care, conservation and other
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sectors for many centuries.85 Because of its useful and valuable functions, traditional education remains powerful among Nigeria society, although different ethnic group creates different culture and tradition.
The strongest use of traditional education can clearly be observed through
Olanna‘s decision to ask dibia in order to find Kainene
When some relatives came from Umunnachi and suggested that they consult a dibia, Olanna asked her Uncle Osita to go. She gave him a bottle of whiskey and some money to buy a goat for the oracle. She drove to the River Niger to throw in a copy of Kainene‘s photo. She went to Kainene‘s house in Orlu and walked around it three times. And she waited for the week that the dibia had stipulated, but Kainene did not come home (HYS, 538)
During the war, Olanna and Kainene use their ability the help other people around them. Olanna decides to teach the children around her house together with
Ugwu. Meanwhile, Kainene chooses a different path from Olanna. In the beginning of the war, she is a war profiteer. Nevertheless, after she witnesses the war‘s cruelty, she changes completely as a character and instead of running her father‘s business, she runs a refugee camp.
This decision then puts Kainene‘s life at risk. As the war runs the condition gets harder and hopeless. Kainene then decides to trade across the enemy line but she never returns. This fact really tears Olanna‘s life apart. She tries her best in order to find Kainene quickly including using dibia.
85 M. Omolewa, p. 594
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Olanna‘s view towards the use of dibia changes drastically. In the beginning of the story, Olanna does not believe the power of dibia. She even laughs at Ugwu when Ugwu tells her about Odenigbo‘s mother and her plan to ask for dibia‘s help in order to ruin her relationship with Odenigbo. Olanna strongly believes that everything needs to be explained logically. Nevertheless, this action shows that the aim of traditional education in guiding people life is important. Although Olanna is an educated person, she believes that her tradition is able to help her finding her twin sister.
From the analysis presented previously, it can be concluded that Adichie‘s
Half of a Yellow Sun depicts the traditional education as the basic education experienced by Nigerian people from different ethnic background. The depiction of traditional education can strongly be found in the characters who do not have enough formal education background.
Furthermore, the aim of traditional education to guide people life is echoed clearly in this novel. There are some modes which are used to deliver traditional education. The traditional education is thought through the use of belief, myth, and the use of specialist and also through religion.
Additionally, the depiction of traditional education remains powerful in
Nigeria society. This novel depicts how traditional education is maintained through oral tradition from one generation to the next generation. Therefore, it is strongly indicates that this novel puts the traditional aspect as an important and valuable type of education. This novel also puts traditional education as an important aspect not
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only for the Nigerian people but also for Western people which is represented by how Richard respects Igbo culture and tradition.
B. Colonial Education
This part elaborates the depiction of colonial education represented in
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun. Colonial education will be examined through the depiction of a formal education in this novel. The term colonial education used in this thesis refers to formal education system which was developed during the colonization in Nigeria and it is still used after Nigeria gained its independence in
1960.
It cannot be denied that Nigeria owes its formal education system to British.
The formal education is needed in order to create the same standard of the education system in Nigeria. One of the benefits of colonial education is, for instance, it opens a wider chance for people to join an international school.
Iwunna argues that the western education in Nigeria which was purportedly championed by the missionary bodies, would not have been possible if the natives were not in support of it, and had not agreed to participate in it.86 In other words, the
Nigerian government also supports western education in this country by opening many scholarships in Nigeria.
86 As cited in Folasade R. Sulaiman, ―Internationalization in Education: The British Colonial Policies on Education in Nigeria 1882 – 1926.‖ Journal of Sociological Research 3. 2 (2012): 94. PDF. 29 June 2017.
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Giving scholarship is one of the policies in Western education system in
Nigeria. This scholarship is a good source for Nigerian people to have a better formal education background. In order to get the scholarship, they need to compete with people from different part of Nigeria.
In terms of education chance, James S. Coleman notes that by 1945, the Igbo people accounted for more Nigerian in British and by far more in American universities and have the highest number of candidates admitted to Yaba Higher
College.87 Many Nigerian really see the scholarship as an important thing in their life. Because of the country‘s poor economic condition, Nigerian people have to experience a long poverty. Therefore, getting a scholarship in order to get a proper education is valued highly by them.
The grandmother turned to Olanna. ―He is the first in our village to go overseas, and our people have prepared a dance for him. The dance troupe will meet us in Ikeduru.‖ She smiled proudly to show brown teeth. Her accent was even thicker; it was difficult to make out everything she said. ―My fellow women are jealous, but is it my fault that their sons have empty brains and my own son won the white people‘s scholarship? (HYS, 34)
After her visit to Nsukka to meet Odenigbo, Olanna then decides to move together with him and works as a lecture in the University of Nsuka. During her time in
Enugu airport, Olanna watches the members of a family who wait for one of their family members. Their family member has finished his study overseas.
87 James S. Coleman, Nigeria: Background to Nationalism. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960), 124.
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The previous quotation proves that there is a high awareness of the people to get a better education. The chance of studying aboard is valued highly not only by the students, but also by the family. People realize that they need better formal education.
