The Representation of Dreams, Conflicts, and Symbols in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun

This research discusses Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel, Half of a Yellow Sun. This novel tells about a young woman who faces the civil war that happens in Nigeria. The research focuses on Olanna’s struggle when the war occurs. The writer analyzed three topics concerning; dreams, conflicts, and symbols. In analyzing these topics, the writer used new criticism as the theory that focused on the intrinsic elements of the work. Qualitative and library research are used as the methods in this research. The writer finds that personal dreams are more dominant than public dreams. Adichie portrays personal dreams in detail. The writer also discovers that internal conflicts are more illustrated than external conflicts. The writer argues that Adichie depicts internal conflicts in a specific way. The writer argues that Half of a Yellow Sun strengthens the messages of the novel about one’s love for her country, Biafra, and it has a significant influence on other symbols. The writer believes that Adichie successfully makes her reader explore the pain of the massacre caused by the civil war