Half of a Yellow Sun

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. What nickname does Odenigbo frequently use when speaking to Ugwu?

2. Where did Olanna meet Odenigbo for the first time?

3. Which twin is older?

4. What brings Ugwu’s mother to stay at Odenigbo’s house for a couple of days?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What behavior of Odenigbo’s mother does he dismiss as acceptable because “she’s just a village woman”?

2. Why does Richard become so bothered by the conversation at Odenigbo’s house that he goes home and tears up his manuscript?

Paired Resource

“A Day in Life as an African Village Girl in Nigeria”

• Viewing parts of the clip may be discussed in comparison with Odenigbo’s dismissive attitude toward his mother’s behavior as a “village woman.”
• Do you agree or disagree with Odenigbo’s assessment of his mother’s behavior as acceptable? Provide examples from the text and/or video to support your opinion.

Chapters 7-12

Reading Check

1. What is announced on the radio as Olanna tells Ugwu about her plans to travel and pick up Arize?

2. What does Olanna buy for her goddaughter while shopping in Kingsway?

3. What does Richard warn Madu as they talk on the balcony?

4. What does Obiozo compare the mass killing of Igbos to in his conversation with Odenigbo?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Olanna respond when Mohammed informs her of the riots and tells her she must leave immediately?

2. How is Richard’s reaction to the violence against the Igbo people different from Susan’s reaction?

Paired Resource

“Understanding Our Personal Responses to Trauma”

• This Memphis University document explains that there are many ways to respond and react to tragic events.
• Although Olanna and Richard are experiencing the coup from different viewpoints, they have similar reactions. Choose one character and predict how they will deal with their feelings in the coming chapters.

Chapters 13-18

Reading Check

1. What does Dr. Patel claim is the root cause of Olanna’s inability to walk?

2. On the day that succession is announced, what does Richard decide to ask Kainene?

3. What causes Ugwu to miss his sister’s wine-carrying ceremony?

4. How does Richard respond to Susan urging him to leave due to the war?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How is Olanna different from her mother?

2. Why does Odenigbo’s mother refuse to flee the village like everyone else?

Chapters 19-24

Reading Check

1. What did Ugwu believe was the real reason for Odenigbo’s mother’s visit?

2. What did Odenigbo do while Olanna was visiting her parents?

3. Why was Richard relieved he did not have to face Kainene yet?

4. Why was Amala eating peppers in the garden?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the circumstances that lead Olanna to move back in with Odenigbo?

2. How does Kainene react to finding out Richard cheated on her, and what revelation does Richard have about himself due to her reaction?

Paired Resource

“Betrayal and Human Relationships”

• This Psychology Today article discusses the psychological underpinnings of betrayal and its effects on human relationships.
• The article ends with the revelation that “true happiness has no meaning without true sadness.” Which character from the book would agree with this quote? Provide examples from the article and novel to support your opinion.

Chapters 25-30

Reading Check

1. Who does Olanna turn to for help when the doctor tells her that Baby needs antibiotics?

2. Why does Olanna forbid Ugwu from going out during the day?

3. What does Richard find pleasure in doing?

4. What unwelcome news does Odenigbo receive from home?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did Odenigbo deal with everything happening around them, and how is his response different from Olanna’s?

2. How did Richard decide that his book would be titled: “The World Was Silent When We Died”?

Paired Resource

“‘The World Was Silent While We Died’”

• Kairos Emerging Voices provides a firsthand account from a survivor of the war.
• Identify words and phrases that depict the overall tone of the article. The article’s author claims, “When you witness a certain type of injustice, you become angry, and when a fight comes, you fight.” Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why or why not? Provide real-world examples to back up your opinion.

Chapters 31-37

Reading Check

1. Who sends Olanna a care package that includes bars of soap and chocolate?

2. What is Kainene doing to help with the war effort?

3. What do the war refugees need the most?

4. Which family member does not return home one day?

5. What do soldiers do to Ugwu’s sister during the war?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What events lead up to Richard realizing he will never see Kainene again?

2. When does Olanna ultimately believe she will see Kainene again? What brings her to this realization?

Recommended Next Reads 

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• A novel about two Africans who take a journey through Europe and the United States in search of a home and an identity.
• Shared topics include universal questions of belonging, relationships, politics, intimacy, race and racism, and estrangement.
• Shared themes include Sectarian Identity Crises.
• Americanah on SuperSummary

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• A YA novel about two sheltered Nigerian boys who experience a different world than they are used to when they are sent to live with their aunt during the war. When they return home, it is a fight to hold their family together.
• Shared topics include identity, freedom, oppression, love, and tradition.
• Shared themes include The Horrors of War, Sectarian Identity Crises, and Betrayal.
• Purple Hibiscus on SuperSummary