Scholarship provides people with a good access to support their studying process. This realization causes Igbo people to value scholarship, seeing it as something important. This perception triggers most of them to celebrate the graduation from their family who has graduated overseas as depicted in the previous quotation. The same quotation indicates that people concern towards education echoes their need for formal education in order to improve their lives.
Different from the family Olanna meets in the airport, Olanna comes from a rich family. This condition helps Olanna and Kainene her twin sister to get an easy access to education. Both of them do not need to apply for the scholarship in order to pursue a higher education.
Susan steered him away. ―She‘s Chief Ozobia‘s daughter, is she? Whatever happened to her? Quite extraordinary; her mother is stunning, absolutely stunning. Chief Ozobia owns half of Lagos but there is something terribly nouveau riche about him. He doesn‘t have much of a formal education, you see, and neither has his wife. I suppose that‘s what makes him so obvious (HYS, 74)
This quotation shows that Olanna and Kainene‘s father is an important figure in his community. He also has many businesses which enables him to win half of
Lagos. Because of her family background, Olanna sometimes gets an exclusive
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treatment in public places for example in Enugu airport when she wants to go back to
Lagos.
She turned to the ticket seller and wrote her name on a slip of paper. ―Good afternoon. One way to Lagos, please.‖ ―Ozobia?‖ The ticket seller‘s pockmarked face brightened in a wide smile. ―Chief Ozobia‘s daughter?‖ ―Yes.‖ ―Oh! Well done, madam. I will ask the porter to take you to the VIP lounge.‖ The ticket seller turned around. ―Ikenna! Where is that foolish boy? Ikenna!‖ Olanna shook her head and smiled. ―No, no need for that.‖ She smiled again, reassuringly, to make it clear it was not his fault that she did not want to be in the VIP lounge (HYS, 13)
Although both of Olanna and Kainene‘s parents do not have enough formal education background, they realize that education is important for their children.
Both of their parents value education highly. Therefore, they support their children to have suitable and good education even since both Olanna and Kainene enter secondary school in Heathgrove, which is one of the best schools in Nigeria.
―You can see Heathgrove from here,‖ she said, pointing. ―The iniquitously expensive and secretive British secondary school my sister and I attended. My father thought we were too young to be sent abroad, but he was determined that we be as European as possible.‖ ―Is it the building with the tower?‖ ―Yes. The entire school is just two buildings, really. There were very few of us there. It is so exclusive, many Nigerians don‘t even know it exists.‖ (HYS, 76)
Because of the poor economic development, many Igbo people must live under the poverty. Most of them cannot even get a proper formal education because of the expansive tuition. It is no wonder that the chance to study abroad will be valued highly. The admiration towards studying abroad is not only depicted in the previous quotation but it is also depicted in Olanna‘s family, seen by how Uncle
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Mbaezy proudly says; ―Our Olanna has just finished her master‘s degree. Master‘s degree at London University! It is not easy!‖ (HYS, 28)
Moreover, one of the permanent impacts of colonization is the use of colonizer‘s language in the colonized countries. English language is even used on a daily basis. As for Nigeria, English language remains as the national language even after the colonization. The use of English is clearly depicted in Adichie‘s Half of a
Yellow Sun through Ugwu who speaks proper English even in his daily life.
Ever since Ugwu works for Odenigbo, he always tries to impress him not only by cleaning the house well, but also by speaking English. Instead of using his
Igbo language to communicate with Odenigbo, Ugwu tends to use English all the time even though Ugwu does not have enough education background. He stops going to school because his father cannot afford the tuition (HYS, 13).
As the result, Ugwu cannot write English words correctly. Odenigbo indirectly informs Ugwu that school will teach him how to write the correct English words. ―Master stared at the list for a while. ―Remarkable blend,‖ he said in English.
―I suppose they‘ll teach you to use more vowels in school‖ (HYS, 15). As previously mentioned, Ugwu comes from a poor family that this condition forces him to work when he is only thirteen years old. In order to provide for his family, Ugwu decides that he will work really hard for Odenigbo.
Previous quotation proves that English is an official language used in Nigeria.
It is not only used in the daily activity but also the education system. This evidence is similar to Altbach‘s statement that in the number of developing countries, such as
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Nigeria, Ghana, India and Pakistan and most of French-speaking Africa where is no single indigenous national language, there has been a tendency to use the metropolitan language in administration and sometimes in education.88 Hence, in
Nigeria, English is taught in school so that people will not use their native language to communicate with each other. On the other hand, this limits the spread of native language.
In relation to the use of the colonizer‘s language, the distribution of textbook in Nigeria is also dominated by British even after the colonization. As the novel describes:
He picked up his exercise book while sucking the second bone. The cold marrow was tart on his tongue. He read the verse, which he had copied so carefully from the blackboard that it looked like Mrs. Oguike‘s handwriting, and then closed his eyes and recited it. I can’t forget that I’m bereft of all the pleasant sights they see, which the Piper also promised me. For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, Joining the town and just at hand, Where waters gushed and fruit trees grew, And flowers put forth a fairer hue, And everything was strange and new (HYS, 106)
Ugwu‘s chance to get a better education is really supported by Odenigbo‘s education background. Since the beginning of the story, Odenigbo shows his concern about education. He believes that education is a tool to resist exploitation (HYS, 13).
