Civil Peace: Chinua Achebe

 

 

Summary

Jonathan Iwegbu has survived the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70) along with his wife and three of his four children, and thus considers himself, “extraordinarily lucky”. He also treasures his still-working bicycle, which he buried during the war to ensure it would not be stolen. Another apparent miracle is his still intact home, which he repairs and reoccupies after returning home to the capital city of Enugu. To explain both his good and bad fortune to himself and others, he often repeats a phrase: “Nothing puzzles God.”

 

Jonathan works hard in the aftermath of the war, using his bicycle to start a taxi service and opening a bar for soldiers. His family mirrors his example, cooking food and picking fruit for sale. Since the coal mine where Jonathan worked before the war has not reopened, this resilience is crucial towards securing even their minor comfort.

One day, after turning over rebel currency, Jonathan is given an award of 20 pounds. He takes care not to be robbed, remembering a theft he observed several days earlier, in which a man broke down in public over the indignity.

That night, a group of thieves knocks on his door demanding money. Frightened, the family calls for the neighbors and police, but the heavy silence when they finish reminds them that nobody looks out for anyone but himself. The thieves then mock them, crying out even louder to indicate how helpless the family is.

The gang leader demands 100 pounds, promising not to hurt Jonathan or his family if he cooperates. Eventually, Jonathan realizes their lack of options and gives the thieves the 20 pounds of ex-gratia payment so they will leave the family unharmed. Some thieves insist they should search the house for more, but the thief leader believes this is all Jonathan has and accepts it.

The next morning, Jonathan and the family are back at work as the neighbors arrive. Sensing their confusion over his ability to toss off the situation of the night before, Jonathan explains to his neighbors that the reward money cannot compare to what he lost in the war. He chooses to focus on his work in the present rather than regret what has happened, since “Nothing puzzles God.”

 

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Why did Jonathan think of himself as 'extraordinarily lucky'?

 

Jonathan thought of himself as 'extraordinarily lucky' because he survived the Civil War with his wife and children.

 

b. What are the ‘five blessings’ for which Jonathan is grateful?

The ‘five blessings’ for which Jonathan is grateful are his head, his wife Maria's head and the heads of three out of their four children.

c. Why did Jonathan mistrust the officer who wanted to take his bicycle? What does this tell you about the situation in Nigeria?

 

Jonathan mistrusted the officer who demanded his bicycle because of his certain lack of grip and firmness in his manner. He saved his bicycle giving two pounds to the officer. The character and the physical appearance of the army officer reveal corruption and dishonesty prevailing in Nigerian society in the post-civil war period.

d. What visitors might be at the door? Are Jonathan and his wife completely surprised? Explain.

 

The people who turned up at his door that night are thieves. He and his family shout for help but nobody cares. The leader demands 100 pounds. Jonathan explains he doesn't possess that much money. What he received during the day from the treasury was a meager 20 pound as ex-gratia payment for submitting the rebel money. The leader, however, agrees to accept the amount. Jonathan gives it to him, and thieves go away.

e. Why does no one in the neighborhood respond when the thieves pound on Jonathan’s door? Why do the thieves call for the police?

 

No one in the neighborhood responds when the thieves pound on Jonathan’s door because they are scared of the thieves. There is a lack of law and order situation in the post-war period and the police do not extend support for security to the civilians. The thieves mimicry Jonathan and his family’s call for the police to make fun of them.

Reference to the context

a. What does Jonathan mean by his expression “Nothing puzzles God”? What does this expression reveal about his character? Explain by citing details from the story.

Jonathan’s expression ‘Nothing puzzles God’ explains his firm faith in God and religion and also his optimistic nature. Jonathan frequently speaks the expression for positive outcomes - like the survival of his family, finding his bicycle still working, discovering his house intact - as blessings or miracles, and in bad circumstances like the indefinite closing of the coal-mine, and pounding of thieves at his door at night. He is complacent to what he possesses and not indulging in self-pity for what he doesn’t have or control the forces of nature or fate. Instead, he cultivates energy, enthusiasm, and vitality in focusing on the future. He productively manages the chaos invited by the war and its aftermath by accepting both good and bad events as the will of the almighty. He is innovative and industrious to utilize his meager resources to earn bread and butter and sustain in a difficult situation. He acknowledges his inability to change things that have already come to pass. This makes him focus his determination and perseverance on working into the future for a productive outcome.

b. How does Jonathan change as he experiences the conflicts in his life? Explain.

Jonathan is complacent with what he possesses and hence does not trouble himself worrying about the agonizing experiences of the Civil War and its aftermath. He exhibits a contented attitude even in the face of testing times. He is willing to get rid of material and monetary possessions to preserve what he cares most for himself and his family life. His positivity encourages him to use his energy constructively in the present instead of diving deep into the nostalgic emotion for the past. He remains cheerful and steadfast throughout the story.

c. Read the extract and answer the questions below.

 “To God, who made me; if you come inside and find one hundred pounds, take it and shoot me and shoot my wife and children. I swear to God. The only money I have in this life is this twenty pounds egg-rasher they gave me today ...”

i. Who is the speaker?

ii. Who is the speaker talking to?

iii. Who does “they” refer to?

i. Jonathan is the speaker in the referred to lines above.

ii. The speaker is talking to himself.

iii. "They" refers to the officials of the treasury. Treasury is a      government bank to deal with transactions.

d. Nigerian English has words like soja 'soldier' and katakata 'confusion', 'trouble' derived apparently from English words but transformed by native languages' phonologies. What does the author’s use of dialect here add to the story?

