"Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe

"Civil Peace" is a short story which was written in the 20th century by Chinua Achebe. Nigeria was torn apart by a civil war, and currently in

Nigeria the country is united after the bloody war. The author tries to encourage his native Nigerian people with a short story that is filled

with optimism. Chinua Achebe's short story can be analyzed in regard to the three important literary elements which are characterization,

tone, and conflict.

Achebe's goal as a writer was to depict his people. He learned about his own people, who were once a part of the Igbo civilization by

"interviewing older people and reading the writings of colonial administration missionaries" ("Short Stories for Students Volume" pg. 17).

Once the civil war began, he decided to shift gears, from writing novels, and focus on poetry and short stories, which one is "Civil Peace."

Achebe was born in 1930 in a village in eastern Nigeria. His father worked for a Church Missionary Society. Achebe's early education was

through the society's school, Achebe began learning English at the age of 8 (Wikipedia pg. 1). Once he was 14, he became one of the few

selected to attend the Ibadan University, he studied English literature. After he graduated, Achebe had a short stint as a teacher. A year

later he became a producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, where he remained for 12 years ("Short Stories for Students

Volume" pg. 17). After his producing days, he decided to become a full time author, where he published a few novels, short stories, and

essays on politics and literature. In 1994, Achebe had to flee Nigeria because of the threat of being jailed. He moved to the United States

and is currently a professor. In 1999, he was awarded the goodwill ambassador to the world the United Nations population Fund

(Wikipediapage 3).

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"Civil Peace" has an interesting plot structure. The main character in Civil Peace is Jonathan Iwegbu. He is married and has three children.

Jonathan is optimistic about everything because he has his wife, kids, house and a way to make a living. Other important characters in this

short story are Maria and the children. They are very cooperative in rebuilding their family's life. The leader of the thieves and his people

are other major characters towards the end. He and his people are trying to get some money from the Iwegbu family. Nigeria has just gone

through a civil war. The Iwegbu family has come back, without knowing if Jonathan will have his job, or even if they will still have a home.

When he comes back, his bike is still there, he ends up using the bike as a taxi. Then, they went back to the neighborhood, to find that their

house was still standing, unlike some other houses. He then began to fix up the house. The children picked mangoes and sold them for

pennies. With the money Jonathan made he opened up a bar in his house. Jonathan went back to his old work place, the Coal Corporation

where he used to mine, but it has not opened. Then, when one night the whole family was sleeping, all of a sudden they heard an

extremely loud knocking. They asked for help, but nobody came to their help, they were all alone. Jonathan ended up giving his 20 pounds

to the thieves. After the traumatic experience they went through, they went about the next day, as if nothing had happened at all. Their

neighbors had come over to sympathize, and Jonathan told them that "I count it as nothing" ("Civil Peace" pg. 34).

"Civil Peace" can be analyzed for the author's use of characterization. Characterization is the way a character is depicted. Jonathan Iwegbu

is shown as a thankful person, happy for what he still has. Jonathan is what we would call the protagonist. In the beginning of the short

story it says: "Jonathan Iwegbu counted himself extra-ordinarily luck. 'Happy Survival' meant so much more to him than just a current

fashion of greeting old friends in the first hazy days of peace. It went deep to his heart. 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. As a bonus he also had his old bicycle - a

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miracle too but naturally not to be compared to the safety of five hum heads" ("Civil Peace" pg. 29). That shows how thankful he is for his

family, even though he lost one child, he did not give up, yet went to work form the first day back, trying to make a living, with his bicycle,

now turned into a tax, "He put it into immediate use as a taxi" ("Civil Peace" pg. 29). Now, we approach the antagonist of the short story,

the leader of the thieves. He and his people are taking advantage of the weak structure of the government currently in Nigeria. They are not

afraid of the neighbors and police as evident by this, "Police-o! Thieves-o! Neighbors-o! Police-o! ... Neighbors are you asleep?" ("Civil

Peace" pg. 32). They all were awake, but they were scared of the thieves. The masterful use of characterization was scattered brilliantly

throughout the short story.

"Civil Peace" can also be analyzed for the author's use of tone. Tone is the attitude implied by the author. Through the short story there is

optimism. As I stated in the above paragraph, he had lost one of his children, but he was not going to be held back, "... heads of three out

of their four children" ("Civil Peace" pg. 32). The biggest surprise for the Iwegbu family must have been them discovering that their house

was still there, "This newest miracle was his little house in Ogui Overside" (Civil Peace" pg 34). Next to their little house, there used to

stand a house of a very wealthy man, which was no nothing but a "mountain of rubble" ("Civil Peace" pg. 34). This must have given them

more drive and made them even more optimistic. At the end of the story, the neighbors came to sympathize, but they needed none "...is it

greater than other things that went with the war? ("Civil Peace" pg. 34). Of course it wasn't, the country had gone through a civil war,

thousands dead, many homeless. Yet, the Iwegbu family had a home, away to make money, and most importantly, a family. There was a

superlative use of tone throughout the short story.

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Another way "Civil Peace" can be analyzed is for the author's use of conflict. Conflict could be man versus man, or an internal struggle.

There were times when Jonathan could've easily given up, "At first he went daily, then every other day and finally once a week ... some of

the miners who had nowhere to retreat at the end of the day would just sleep at the gate..." ("Civil Peace" pg. 33). Unlike these men

Jonathan took matters into his own hand, for the sake of his family, he had a choice; he could've given up like them. The main conflict of

the story is between the Iwegbu family and the thieves: "open dis window and give us one hundred pond .. we de come inside .. automatic

fire rang through the sky" ("Civil Peace" pg. 33).These thieves wanted money, and threatened to harm them. Jonathan in fear gave up his

20 pounds, which he had worked hard for. The conflicts were: the civil war, then survival, and at the end being afraid of getting hurt by

thieves. The exquisite use of conflict was the main center point of the short story.

Therefore, the short story, "Civil Peace", exhibits three literary elements that contribute to the understanding of the story as does Achebe's

life. A few major points were the Iwegbu family coming back after a civil war, not knowing what to expect. They didn't know if they would

have a house, Jonathan's job, or any safety. Jonathan, throughout the short story, says "Nothing puzzles God" ("Civil Peace" pg. 32). He

knows that he would make a way for things to happen, and for them to somehow live. It could be learned through the analysis of the

literaryelements that one should never be down about something, and always be optimistic, and try their best.

Work Citied "Civil Peace." Chinua Achebe, - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 14 Mar.2006 ."Chinua Achebe -- Britannica Concies Encyclopedia - The online encyclopedia you can trust!." Civil Peace. 14 Mar. 20069354491?Query+chinua%20achebect=>.R, Korb. "Civil Peace." Short Stories for Students. ed. 2001

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