Odenigbo then enrolls Ugwu in staff primary school in the University of Nsukka where Odenigbo works as a mathematician lecture (HYS, 13). This decision is made so that Ugwu can continue his study and improve himself.
88 Philip G. Altbach, ―Education and Neocolonialism: A Note.‖ Comparative Education Review 15. 2 (1971): 452. PDF. 6 September 2017.
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As mentioned before that English language is an official language in Nigeria.
This can also be proved by the material Ugwu gets in his school. A stanza from the poem Ugwu recites for his homework is actually a stanza from Robert Browning‘s poem entitled The Pied Piper of Hamelin. This proves that English material is still used in Nigeria. As Altbach argues that the teaching material such as textbooks are imported from advanced countries, and occasionally patriate teachers can be found in the schools and particularly in the universities89. The use of English language and the use of Robert Browning‘s poem are the evidences of the colonization impact in
Nigeria.
Furthermore, colonization also triggers the social injustice in Nigeria which creates an unequal chance of education in Nigeria. As the novel describes,
The North was wary; it feared domination from the more educated South and had always wanted a country separate from the infidel south anyway. But the British had to preserve Nigeria as it was, their prized creation, their large market, their thorn in France‘s eye. To propitiate the North, they fixed the pre-Independence elections in favor of the North and wrote a new constitution which gave the North control of the central government. The South, too eager for independence, accepted this constitution. (HYS, 146)
This proves that the north part of Nigeria has a bigger chance of the colonial education than south part of Nigeria. This is what triggers British to give the North control of the central government. This was the cause of Nigerian war in 1967.
Furthermore, the inequality chance of education is echoed through the unequal opportunity related to the bribery practice in formal education. For instance,
89 P. G, Altbach, p. 237
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the novel describes; ―If she had charged people big money, I will be studying medicine overseas now. But my family cannot send me overseas, and the people in
Lagos are giving scholarships to the children of the people who can bribe them‖
(HYS, 191).
This unfair experience comes from Nnaemeka, an officer Richard meets in an
Airport when he goes back from England. Although Nnaemeka believes that he is able to get the scholarship, he realizes that he cannot get that because his family cannot bribe the authority. This excerpt questions the notion of scholarship offered in colonial education which is corrupted by the government. Thus, experiencing formal education remains impossible for many Nigerian people.
From the depiction of education in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun, it can be concluded that this novel depicts both traditional and colonial education in Nigeria.
The depiction of traditional education is in line with Dewey‘s argument that incidental education refers to the education which human get from living with others.90 The analysis proves that the characters in this novel experience traditional education in their daily activity. They do not enter the school in order to experience traditional education.
The traditional education is used through the use of myth, and religion aspects. Through the characters of Ugwu, Jomo, Nnaemeka this novel echoes the influence of traditional education in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the depiction of Richard
90 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. (New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 6.
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Churchill echoes the notion of traditional education from different point of view.
Richard‘s depiction emphasizes the influential aspect of traditional education which is not limited to native only but also to the western people represented by Richard‘s attitude.
Furthermore, this novel gives enough space for traditional education. It can be concluded that although there is no clear standard in traditional education, this type of education is important introduce Nigeria culture and tradition for the young generation. This type of education also functions to guide people life by spreading the moral values by the society from generation to generation. Thus, traditional education is important to preserve Nigerian tradition and culture.
However, it cannot be denied that formal education also essential to develop human‘s life. The elaboration of formal education in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun shows that British impact on Nigeria education system brings positive effect for
Nigeria. British sets the standard which never be found in Nigeria traditional education system.
This standard is important in order to classify the students‘ class based on their ability. Dewey‘s argues that ―without such formal education, it is not possible to transmit all the resources and achievements of a complex society‖91. In order to widen the knowledge, formal education is needed by society. However, it can be assumed that colonial education can also be used to control Nigeria.
91 J. Dewey, p. 8
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Although this novel is set after the colonization era, this novel proves that colonization only transformed its form of domination into a different type of domination, one of the concrete examples is through education system. The impact of colonization in formal education can be seen through three aspects. The first one is the use of colonizer language in education field such as school and universities.
The second aspect is related to the teaching materials which still refer to colonizer‘s system. The last one is colonial education spreads the chance of enrolling to an international school. This aspect enables some of the characters in this novel to study aboard or even win the scholarship. Nevertheless, this novel also notices the danger of enrolling to an international school as a device to support dirty government policies in Nigeria.
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CHAPTER IV
COMBINING TRADITIONAL AND COLONIAL EDUCATION
IN ADICHIE’S HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
In the previous chapter, this thesis examines the portrayal of education in
Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun. The previous chapter shows that Half of a Yellow
Sun portrays two kinds of education which are traditional education and formal education. Through traditional education this novel depicts the culture and tradition valued by Nigeria. Meanwhile, formal education echoes the impact of colonization in education system of Nigeria. After analyzing the portrayal of education, this chapter aims to answer the second research question which deals with how Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the colonial education related to the combination of traditional and colonial education.
