Thorough analysis and response essay on "Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe.

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Keywordscompassion, hardships,early 1970, walk to remember, jamie sullivan

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Civil Peace. One rarely hears those two words together. It is usually either Civil War, or perhaps Civil Chaos, but rarely is it Civil Peace. This is because it is not the times of peace that are remembered, but the times of war. It is during these times that people truly shine as the need arises or are exposed for their truer, more evil selves. Like Jamie Sullivan said in A Walk to Remember, "There would be no compassion without suffering." Chinua Achebe's Civil Peace is a story about going through hardships and never forgetting what is most important. Civil Peace is set in the early 1970's in the country of Nigeria. There had been a civil war in the late 1960's that had had a devastating effect on the country. When the civil war had begun, the country's armed forces were totally unprepared and untrained, so for the first couple years of the war, the country was in turmoil. It wasn't until the government was able to reconcile their forces and produce a considerable army that the unrest was brought to a halt. Civil Peace takes place right after the war, when the citizens of Nigeria begin their attempt to rebuild their country. Jonathan Iwegbu, the main character in this story, is one of those citizens. He acknowledges that the war is over and begins to do his part in reconstruction. He is a religious man and is quite thankful for what he has, and as little as that may be, he still considers himself lucky. He is the head of his family which includes his wife, Maria, and his three children, all of which support him in what he does. The other major character in this story is the leader of the thieves' gang that calls on Jonathan's... Introduction

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One of Africa's foremost contemporary authors and spokespeople Chinua Achebe has always taken as a primary concern understanding and accurately depicting the African people. In 1964, he wrote that the writer's duty is to explore in depth the human condition. In his pre-civil war novels, Achebe focused on the culture of his people and their emergence from colonial powers.

However, with the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war, Achebe embraced the revolutionary spirit. Not only did he serve as a diplomat, bringing eastern Nigeria's message overseas, and write radio programs about the cause, he also found himself unable to work on long fictional works during this period. Even two years after the war ended, he felt no urge to work on a novel. He did, however, write three short stories concerning the civil war, all of which were collected in the short fiction volume, Girls at War and Other Stories. "Civil Peace, which first appeared in print in 1971, takes place in the immediate post-war period. Focusing not on the hardships and devastation of the war but on the new opportunities to rebuild, the story has struck many critics for its optimism and positive outlook. At the same time, "Civil Peace'' insidiously demonstrates the similarities between Nigeria during the war andafter the warduring both periods, violence and corruption can emerge at any time. Achebe believes that the African writer must function as a social critic, and in Civil Peace,'' he shares two co-existing views of the postwar Nigerian state.

Civil Peace Author Biography

Achebe was born in 1930 in the village of Ogidi in eastern Nigeria. His father worked for the Church Missionary Society, and his early education was through the society's school. At the age of eight, Achebe began to learn English. When he was fourteen, he was one of a few boys selected to attend the government college at Umuahia, which was one of the best schools in west Africa. In 1948, Achebe enrolled at University College, Ibadan, which was a new school. He intended to study medicine, but he soon switched to English literary studies. The college at Ibadan was affiliated with the University of London, and Achebe's course of study was very similar to that required by the University of London's honors degree program. While at school, he contributed stories, essays, and sketches to the University Herald; these pieces were collected in Girls at War and Other Stories. ...

Civil Peace Plot Summary

Preview of Civil Peace Summary: "Civil Peace" opens in eastern Nigeria after the civil war has ended. Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself and his family lucky. He, his wife, Maria, and three of their four children are alive. He even has maintained possession of his old bicycle, which he puts to use as a taxi. His taxi service allows him to make money, and within two weeks, he has earned 150. Jonathan then travels to Enugu, the capital city, and finds to his great surprise and delight his house still standing, even though some nearby structures are reduced to a pile of rubble from the war. The house needs some repairs, so Jonathan immediately collects available materials: zinc, wood, and cardboard. He hires a carpenter to complete the work and soon moves his family back home.

The entire family works hard to earn money and rebuild their lives. The children pick mangoes and Maria... (read more)

Summary

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Civil Peace opens in eastern Nigeria after the civil war has ended. Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself and his family lucky. He, his wife, Maria, and three of their four children are alive. He even has maintained possession of his old bicycle, which he puts to use as a taxi. His taxi service allows him to make money, and within two weeks, he has earned 150. Jonathan then travels to Enugu, the capital city, and finds to his great surprise and delight his house still standing, even though some nearby structures are reduced to a pile of rubble from the war. The house needs some repairs, so Jonathan immediately collects available materials: zinc, wood, and cardboard. He hires a carpenter to complete the work and soon moves his family back home. The entire family works hard to earn money and rebuild their lives. The children pick mangoes and Maria makes akara balls to sell. After he finds that he cannot return to his job as a coal miner, Jonathan opens up a bar for the soldiers, which he runs out of his home. Jonathan is thankful that he has a home and a job, unlike many of his fellow ex-miners. Jonathan's family does well, and then they get an added bonus when the government starts handing out egg-rasherspayments of twenty pounds in exchange for the Biafran money Nigerians turn over. Jonathan leaves the office with his money in his pocket, taking care so no thief should get it. At home that evening, Jonathan has trouble... (The entire section is 575 words.)

