Constructing Identity in Post-Colonial Nigeria: A Study of Self-Perception and Cultural Conflict in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun

Abstract

This paper explores the construction of identity in post-colonial society as portrayed in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2006). It focuses on two key concepts: “Us versus the Others” and how characters shape their identities by aligning with or demonizing other groups to define themselves. The paper argues that the identities formed around these concepts are often contradictory, as they overlook the complex realities that define post-colonial Nigeria and its people. Instead, many characters gravitate toward simplistic notions like ethnicity in their search for identity. The analysis also draws on simplified versions of Homi Bhabha’s concepts, including Hybridity, Ambivalence, and Mimicry, to explore the process of identity formation in a colonial society. Bhabha’s framework offers a deeper understanding of how identity is asserted in post-colonial societies and how both colonial and indigenous influences shape this process. Ultimately, the paper reveals that the identities expressed by several characters are contradictory: although they identify strongly with specific groups in 1960s Nigeria, their actions often contradict their self-perceptions. Additionally, this paper examines the link between hybrid identities in post-colonial societies and the anxiety that characters experience in relation to their native cultures.