John Dewey argues that without formal education it is impossible to transmit all the resources and achievement of a complex society.92 In other words, formal education enables a society to spread its values and cultures to a complex society.
Dewey also notes formal instruction on the contrary easily becomes remote and dead, abstract and bookish to use the ordinary words of depreciation.93
In order to achieve its purpose into the complex society school needs to prepare for a better and important material to be taught. However, schools tend to
92 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 8. 93 J. Dewey, p. 8
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create a material in which according to Dewey is considered to be bookish, and far from students‘ real life. This fact then puts schools as a formal education into a question as a place for children‘s development.
Dewey elaborates that education has three aims which are direction, control, or guidance.94 As a direction, education aims to direct people to a certain continuous course, instead of dispersing aimlessly.95 It means that formal education in this case school aims to direct people in order to develop their values to be more meaningful for their life. This aims puts formal education as one of the tools to control the society. When it comes to the colonized country, formal education faces even difficult situation because of the domination they experience from the colonizer.
According to Altbach, one of the forms of domination in educational system is by controlling the materials given in school. Altbach argues that the curriculum of the schools and colleges often reflects orientation of the former colonial rules or of other advanced countries which provide assistance or are for some other reason powerful in the affairs of the given developing country.96
As a colonized country Nigeria gets a huge influence from British including in education system. Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun describes this fact from
Odenigbo‘s point of view,
There are two answers to the things they will teach you about our land: the real answer and the answer you give in school to pass. You must read
94 J. Dewey, pp. 22-23 95 J. Dewey, p. 22 96 Philip G. Altbach, ―Education and Neocolonialism: A Note.‖ Comparative Education Review 15. 2 (1971): 237. PDF. 6 September 2017.
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books and learn both answers. I will give you books, excellent books.‖ Master stopped to sip his tea. ―They will teach you that a white man called Mungo Park discovered River Niger. That is rubbish. Our people fished in the Niger long before Mungo Park‘s grandfather was born. But in your exam, write that it was Mungo Park. (HYS, 14)
Odenigbo‘s job as a lecturer influences his thought about education.
Odenigbo strongly assumes that a society can resist exploitation because they have a tool to understand the meaning of exploitation itself. Therefore, schools enable people to improve themselves. He even gets angry when he knows that Ugwu does not continue his study,
―Did you go to school?‖ ―Standard two, sah. But I learn everything fast.‖ ―Standard two? How long ago?‖ ―Many years now, sah. But I learn everything very fast!‖ ―Why did you stop school?‖ ―My father‘s crops failed, sah.‖Master nodded slowly. ―Why didn‘t your father find somebody to lend him your school fees?‖ ―Sah?‖ ―Your father should have borrowed!‖ Master snapped, and then, in English, ―Education is a priority! How can we resist exploitation if we don‘t have the tools to understand exploitation?‖ (HYS, 13)
Being supported by enough formal education enables Odenigbo to be able to open his mind about colonization and its effect for his people. One day, Odenigbo asks
Ugwu about the death of Lumumba, the prime minister of Congo. He then finds out that Ugwu does not even know where Congo is. He then draws the world map for
Ugwu,
He pointed with his pen. ―This is our world, although the people who drew this map decided to put their own land on top of ours. There is no top or bottom, you see.‖ Master picked up the paper and folded it, so that one edge touched the other, leaving a hollow between. ―Our world is round, it never ends. Nee anya, this is all water, the seas and oceans, and here‘s Europe and here‘s our own continent, Africa, and the Congo is in
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the middle. Farther up here is Nigeria, and Nsukka is here, in the southeast; this is where we are.‖ He tapped with his pen. (HYS, 13)
This quotation proves that Odenigbo is against the concept of colonization. It can be seen from how according to Odenigbo, colonization creates a huge gap between countries and it creates classes between countries. Therefore, Odenigbo thinks that education is important to be able to resist any kind of exploitation.
Knowing that Ugwu does not get enough formal education, Odenigbo decides to register Ugwu for staff primary school in his workplace. Before Ugwu even enters the classroom Odenigbo has explained the teaching activity that Ugwu will experience. As an educated person Odenigbo is aware that his county is dominated by colonizer even though Nigeria has liberated from British. He realizes that the impact of British colonization has been embedded strongly. He also knows that it is impossible to directly excavate this impact,
The ride to his village was mostly silent. As they drove past some farms with rows and rows of corn and cassava like a neatly plaited hairstyle, Master said, ―See? This is what our government should focus on. If we learn irrigation technology, we can feed this country easily. We can overcome this colonial dependence on imports.‖ ―Yes, sah.‖ ―But instead, all the ignoramuses in government do is lie and steal‖ (HYS, 112)
Odenigbo‘s action to explain the answer for Ugwu strongly verifies that during the colonization British uses formal education to control Nigeria. Schools have to deliver the materials which are controlled and chosen by British. The materials are related to British power in discovering Nigeria. This way confirms the negative image about Nigeria which always be considered as an uncivilized country.
