27 pages • 54 minutes read
Chinua AchebeCivil Peace
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1971A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Civil War and Recovery
Achebe shows the ravages of war throughout his story. His characters live in a post-civil war period, where order and peace have yet to be reestablished. What is left are ordinary people struggling to survive in a country where social and economic infrastructure has been destroyed. Homeless miners living outside the Coal Corporation scavenge for food, and others like the officer and thieves become corrupt to survive. The Iwegbu family maintains their honesty and dedication to the future of Nigeria. All of Achebe’s characters have been shaped by colonization, decolonization, and civil war.
Achebe reveals the failure to reestablish a viable judicial and police system. The result is the rise of criminal acts among civilians and military personnel alike. Without effective police and internal security, people are left to take care of themselves, as seen when no one come to help the Iwegbu family. A weak police and judicial system increases the prevalence of petty crimes and other criminal activity. The imposition of colonial law on Igbo legal practices and then post-colonial discord make it difficult to establish and maintain order.
The repeated proverb “Nothing puzzles God” suggests an unflinching willingness to surrender to the mystery of fate. Jonathan’s faith remains steadfast despite the loss of his youngest son and the postwar strife. For Jonathan, these events represent the mystery of God and the mystery of faith that gives him the confidence to participate in rebuilding his country. Jonathan feels blessed and grateful. His gratitude for what he still has in the present, despite his losses, moves him forward into the future.
The Legacy of British Colonialism
Nigeria’s society was deeply influenced by British colonization, which brought different regions and ethnic groups together as one nation. The story reveals the miseries and horrors of the decolonization process and the confrontation among different peoples struggling to survive. For some, like, Jonathan, it is a “happy survival,” for others, like the thief and ex-miners, it is anything but happy.
Achebe also shows how the introduction of a cash economy impacted people’s lives. The Iwegbu family sells their mangoes, palm wine, and Akara balls for cash. Before colonization, the country had a barter-exchange economy. People are now motivated by money. For some, like the soldier and thief, it has corrupted their character.
Colonization also introduced English as the language of commerce, governance, and literature. The thief speaks to the family in broken English instead of the region’s indigenous languages. In fact, except for the Akara balls, palm wine, and mud houses, there is little left of traditional Nigerian culture and practices in the story.
Moreover, Achebe shows the breakdown of community and how misery and tragedy elicit no response and no compassion. This is narrated through the robbery scene. Even when Jonathan and his family scream for help, no one answers: “Police-o! Thieves-o! Neighbours-o! Police-o! We are lost! We are dead! Neighbours, are you asleep? Wake up! Police-o!” (86).
Neither neighbors, nor police, nor soldiers help them. Instead, the thief ridicules the idea of social stability and networks of responsibility. The war has ended, and there is civil unease—robbery and gunfire reign. Colonizers left Nigeria in a polarized state of opposition, crippling its economy and undermining its traditional legal customary practices.
Resilience and Industry
Despite Jonathan’s adversity and struggle, he never surrenders. He never gives up. When bad things happen, he accepts them and continues to work to survive. After the war, he used his bicycle to establish a taxi service. He saves enough money from these endeavors to rebuild his house, invest in palm wine, and open a bar in his home. Other members of the family follow his example.
The Iwegbu family is resilient. All contribute to the family’s economic and physical survival. The mother bakes Akara balls; the children help by cleaning beer bottles and selling mangoes. Achebe contrasts them with people living in destitution who cannot recover from the postwar economic devastation. People like the miners lost their jobs, became homeless, and scavenged for food. Others engaged in criminal activity. Achebe seems to place his hope for Nigeria’s future on the work ethic and resilience of the Iwegbu family.
Yet the story’s message seems ambiguous. Although Jonathan shows resilience and resourcefulness, his efforts end in being robbed of what he has earned. Furthermore, the narrator emphasizes the role of luck. It was a matter of chance that Jonathan did not lose his bicycle or his house and that three of his four children survived. Those who were not as lucky live on the edge of starvation (like the miners) or turn to criminality (like the thieves). It’s unclear at the end of the story whether the society has enough social capital, enough people like Jonathan, and enough luck to enter a more peaceful and prosperous future.
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