Civil Peace

"Civil Peace" is a 1971 short story by Chinua Achebe. It is about the effects of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) on the people, and the "civil peace" that followed.

Plot Summary

Civil Peace starts off in eastern Nigeria after the civil war has ended. The protagonist even was able to keep his bike which he turns into a taxi to make money. In two weeks he made 115 pounds. Jonathan then travels to Enugu to search for his home, and to his surprise it is still standing when other structures around it are demolished. The house needs some repairs so Jonathan finds some supplies around and hires a carpenter to fix his house. He then moves his family back in. The entire family works hard to earn money and rebuild their lives. The children pick mangoes and Maria makes akara balls to sell. After finding that his job as a miner isn’t a possibility he decides to open a bar for soldiers that is run out of his house. Then the night after Jonathan gets an "egg rasher" (a butchered pronunciation of the latin ex gratia, exchanged worthless rebel currency for 20 pounds legitimate currency) a large group of robbers show up at his house demanding 100 pounds. When Jonathan replies that he doesn’t have that much money, the robbers break in and take the 20 pounds anyways. After they take the money life goes on as usual for Jonathan because nothing puzzles God, which means that the robbery has a greater meaning than how it seemed in God's eyes.

Character Overview

Jonathan Iwegbu:

Jonathan Iwegbu, the protagonist of “Civil Peace”, is the optimistic nucleus of the entire narrative. Despite the recent devastation of the Biafran War, Jonathan exhibits a happy tone in the face of death. Jonathan’s optimism is first demonstrated in the first paragraph when he exclaims how happy he is for his life.^[1] and then continues to explain “He had come out of the war with five inestimable blessings --- his head, his wife Maria’s head, and the heads of three out of their four children.”^[2] The protagonist is happy because he can now enjoy the company of those alive, instead of being sad for the one who died. Jonathan’s optimism continues to prevail when he sees his house for the first time which, was slightly damaged "But what was that?”^[3] and then continues to explain that he had enough time left in the day to forage for materials “... before thousands more came out of their forest holes looking for the same things.”^[4] further emphasizing his optimism and its benefits. Later in the story, Jonathan opens a bar, creating new employment as opposed to dwelling in the fact that his former job, mining coal, is no longer an option. Jonathan’s optimism remains unshakable through to the end of the story even when some of his money is stolen by thieves. Jonathan’s neighbors sympathize with him and he continues to move on with his normal daily activities.

About the Author

The son of devout Christian parents, Chinua Achebe was born and raised in Ogidi, a town in eastern Nigeria.^[5] Achebe is considered one of the founding fathers of African Literature and is the winner of countless honors and awards. Achebe is the author of dozens of acclaimed essays and books, including the groundbreaking novel “Things Fall Apart”(1958). Achebe left Nigeria to teach when the country was put under military rule. While working as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Achebe gave a contentious chancellor’s lecture titled “Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness,’” which was later published in his collection of essays Hopes and Impediments (1988). Achebe says he began thinking about becoming a writer after reading “some appalling novels about Africa”^[6] written by European authors. These made him decide, “that the story we had to tell could not be told for us by anyone else no matter how gifted or well-intentioned.”^[7]

Historical Context

Much of Chinua Achebe’s literature was inspired by the events of the Biafran War and by the responses to a war that, for many Igbo writers, was a struggle for survival, a search for a new beginning for Africa, and a redefinition of Balck identity in the context of a complex world behavior.^[8] A leading novelist at the time, Chinua Achebe was a pioneer in post-war Igbo literary activities. Achebe maintained

“It is clear to me that an African creative writer who tries to avoid the big social and political issues of contemporary Africa will end up being completely irrelevant --- like the absurd man in the proverb who leaves his burning house to pursue a rat fleeing from the flames.”^[9]

Achebe does not hide the fact that the Biafran situation has affected his creativity in no small way.

Notes

1. ^ Achebe, Chinua (1971). Civil Peace. Bedford/St. Martin's. pp. 10. 
2. ^ Achebe, Chinua (1971). Civil Peace. Bedford/St. Martin's. pp. 10. 
3. ^ Achebe, Chinua (1971). Civil Peace. Bedford/St. Martin's. pp. 10. 
4. ^ Achebe, Chinua (1971). Civil Peace. Bedford/St. Martin's. pp. 10. 
5. ^ Wilber, Alix. "The novelist Chinua Achebe". http://aalbc.com/authors/chinua.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
6. ^ Charters, [edited by] Ann. The story and its writer : an introduction to short fiction (Compact 8th ed. ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. pp. 9. ISBN 0-312-59624-3. 
7. ^ Charters, [edited by] Ann. The story and its writer : an introduction to short fiction (Compact 8th ed. ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. pp. 9. ISBN 0-312-59624-3. 
8. ^ Emenyonu, Ernest (2003). Post-War Writing In Nigeria. African Studies Association. pp. 49-54. 
9. ^ Achebe, Chinua (1968). The African writer and the Biafran cause; a paper read at a political science seminar, at Makerere University College, Kampala, Uganda, on 25th August, 1968.. pp. 8-14. 

References

• Wilber, Alix. "The novelist Chinua Achebe". http://aalbc.com/authors/chinua.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
• Charters, [edited by] Ann. The story and its writer : an introduction to short fiction (Compact 8th ed. ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. pp. 9. ISBN 0-312-59624-3. 
• Achebe, Chinua (1971). Civil Peace. Bedford/St. Martin's. pp. 10. 
• Achebe, Chinua (1968). The African writer and the Biafran cause; a paper read at a political science seminar, at Makerere University College, Kampala, Uganda, on 25th August, 1968.. pp. 8-14. 
• Emenyonu, Ernest (2003). Post-War Writing In Nigeria. African Studies Association. pp. 49-54.