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It also means that Nigeria‘s voice is still silenced during the colonization period although they get an access to formal education. Therefore, Education is used not to liberate people but to control them instead.
Even after the colonization, British remains powerful in Nigeria. Formal education in Nigeria still uses British curriculum. It can be presented by the material taught in school which is related to British. The impact of applying British curriculum also echoes throughout the teaching assessment in Nigeria. The correct answers will be counted based on British doctrine, not based on the fact. This impact of colonization really limits Nigeria formal education to teach their students the correct history of their own country.
Nevertheless, it strongly believes that the previous quotation voices the criticism towards the formal education in Nigeria. This criticism can be seen from how Odenigbo insists Ugwu only to read good books. Odenigbo emphasizes the good books refers to those which presented the facts and are free from British domination. This happens because Odenigbo realizes that Ugwu cannot count on the teaching materials given by the school. Odenigbo‘s action not only echoes how
British dominates Nigeria education system, but he also criticizes Nigeria inability to fight against British domination.
Therefore, this quotation highlights two important points about colonial education in Nigeria. Formal education in Nigeria is still dominated by British even after the colonization. The second important point is that this quotation at the same
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time echoes the importance of being critical in order to be aware of the colonization impact in education system in Nigeria.
As has been stated previously, colonial education controls the teaching material including textbooks. No wonder that according to Odenigbo the teaching material is not something which people can really rely on because of its wrong sources. Furthermore, the use of teaching material in English is also found during
Ugwu‘s learning process,
He picked up his exercise book while sucking the second bone. The cold marrow was tart on his tongue. He read the verse, which he had copied so carefully from the blackboard that it looked like Mrs. Oguike‘s handwriting, and then closed his eyes and recited it. I can’t forget that I’m bereft of all the pleasant sights they see, which the Piper also promised me. For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, Joining the town and just at hand, Where waters gushed and fruit trees grew, And flowers put forth a fairer hue, And everything was strange and new. (HYS, 106)
It has been stated in the previous chapter that the poem Ugwu recites as his homework is Browning‘s poem. The poem is not taken from Nigeria writers or
African writers. Although Ugwu does not seem to understand to poem, he keeps reading in order to be able to answer Odenigbo‘s questions about the poem.
Odenigbo usually asks for Ugwu‘s opinion related to the topic that Ugwu learns in school. Therefore, Ugwu feels that it is important to understand the material well although in Ugwu‘s eyes this stanza of Browning‘s poem is a kind of joke.
John Dewey states that there is the standing danger that the material of formal instruction will be merely the subject matter of the schools, isolated from the subject
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matter of life experience.97 One of the main problems in formal education is that the material presented in the class sometimes does not really represent the students‘ real life. As the result, the teaching materials end up only helping the students to comprehend the teaching topic, but it cannot be related in their real life. It is to no surprise that many students find it easy to forget the materials as soon as they get their score.
Moreover, this problem does not only occur in western countries but it also emerges in third world country like Nigeria. The problem becomes more complex because many western books do not give enough spaces for the third world countries.
Therefore, Ugwu finds it difficult to comprehend Browning‘s poem.
It happens not only because of the symbol and language used in this poem, but also because Ugwu finds it difficult to relate it to his personal life. Ugwu‘s inability to comprehend this poem also indicates the inability of formal education in
Nigeria to apply teaching materials that are related to their life such as taking the poem or other teaching material from the writers in their own country.
In addition, Adichie‘s choice of Browning‘s poem can be interpreted as a way to combine teaching material and students‘ life experience together. The stanza from
Browning‘s poem can be assumed as the depiction of colonization itself. The piper in this poem might be seen as a colonizer, in this case, British, while the speaker of this
97 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 8.
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poem might be referred as Nigerian, the colonized. British with their power promise to create a better Nigeria. Fanon elaborates that
―Decolonization never takes place unnoticed for it influences individuals and modifies them fundamentally. It transforms spectators crushed with their inessentiality into privileged actors, with grandiose glare of history‘s floodlights upon them. It brings a natural rhythm into existence, introduced by new men and with it a new language and a new humanity98.
Colonization period creates new men and new history according to the colonizer country. This implication can also be observed after the colonization. The domination does not involve gun or war, but it transforms into social and politic domination. Therefore, according to the poem although the piper promises a joyous land where waters gushes and fruit trees grow yet this condition remains new and strange for Nigeria.
Being critical is one of the things that is needed to be improved in formal education in Nigeria. The use of colonizer or what John Dewey refers as advanced culture is of course allowed as long as teacher can be critical to the content of the teaching material. The importance of being critical related to the education system is needed since education is a place to develop the liberation between students and teachers. How this liberation can happen if the teaching materials are still dominated by the colonizer.
98 Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of The Earth. (New York: Grove Press, 1932), 36.
