Fitting Another Man's Mold (Metaphor)
In Odenigbo’s point of view, the British managed to control Nigeria because the Nigerians were uneducated. Because they lived in isolated communities, the Nigerians did not have the chance of learning and developing themselves. Odenigbo believes in the power of education, and he makes it his mission to educate Ugwu and to transform the houseboy into an independent man. In fact, Ugwu is so determined to fulfill Odenigbo's expectations that he models his own persona on the older man's: he spends the nighttime "talking to rapt imaginary guests" and "molding his voice after [Odenigbo's]" (25). Ultimately, Odenigbo has molded Ugwu's ideas about not simply of what an education can do but also how an educated man should conduct himself.
Bleating like a Goat (Simile)
During a trip to Kano after the first coup, Olanna is presented with a simile that is fraught with contempt for some of the recently assassinated leaders of Nigeria. Two of Olanna's relatives - Aunty Ifeka and Arize - laughingly mention a song that recalls "the bleating of a goat"; one of the deposed political figures, the Sardauna, presumably "sounded like that when he was begging" soldiers not to kill him (164). This image dehumanizes a politician whom Aunty Ifeka and Arize already despise as an enemy of the Igbo people, reducing him to a figure of fun and turning the harrowing final moments of his life into a ludicrous spectacle. While Olanna's relatives are not meant to be seen as terrible people, the demeaning goat simile shows how little the family in Kano can sympathize with a figure who existed at a distance.
Liquid Steel, Hot Embers, and Biafran Independence (Simile)
In order to convey the intensity of the initial stages of Biafran freedom, Adichie constructs a series of similes that rely on imagery of power, energy, and substantiality. The characters who unite for the rally at Freedom Square in Nsukka are united in their sense of purpose and inspiration, as Olanna's reflections on the event reveal: "they all felt what she felt, what Odenibgo felt, as though it were liquid steel instead of blood that flowed through their veins, as though they could stand barefoot over red-hot embers" (205). These metal and fire similes naturally indicate that there is great passion in the crowd, but passion that is tangible and that could lead the united Biafrans to metaphorically forge a powerful county. Still, the images used here connote dangerous daring and appear, in this way, to indicate the risks that the Biafrans are taking.
Biafra's Flag (Metaphor)
Already important for its connection to the book's title, the Biafran flag is a source of several metaphorical meanings. Olanna, during one lesson, presents the flag to the class and explains the specific connection of each color: "Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future" (352). Considered as a single object, the flag can be seen as a metaphor for Biafra's short, troubled, and hopeful history. The foundations of Biafra represented color by color indicate emergence from suffering into a better society, at least for the time being; later, reminders of Biafra - particularly the nation's currency - will be mementos of an idealistic and doomed experiment in self-rule.
The Sad Spectacle of War (Metaphor)
By the time he returns to Odenigbo's family after serving in the Biafran army, Ugwu has become disillusioned with the war effort. He responds with aversion to the broadcasts from Radio Biafra: "The shabby theatrics of the war reports, the voice that forced morsels of invented hope down people's throats, did not interest him" (500). Ugwu's distaste is expressed through two metaphors (theater and food) that are not entirely similar in imagery but capture some of the same unpleasant aspects of the situation. There is something pushy, artificial, and ultimately unsatisfying about the state of the county, at least for Ugwu; an unentertaining theater performance and an unappetizing morsel would both help to sum up these emotions though metaphor.