Chinua Achebe being the African representative writer of Nobel-prize stature has blended both standards English and local English variety to portray realistic situations. He uses the varieties to differentiate the protagonist from the thieves outside his door. Jonathan belongs to the Biafran region where the western influences had been significant during the colonial period. And hence, people received the opportunity to attend the British schooling system whereas ordinary people lacked exposure to cultured language and depended on local dialect that uses English words but in African tone. The dialogue in between the thieves and Jonathan and his family exposes this inconsistency. The use of Nigerian English dialect has created authentic Nigerian characters

e. Why do you think the thieves who come to rob Jonathan speak English with a heavier African accent than Jonathan does?

The verbal exchange between the thieves and Jonathan and his family contains marked contrasts in the English spoken in Nigerian society. The thieves speak in a heavier African accent whereas Jonathan uses a formal and standard variety of English. The way the thieves mimicry the family’s call for police only reinforces the differences. For example, the family cries out, “We are lost!” but in a heavier English accent, this appeal becomes “we done loss-o!” Possibly the author uses English with an African accent for three reasons: to establish the fact that Jonathan is better educated in western education; to display the true local society that uses dialect as lingua-franca and to create a comic effect to sustain readers’ interest.

f. The title of the story "Civil Peace" itself is ironical ............ ‘civil peace’ from ‘civil war’. Do you think that the title of this story is appropriate, or would “Civil War” have been a better title? Explain.

Chinua Achebe uses the title in an ironic and satirical manner to highlight the negativity of the civil war that still prevails at the grassroots level although the nation has celebrated the end of the war. That is, violence, corruption, dishonesty, crime, and lack of law and order situation still continue in the post-civil war period after 1970. The war has concluded, yet chaos and disagreement continue unabated. The war caused irreparable damage to the civilians, yet Jonathan works from scraps to rebuild and reorient his life. Even, thieves use the term “civil peace” when they pound on the family to reinforce the idea, peace and tranquility have not come to the doors of the ordinary people.

The story is the struggle of Jonathan and his family who collect fragments of life after the civil war to usher in a new beginning. It celebrates the unyielding positivity of the protagonist in trying times. The story speaks of peoples’ hope for peace and prosperity in the aftermath of the war.

Reference beyond the text

 

a. How would you describe the civil peace in Nigeria?

 Civil Peace, a war story, based on the Nigerian background of post-civil war 1967-70, presents a difficult situation of people living at the crossroads of life. The central character, Jonathan Iwegbu, and his wife Maria has three surviving children. They lost one in the war. During the war, he hides his bicycle, to keep it safe. Later, he starts using his bicycle as a vehicle and earns money.

 

He gets his house repaired and opens an inn to maintain his daily expenditure. The ex-gratia payment of 20 pounds, their only wealth, is robbed by strangers at night. They scream for protection but no one turns up to their rescue.

 

The writer describes how the family of Jonathan Iwegbu struggles to settle happy family life in the aftermath of the war. The civil war takes place between Biafra and the rest of Nigeria. It lasts for about three years and it causes escaping away of people other than killing and death due to starvation. The struggle of the family shows how people have to work hard and face hardships to establish happy family life. The writer also shows that war is always cruel and fruitless. It brings killings, death, hunger, suffering, etc. to the people. Ordinary people become homeless, jobless, poor, and anti-social elements for want of money, food, and other basic needs. People commit crimes. In this way, Achebe presents a bitter satire against war. Finally, the author also shows the hopeful and the confident future of the Nigerian people after the end of the civil war.

 

b. What kind of attitude towards life do you think you would have if your situation was similar to that of Jonathan’s?

 

If ever I find myself in a situation similar to that of Jonathan’s, certainly my attitude would not be different from his as I would call the neighbors for support and protection from unwanted strangers. Moreover, I would focus on future and complacent with what I possess rather than to indulge in self-regret for what I don’t possess.

 

c. Draw the character sketch of Jonathan Iwegbu, the army officer and the thief leader.

 

Jonathan Iwegbu

 

Jonathan Iwegbu is the protagonist of "Civil Peace." He is defined by optimism and resilience, even in the face of great tragedy. Despite the devastation of the Civil War, Jonathan celebrates what he still has rather than regretting what he has lost. For instance, he is thankful for the lives of his wife and three living children, instead of mourning the son he buried.

He is not only optimistic, but also industrious. Instead of waiting for the situation to change, he starts several businesses. Through the end of the story, he remains focused on the future. Even when his ex-gratia money is stolen by thieves, he tells sympathetic neighbors that he does not have to depend on it for survival  and continues to work.

 

The army officer

 

During the war, this an army officer demanded Jonathan's bike for military purposes, but then accepted a bribe in lieu of the bike. In a tattered uniform and possessing a “certain lack of grip and firmness in his manner”, the officer represents the untrustworthiness and incompetence of authority in post-civil war period in Nigeria.

 

Thief leader

 

The thief leader who knocks at Jonathan's door is extremely confident: he announces himself as a thief and mocks the family's cries for help. He even offers to call for soldiers after the police and neighbors fail to answer.

Overall, the thieves are a poignant symbol of the danger and uncertainty of Nigeria at this time. The leader's language suggests he is less educated than Jonathan, and his glib, arrogant tone reveals his awareness of how little a family has to rely on outside themselves. Though he doesn't commit any acts of violence, the thief leader represents the ever-present potential for violence in the unstable post-war period.