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Moreover, the importance of relatable sources to the students is also echoed when Ugwu is forced to join Igbo army,
It was while looking for bits of paper on which he could write down what he did from day to day, for whenever he saw Eberechi again, that he found the book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself slipped into a tight corner beneath the blackboard. On the front page, PROPERTY OF GOVERNMENT COLLEGE was printed in dark blue. He sat on the floor and read. He finished it in two days and started again, rolling the words round his tongue, memorizing some sentences: The slaves became as fearful of the tar as of the lash. They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep. (HYS. 453)
During the Nigeria Civil War, Odenigbo‘s family needs to move from one place to another to save their life. Ugwu shows his loyalty by always being with them. The condition becomes worse when Igbo people choose to recruit many young boys to be a part of Igbo army. This army will be trained to kill Hausa people. Unfortunately,
Ugwu cannot avoid the Igbo army when he meets them in a street. As a result, Ugwu has to join the army and leave Odenigbo‘s family.
During his time in Igbo army, Ugwu finds the life in the army to be how he always imagines. Before the war and during the war, Ugwu always wants to be involved in the military. He believes that by joining the military he can contribute to end the war. However, his opinion changes when he is forced to join Igbo army.
He does not get proper training that the common army get. He also watches how young boy even those who are younger than him are forced to join the war. He watches how he is different compare to them. They do not go to school, even some
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of them do not know how to read and how to spell well. That fact makes Ugwu feels pity for them.
One day, Ugwu finds a book written by Frederick Douglass. Ugwu only spends two days reading the book, and he even decides to reread the book for several times. This book really changes Ugwu‘s opinion about ending the war. Although this book is written by American writer, Ugwu can relate to the issue presented in this book because simply it depicts the condition in Nigeria. This book opens his eyes that violence is not the right way to stop the war.
Ugwu‘s reaction to Fredrick Douglass‘ cook shows that the importance of applying the suitable teaching material to the students. Ugwu changes his mind about war not because of the Westerns writer whose poem he gets in his class, but through the eye of someone who experiences slavery. This quotation proves that the suitable teaching material needs to be developed well.
Using the suitable teaching materials may help the students not only to develop their ability but also their personality, because they can easily relate their life experience to the teaching materials, especially for schools in colonized countries.
The suitable teaching materials open students‘ eyes to value themselves well.
However, it is impossible to omit the impact of colonization in Nigeria quickly, especially its impact in education system. Therefore, one way can be offered to solve this kind of debate. The impact of colonization can only be useful when it can be combined with the values and culture from the colonized society.
She taught them about the Biafran flag. They sat on wooden planks and the weak morning sun streamed into the roofless class as she unfurled
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Odenigbo‘s cloth flag and told them what the symbols meant. Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future. She taught them to raise their hand in the flying salute like His Excellency and she asked them to copy her drawings of the two leaders: His Excellency was burly, sketched with double lines, while Gowon‘s effete body was outlined in single lines. (HYS, 199)
After years of colonization, Nigeria gains their independence in 1960. Nevertheless,
Nigeria faces a civil war just seven years after the independence. During the plot in the novel, the readers are presented by many factors which trigger the civil war. Most of them are related to the domination of British in the social and political aspects in
Nigeria. (HYS, 112) In addition, Nigeria is also under a corrupted government (HYS,
276) which makes Nigerian people suffer from the social injustice.
During the Nigerian war, Olanna and Odenigbo have to move from one place to another place. Olanna also witnesses the death of his aunty, uncle and cousin. This tragedy triggers Olanna to fight against the war using her own potential. Olanna then decides to teach at the primary school. (HYS, 232) According to Olanna, teaching is her own way to win the war. Olanna breaks the notion that education is not essential during the war. Through Olanna‘s depiction, education is viewed as an important aspect which helps the students to overcome the impact of Nigeria civil war.
Therefore, Olanna uses formal education to teach about Biafra for her students.
She taught them about the Biafran flag. They sat on wooden planks and the weak morning sun streamed into the roofless class as she unfurled Odenigbo‘s cloth flag and told them what the symbols meant. Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future. She taught them to
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raise their hand in the flying salute like His Excellency and she asked them to copy her drawings of the two leaders: His Excellency was burly, sketched with double lines, while Gowon‘s effete body was outlined in single lines. (HYS, 235)
Furthermore, Olanna‘s decision to teach the students about Biafra also means that education is an essential tool to be used to liberate a society, instead of dominating people. This quotation shows Olanna‘s action in developing awareness towards patriotism. Olanna shifts the use of school as a device to spread colonial values into a tool to teach patriotism.
This action is assumed to challenge the use of colonial education in Nigeria.
This argument also puts Dewey‘s argument into question. Dewey argues that ―Why does a savage group perpetuate savagery, and a civilized group civilization?
Doubtless the first answer to occur to mind is because savages are savages; being of low-grade intelligence and perhaps defective moral sense.‖99 This quotation proves that a third world country is able to use education to liberate themselves.
Besides, the most permanent impact of colonization is through language.
Language is a powerful tool to dominate and control the society. As Ngũgĩ wa
Thiong'o argues, ―In my view language was the most important vehicle through which that power fascinated and held the soul prisoner. The bullet was the means of the physical subjugation. Language was the means of the spiritual subjugation‖100.
