Half of a Yellow Sun

We first meet with Ugwu in the novel when he becomes the houseboy of Odenigbo. Odenigbo quickly realizes that the boy has an inherently strong intelligence, so he does what he can to enroll the boy in educational programs at Nsukka University. Ugwu becomes an excellent student and an excellent servant to Odenigbo, as he capably prepares and cooks the family’s daily meals. As the novel progresses, so too does the boy’s sexuality: he constantly lusts after girls who become, to a certain degree, only objects to him, though he has difficulty in consummating his desires. As the Nigerian Civil War progresses and comes closer and closer to Ugwu’s master’s home, Olanna demands that Ugwu stay inside at all times in order to avoid being forcibly conscripted into the Biafran military, though in time he is indeed kidnapped and forced into the army. In his time as a soldier, Ugwu is tossed into the horrors of war. He kills men, participates in the rape of a girl, and is gravely wounded by shrapnel. He eventually returns to Odenigbo’s house, and the war ends, but Ugwu conceals the extent of his terrible actions from Odenigbo and Olanna. Towards the end of the novel, Ugwu begins writing out his war experiences and the experiences of his fellow Biafrans in order to cope with his actions.