Historical Context

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The First Governments Nigeria, a British colony, gained its independence in 1960. Each of Nigeria's regions was the center of one of the major ethnic groupsthe Muslim Hausa and Fulani in the north, the Christian Ibo in the southeast, and the Yoruba, who were Muslim or Christian, in the west. The new

country's first government was a parliamentary system, with each region represented in the federal government. The northern region, however, with its large population, soon dominated the entire country politically. Friction increased, particularly between the Hausa/Fulani and the Ibo in the southeast. In January 1966, an Ibo-dominated group of eastern army officers, hoping to rid the country of political corruption, led a coup that toppled the government. They handed over control of Nigeria to the commander-in-chief of the army, Maj. Gen. Johnson T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, who abolished the federal constitution and established a military government.
Nigeria celebrates the end of the Civil War circa 1970

As Aguiyi-Ironsi attempted to promote national unity by doing away with the traditional regional power structure, political tensions led to tribal conflict. In July 1966, a group of northern army personnel launched another coup, placing Lt. Col. Yakubu Danjuma Gowon in power. He restored the federal system of government in... (The entire section is 697 words.)

Cultural/Historical Analysis-Civil Peace, Chinua Achebe I think this story has great potential to be the subject of an historicaland cultural analysis. The story is based on the Civil War in Nigeria. This fact provides lots of insight into this story. Facts about how peoplelived during this time and what happened can be very beneficial inlearning the themes of this story. I think one of the themes is bethankful for what you have been given, which can be seen in the linethat was repeated over and over. The line is "Nothing puzzles God." Itwould be interesting to find out how much religion played into the livesof those who lived in Nigeria during this time. Culture also plays a bigrole in this story. Family seems to be a big part of it and a belief in Godalso prevails. As far as clues in the story, it is very easy to see that awar has gone on, that people are not in good financial standing, thecountry is a mess, and many people have lost family members andbelongings. All of these clues are important because they give youeven more insight into the characters lives and allows you to read intothe story more and understand the themes. I think one of the firstthings that should be researched are the war in Nigeria and the author. Just knowing information about the author helps alot. I have readanother piece by Achebe and I know that he is Nigerian. Knowing thisgives him even more credibility when reading this piece. I think itwould also be interesting to research relations between people living inthe country because we see that gangs of thieves were hurting theirfellow Nigerians. As in any story, culture is of utmost importance. Itwould be good to research African culture and how the Europeansaffected this culture and how it changed after the war during the "CivilPeace."

Civil Peace Historical Context

The First Governments
Nigeria, a British colony, gained its independence in 1960. Each of Nigeria's regions was the center of one of the major ethnic groupsthe Muslim Hausa and Fulani in the north, the Christian Ibo in the southeast, and the Yoruba, who were Muslim or Christian, in the west. The new country's first government was a parliamentary system, with each region represented in the federal government. The northern region, however, with its large population, soon dominated the entire country politically. Friction increased, particularly between the Hausa/Fulani and the Ibo in the southeast. In January 1966, an Ibo-

dominated group of eastern army officers, hoping to rid the country of political corruption, led a coup that toppled the government. They handed over control of Nigeria to the commander-in-chief of the army, Maj. Gen. Johnson T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, who abolished the federal constitution and established a military government. As Aguiyi-Ironsi attempted to promote national...

Civil Peace Themes

War
"Civil Peace" takes place in the year after the Nigerian civil war has ended. Nigerians such as Jonathan feel fortunate simply to still be alive, as evidenced by the "current fashion" of greeting people with the words "Happy survival!" Now they face the monumental task of rebuilding both their country and their lives. Their difficulties are described throughout the story, both through the plight of Jonathan's family and that of his neighbors and acquaintances. A wealthy neighbor's home has been reduced to a "mountain of rubble," and many other poor Nigerians are also rendered homeless. The tools of the "destitute" carpenter who Jonathan hires consist merely of "one old hammer, a blunt plane and a few bent and rusty nails." The coal mine in Enugu does not reopen, leaving many men with no means of support. Meanwhile, in the midst of this economic chaos, bands of thieves roam the region,...