99 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 36. 100 Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Decolonizing the Mind. (Nairobi: East African Educational Publisher Ltd, 1986), 9.
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Thiong'o clearly highlights the use of English language to control the colonized countries. This situation is also portrayal in the novel as,
We will teach mathematics, English, and civics every day,‖ Olanna said to Ugwu and Mrs Muokelu a day before the classes began. ―We have to make sure that when the war is over, they will all fit back easily into regular school. We will teach them to speak perfect English and perfect Igbo, like His Excellency. We will teach them pride in our great nation. (HYS, 207)
In order to prepare her students to be able to fit into the regular school easily, Olanna teaches the basic subject in school such as mathematics, English and civics.
Nevertheless, Olanna also teach her students to speak perfect English and also Igbo.
Olanna believes that this act helps the students to develop the pride for the nation.
Additionally, this excerpt emphasizes the combination between traditional and formal education. Instead of using only colonizer language or the native language, this quotation offers a combination of both of this type of education. This quotation also shows that neither traditional education nor colonial education really fits in the colonized. Olanna‘s action not to put one language higher or lower than the other language is valued as the best way to challenge the colonial education.
However, the combination of traditional and formal education is not easy to be achieved. Dewey argues that learning by direct sharing in the pursuits of grown-us becomes increasingly difficult except in the case of the less advanced occupations.101
Dewey clearly argues that traditional education aims to be able to develop adult‘s ability in children‘s lives. It is strongly assumed that traditional education limits
101 John Dewey, Democracy and Education. New York: Dover Publication, 2007), 8.
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children chance to develop their selves more. The children are limited to strictly follow the rules set by the adult.
This aim is also voiced by some characters in this novel. When Ugwu does something wrong as a houseboy, he believes that the spirit of the evil leads him to do that. Ugwu also strongly believes that Amalla‘s pregnancy is the result of a witch doctor Mama has. It is true that traditional education limits children chance to think in a complex way. It also limits children‘s chance to question the purpose and value of their own culture. Therefore, Dewey assumes that school is a suitable place for preparing the students well.
Based on the analysis explained previously, this novel challenges colonial education on several aspects. The first aspect is through the use of teaching material.
This thesis argues that the teaching material given in formal education needs to be related to student life experience. This is important because by relating the teaching material with their own life experience, the students can comprehend the material given well from both cognitive aspects and how this teaching material helps the students to improve their personalities.
Moreover, the use of related teaching material helps the students to develop their valuable arguments related to their condition and the society. Using related teaching material helps the students to view their society from their own perspective.
The second important aspect from colonial education is the use of language. This thesis argues that the use of English language in school directly limit the students access to their own language.
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This thesis argues that instead of only using one types of education such as colonial education system, it is necessary to combine both of the education.
Traditional education helps the society to know their value more while colonial education helps both the students and the teachers to measure their skill ability.
In conclusion, Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the notion of colonial education towards two big aspects, namely the use of language and domination towards teaching material. Through the character of Odenigbo, this novel challenges British domination towards teaching materials. Odenigbo insists Ugwu to be more critical on the impact of colonization. Through Olanna, this novel echoes the importance of education as a means to liberate. In addition, Adichie‘s Half of a
Yellow Sun challenges colonial education by combining the traditional an colonial value in the education system.
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
The two previous chapters are the analysis to answer the research questions which this thesis proposes in chapter I. The last chapter of this study provides the conclusion to summarize the points which are examined in chapter three and chapter four. In addition, this chapter also reviews the gist of each previous chapter.
During the long colonization period, British brings about impacts to Nigeria in many aspects, including the education system. The impact of colonization in
Nigerian education system is still rooted even after the colonization. This thesis argues that it is crucial to scrutinize the colonizer‘s impact within the education system to find out how Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the colonial education in Nigeria.
In order to conduct the analysis, this thesis addresses two research questions.
The first research question deals with the depiction of education in Nigeria. The second research question deals with how this novel challenges the colonial education by combining the traditional and colonial education in Nigerian education system.
This study is supported by some previous studies. There are five previous studies dealing with postcolonial issue in the novel. The studies show that Adichie‘s novel presents the clear description of how colonization affects Nigeria. In addition, this research is supported by two theories; the theory of education proposed by John
Dewey and the theory of education neocolonialism proposed by Philip G. Altbach.
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The depiction of education in Nigeria is analyzed using the theory of education by
John Dewey, while the theory of education neocolonialism is used to examine the impact of colonization upon the education system.
The first research question deals with the depiction of education in Adichie‘s
Half of a Yellow Sun. This thesis finds out that Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun depicts two kinds of education, which are traditional education and colonial education. This thesis strongly assumes that the depiction of traditional education aims to introduce the tradition, values and culture owned by Nigerian people.
Through characters like Ugwu, Jomo, and Nnaemeka, this novel echoes the influence of traditional education within Nigerian native. Through character like
Richard, it seems like Adichie wants to emphasize how the traditional education is not limited to the native only. Richard‘s attitude shows how the traditional education also influences the western in Nigeria, too. The analysis of traditional education shows the boundaries between the colonizers and colonized even after the colonization.
