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Yellow-Yellow tells the story of Zilafeya, a biracial girl child born to a Nigerian mother and a Greek father who abandoned her before she was born. The 2008 NLNG Prize for Literature winner portrays the discrimination and social stigma biracial individuals in Nigeria face, as they are seen as outsiders who do not fully belong to either the African or European heritage.
While at it, the novel contrasts the protagonist’s inner conflict with her country’s troubled season, the complexities of the city with the simplicity of the village et cetera.
In 2007, Yellow-Yellow won the ANA/Chevron Prize tor Environmental Writing in recognition of the role of the novel in raising awareness about ecological destruction in the Niger Delta.
In this blog post, we are going to summarise eight out of the fourteen chapters in Kaine Agary’s debut novel, Yellow-Yellow. You can get the rest and more in our study guide.
Chapter 1 Summary of Yellow-Yellow
Chapter 1 of Kaine Agary’s Yellow-Yellow is about the environmental devastation in Zilafeya’s village, with particular instance of the oil spillage that deprives the villagers of their farmlands, Zilafeya’s mother’s piece of land inclusive. The oil company does not compensate them even after the villagers took it up with them.
Chapter 2 Summary
In chapter 2 of Kaine Agary’s Yellow-Yellow, the young protagonist (Zilafeya) introduces herself to the readers, the circumstance behind her conception, her mother’s determination to see to her education, and the rather deplorable living conditions in their oil-rich community. She also shares with the readers her mother’s struggle to keep alive her dream of getting her educated.
She hints at her intent to leave the village, and a vague description of a scholarship opportunity that might present such opportunity.
Chapter 3 Summary
After the completion of her secondary school education, Zilafeya is eager to escape her claustrophobic village than she is to go to the university. She bids her time for when an opportunity will arise. While she prepares for one, she makes effort not to draw the attention of her mother to her plan, as she can imagine how her mother would feel when she eventually has her way.
Such opportunity presents itself in the burial ceremony of Chief Semoke which brought out-of-town guests to the village. She courts the attention of one of them, Sergio, an antique furniture Spaniard who takes interest in her. They share moments together and, when she has begun to hang her hope on him as her ticket out of the village, the man fails to show up. He leaves the village without informing her.
Chapter 4 Summary of Yellow-Yellow
After the Sergio opportunity slips, Yellow-Yellow finds herself reflecting on her monotonous, boring life in the village. She examines the socio-political reality and the gender dynamics of the village, how the marital relationship had deteriorated into oppressor-oppressed system; how women go about with afflictions (fibroid, etc.) and children die. She is particular about the effects of the activities of oil companies on the village, and the remoteness of her village which detaches it from the benefits of the wealthy oil it exudes.
At seventeen, all she wants is to escape from the village and its “robotic precision” which has become her routine. She considers for a moment the trade of prostitution and later, working as a house help but couldn’t proceed with any because of their drawbacks.
At the end, she confronts her mother about wanting to leave the village. After a few clapbacks and eight days of silence between the two, Bibi finally agrees to consent to her decision to relocate to Port Harcourt. She discusses this with her pastor Ikechuckwu who facilitates a place for Yellow-Yellow to stay in Port Harcourt and the directions to the woman, Madam George, whom he describes as his mother.
Yellow-Yellow’s mother and her friend, Madam Ebiye pour libation in the night before she left for Port Harcourt. They give her all sorts of advice as they all drink from the small bottle of whisky. She finally leaves for Port Harcourt very early in the morning to face an unknown future.
Chapter 5 Summary
This chapter of Yellow-Yellow describes Yellow-Yellow’s first day and night in the city and how it pans out. Madam George, also known as Sisi, whom she is referred to for temporary accommodation by Pastor Ikechukwu turns out to be a very rich and resourceful woman. Sisi is in her seventies though she looks way younger.
Sisi and her younger friend, Lolo are about to leave for Aba when Yellow-Yellow gets to Sisi’s boutique. Lolo leaves Yellow-Yellow in the care of Clara, the salesgirl, for the rest of the day while she joins Sisi who is already on tenterhooks and running out of patience because of the incompetence of her mechanic.