Civil Peace Style

Setting
The setting of "Civil Peace" is Enugu, the former capital of Biafra (eastern Nigeria) and the surrounding countryside. The most important aspects that define both settings are not the physical geography but the human geography. Both settings are populated with official functionaries and neighbors. These two groups provide a sort of economic protectionfor the Iwegbu family makes their living from them but fail to provide any physical protection. In both the countryside and the city, the Iwegbus carry out business dealings. While living in the countryside outside of Enugu, Maria barters with camp officials for needed goods, and Jonathan is able to earn money by taxiing them and their families to the nearest tarred road. Soldiers and other "lucky people" are some of the few Nigerians with money, and in Enugu, the family is able to earn money by selling mangoes to the soldiers' wives and homemade food to neighbors "in...

Cultural/Historical Analysis-Civil Peace, Chinua Achebe

I think this story has great potential to be the subject of an historical and cultural analysis. The story is based on the Civil War in Nigeria. This fact provides lots of insight into this story. Facts about how people lived during this time and what happened can be very beneficial in learning the themes of this story. I think one of the themes is be thankful for what you have been given, which can be seen in the line that was repeated over and over. The line is "Nothing puzzles God." It would be interesting to find out how much religion played into the lives of those who lived in Nigeria during this time. Culture also plays a big role in this story. Family seems to be a big part of it and a belief in God also prevails. As far as clues in the story, it is very easy to see that a war has gone on, that people are not in good financial standing, the country is a mess, and many people have lost family members and belongings. All of these clues are

important because they give you even more insight into the characters lives and allows you to read into the story more and understand the themes. I think one of the first things that should be researched are the war in Nigeria and the author. Just knowing information about the author helps alot. I have read another piece by Achebe and I know that he is Nigerian. Knowing this gives him even more credibility when reading this piece. I think it would also be interesting to research relations between people living in the country because we see that gangs of thieves were hurting their fellow Nigerians. As in any story, culture is of utmost importance. It would be good to research African culture and how the Europeans affected this culture and how it changed after the war during the "Civil Peace."

Civil Peace Critical Overview

"Civil Peace" was first published in the Nigerian journal Okike in 1971, and it was collected in the volume Girls at War and Other Stories, published the following year. Girls at War brought together all of the short stories Achebe had written over the past twenty years. As such, the twelve pieces dealt with a wide range of the Nigerian experience, most notably, custom and religious beliefs, the contrast between traditional and contemporary society, as well as the Nigerian civil war. "Civil Peace" is one of the latter, and takes place after the war has ended. At the time that the collection was published, most contemporary critics responded favorably. The New Yorker extolled Achebe's short pieces as "worldly, intelligent, absorbing." I. A. Menkiti wrote in Library Journal that "the stories are a delight . . . Achebe deals deftly and with unforgettable wit." The Saturday Review complimented Achebe's prose...

Civil Peace
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Civil Peace" is a 1971 short story by Chinua Achebe. It is about the effects of the Nigerian Civil War (19671970) on the people, and the "civil peace" that followed.
Contents
[hide]

1 Plot summary 2 Character overview 3 About the writer 4 Historical context 5 Notes 6 References

Plot summary[edit]
The story starts off in eastern Nigeria after the civil war has ended. The protagonist even was able to keep his bicycle which he turns into a taxi to make money. In two weeks he made 150 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, which translates into "as a favor") for turning in rebel currency to the Treasury, and in exchange they gave him 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 anyway. 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 in God's eyes than how it seemed to Jonathan.

Character overview[edit]
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. The quote repeated towards the end of the book reflects the theme is "Nothing puzzles God"
[1]

and then

continues to explain He had come out of the war with five inestimable blessings --- his head, his wife Marias 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.

About the writer[edit]

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 honours 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 Europeans. These led 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[edit]
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 Black 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 s ocial 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.

Civil Peace Summary

"Civil Peace" opens in eastern Nigeria after the civil war has ended. Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself and his family lucky. He, his wife, Maria, and three of their four children are alive. He even has maintained possession of his old bicycle, which he puts to use as a taxi. His taxi service allows him to make money, and within two weeks, he has earned 150. Jonathan then travels to Enugu, the capital city, and finds to his great surprise and delight his house still standing, even though some nearby structures are reduced to a pile of rubble from the war. The house needs some repairs, so Jonathan immediately collects available materials: zinc, wood, and cardboard. He hires a carpenter to complete the work and soon moves his family back home. The entire family works hard to earn money and rebuild their lives. The children pick mangoes and Maria... View more of the Civil Peace Summary