The depiction of formal education directly answers the question of colonial education. Although this novel is set after the colonization era, this novel proves that colonization is only transformed into different forms of domination, and one of them is through the education system. The impact of colonization in formal education can be seen through three aspects. The first one is the use of colonizer language in education field such as school and universities. The second aspect is related to the teaching material which still refers to colonizer‘s system.
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The last one is that colonial education spreads the chance of enrolling to an international school. This aspect enables some of the characters in this novel to study aboard or even win the scholarship. Nevertheless, this novel also notices the danger of enrolling to an international school as a device to support dirty government policies in Nigeria.
Furthermore, Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun depicts the traditional education as the basic education earned by Nigerian people from different ethnic background.
The depiction of traditional education is strongly found in the characters who do not have enough formal education background. Furthermore, the purpose of traditional education to guide people‘s life is echoed clearly in this novel. There are some modes which are used to deliver traditional education. The traditional education is taught through the use of belief, myth, and the use of specialist, and also through religion.
Additionally, the depiction of traditional education remains powerful in
Nigeria society. This novel depicts how traditional education is maintained through oral tradition from one generation to the next. Therefore, it strongly indicates that this novel puts traditional education as important and valuable. This novel also suggests that traditional education is important aspect not only for Nigerian, but also for Western people, which is represented by Richard and how he respects culture and tradition of Igbo.
Based on the analysis explained previously in the chapter IV, this novel appears to challenge colonial education in several aspects. The first aspect is through
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the use of teaching material. This thesis argues that the teaching material given in formal education needs to be related to student‘s life experiences. This is important because, by relating the teaching material with the actual life experience, the students can comprehend the material given well. It will help the student in developing both the cognitive aspects and student‘s personality .The use of relatable teaching material helps the students to develop their perception towards their condition and their society. Using relatable teaching material helps the students to view their society from their own perspective.
Furthermore, it is essential to combine the use of traditional and colonial education. This thesis argues that instead of only using one type of education i.e. colonial education system, it is necessary to combine both traditional and colonial education. Traditional education helps the society to know their value more, while colonial education helps both the students and the teachers to measure their skill by having an assessment for each subject which is taught in school.
In conclusion, Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun challenges the notion of colonial education from two big aspects, namely the use of language and the domination on the teaching material. Through the character of Odenigbo, this novel challenges British domination on the teaching materials. Odenigbo insist Ugwu to be more critical on the impact of colonization. Through Olanna, this novel echoes the importance of education as a means to liberate. In addition, Half of a Yellow Sun challenges colonial education by combining the traditional and colonial value in the education system.
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A. Relevance
The impact of colonization is important to be examined because it is rooted deeply in the society. The impact of colonization in education system is also essential to be discussed. There is a big possibility that colonial education limits a particular nation to develop their own education system. It is important to be emphasized that colonial education brings a positive effect in countries like Nigeria. One the other hand, colonial education system may also create new problem.
Applying colonial education without examining its effects sometimes brings the function of education into questions. John Dewey notes that education helps to develop and controls the student. Many students are forced to comprehend materials that are irrelevant with them. On the contrary, students are given a little chance to build their character in school.
In Indonesia the discussion of education system and policies remain problematic. Problems to be solved in Indonesia‘s education these days might include the changing curriculum and the idea of full day school. Although Adichie‘s
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria, the issue of colonial education is relevant and applicable in the dialogue of education. Therefore, this thesis recommends this novel to be read by Indonesian students. It is also hoped that the findings of this thesis can be included in the talk of colonial education in colonized countries.
As the suggestions for future research it is fruitful to examine the impact of colonization in Nigeria‘s economy as presented in Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun relating to the policy proposed by their government in order to minimize the
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colonization impact. This novel can also be examined using feminism point of view, since women have quite important roles in this novel.
It is important to see how women in colonized countries like Nigeria dealing with gender oppression. Furthermore, for those who are interested in a matter of religion, this novel and Adichie‘s other novels can be used as research objects, especially dealing with how Nigerian sees and value their religion.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Half of a Yellow Sun . New York : Anchor Books , 2007. Print . Akpome, Aghogho. ""Dancing Masquerades": Narrating Postcolonial Personhood in Three Novels." Englih in Africa 40.1 (2013): 139-159. Print. 31 January 2017.
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Hewett, Heather. "Coming of Age: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Voice of the Third Generation." English in Africa 32.1 (2005): 73-97. Print. 31 January 2017. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/40239030>. Higgs, Philip. "Towards an Indigenous African Educational Discourse: A Philosophical Reflection." International Review of Education 54.3/4 (2008): 445-458. Print . 23 November 2017.
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Piaget, Jean. Science and the Psychology of the Child. New York: Orion Press, 1970. Print. Robert Blanton T. David Mason Brian Athow. "Colonial Style and Post-Colonial Ethnic Conflict in Africa." Journal of Peace Research 38.4 (2001): 473–491. Print. 16 September 2017.
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