Clara furnishes Zilafeya with every detailed information about Sisi and Lolo. For instance, it is through her that Yellow-Yellow gets to know that the younger-looking Sisi is past seventy years of age. Clara digs into Sisi’s and Lolo’s background, wealth, lifestyle, family, and resourcefulness. She describes Sisi as a very nice person but warns Yellow-Yellow not to stand in her way when she is angry.
Lolo and Sisi return late in the night, and Sisi takes Yellow-Yellow to her home in Old GRA where she is to stay temporarily. Zilafeya is dumbstruck by the much space in the building and the ease, comfort, and exoticness of everything around her. She spends the night tossing about her bed, thinking about what the future holds for her.
Chapter 6 Summary of Yellow-Yellow
Yellow-Yellow traces the trajectory of her first few days in Port Harcourt. Sisi has accepted her into her fold, primarily on the account of Pastor Ikechukwu’s words. Sisi and Lolo discuss with her about her education. Sisi also gets her a job as a receptionist at the Royal Hotel.
Zilafeya takes us through her experience in the hotel and Port Harcourt in general, especially in relation to her identity as a biracial. She makes friends with Emem who is another yellow. She also collects her first salary. She is even thinking of sending part of it to her mother. In all these, Zilafeya counts herself lucky for the magnanimity of Sisi and Lolo that made settling in the bustling city easy for her.
By the end of this chapter, her mother writes to her and chides her for not writing to her to inform her of her arrival to Port Harcourt. She warns her not to misuse the opportunity that has been given to her on a platter of gold. She equally advises her to take her education seriously.
With the receipt of her mother’s letter, Yellow-Yellow begins to miss home and all it represents.
Chapter 7 Summary
In this chapter of Yellow-Yellow, Zilafeya delves further into her Port Harcourt experience and the people she makes friends with or associates with. She focuses in particular on her camaraderie with Lolo’s brother’s friend, Damiete, who has become the run-to guy for the family for menial tasks around Port Harcourt.
The readers are apprised of how Lolo has come to take Zilafeya as the little sister she never had, and her friends have come to regard Zilafeya as so without questioning.
The chapter is also the first of many experiences for Yellow-Yellow. She enters a plane for the first time courtesy of Lolo who takes her along in her flight to Lagos to see her boyfriend, Kamal. Additionally, this is Zilafeya’s first time on Lagos and she is amazed by the sights, and the realisation that Lagos is bigger and more magnificent than Port Harcourt.
She experiences new things far more impressive than Port Harcourt. The megacity leaves an indelible mark on her; a trance of sort, especially considering the effect it has over her. She returns to Port Harcourt with Lolo where they are welcomed by Damiete.
Chapter 8 Summary of Yellow-Yellow
There are signs of the oppressive machinery of the military government early in this chapter. Zilafeya is grateful for the privilege she has and prays regularly for Pastor Ikechukwu for enabling the easy life she has had so far in Port Harcourt, especially in view of the hardships and penury that the city and her village have in common.
She contrasts her privileged status and choices under the protection of Sisi with the lack in the village. She mentions how Sisi approves of everything she does, inasmuch Lolo is aware or approves of it.
She draws on a particular conversation she had with Sisi about the discrimination that yellows like them face. While Yellow-Yellow is concerned that she doesn’t know her white father, Sisi who grew up with the knowledge of her own father tells her authoritatively that knowing her father wouldn’t have saved Zilafeya from the humiliation the society subjects people like them to.
Sisi mentions in particular how the father of her child had bowed to pressure from his own father that he should not marry her because she has a white patrilineal lineage. The father had compelled his son to marry someone with a known African lineage instead. The chapter ends with Sisi advising Zilafeya to take control of her destiny by focusing on her education. Zilafeya, on her part, is relieved to know that knowing her father would not have changed a thing. It would not have saved her from society’s damning racial prejudice.
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