"Civil Peace" Mini-Lesson Review

"Civil Peace" Mini-Lesson Review

(Chinua Achebe - writer, poet, professor, public speaker, and guy who made any hat look cool)

Achebe used his voice and his writing to articulate the struggle of the varied peoples of Nigeria, particularly the Ibo.

• Nigeria was part of the British Empire before its fall.

• One thing to understand about the peoples of Africa is that they tend to see themselves as part of their individual cultures before they see themselves as part of a country. Having national pride is more of a Westernized concept.

• Achebe and his family were/are members of the Ibo nation.

Life under colonial rule in Nigeria was dehumanizing in many ways.

• The people were essentially seen as second class citizens within their own country under British subjugation.

• This was part of a system of submission based on racial segregation called Apartheid.

Colonial Nigeria existed into the earlier days Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

The lady to the right is Queen Elizabeth II, who is still Queen of England. This wasn't so long ago. In fact, Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, was born under Apartheid, which was still happening in South Africa. His existence was considered illegal at the time.

Colonial Nigeria came to an end in 1960.

• Chinua Achebe wrote his acclaimed novel Things Fall Apart in 1958, just two years before Nigeria officially became independent from Great Britain.

• Nigeria established itself as a republic in 1963, but it quickly fell within a few years due to military coups, the first of which was carried out by militants trained by British forces.

• Military coups and rivalries between different indigenous ethnic groups within Nigeria were commonplace over the three decades that followed until democracy was ultimately restored in 1999.

Achebe's works center around this time of strife during Nigeria's history.

His characters are often Ibo, like he was, and they were generally one of the more marginalized groups throughout that particular period. *Achebe is pictured here (left) with Nelson Mandela (right).

His characters mirror the very real struggle with identity many Nigerians felt for a century.

Do their identities lie within one of the over 250 ethnic groups to which they individually belong? Do their identities lie with being a subject of the British empire? Or, finally, do their identities lie with a national identity of Nigeria? (Which is not to be confused with the ethnic group the country was named after. Unless one was an ethnic Nigerian, that question becomes more confusing, especially if one came from a group opposed to theirs.)
Achebe's work often asks: Is there a national identity that could be found, and, if so, which comes first? Faction or country?

Poll

Do you feel like this is a question many Americans often struggle with themselves, whether they owe their identities to a heritage or culture before they owe themselves to a national identity?

• Yes

• No

When do we move on?

This is another idea Achebe's works often address. Does dwelling on our past not limit our progress forward? How does it help to not let go of old grudges and argue among ourselves to the point of having no stability for anyone within a country? What are we willing to sacrifice to, instead, work together to create stability and structure that will last?

How does this appear in "Civil Peace?"

• In the beginning of "Civil Peace," Jonathan and his family have been interacting and doing business with soldiers in the area, despite the destruction from the war. They have decided, in effect, to make peace with the past and work hard to carry on toward, hopefully, building a future.

• In the end, he gives the thieves the small amount of money he earned because the small loss was not worth his life, the lives of his family, or the lives of the men who were stealing from him.

• During times immediately following war within a country, there is a period of chaos. Jonathan feels the best way to move forward during the chaos is to set an example for his family and neighbors to count their blessings as opposed to their losses and forge ahead.

Poll

Do you believe Achebe's point here is correct--to be the example of calm and security you hope to see around you during a time of uncertainty and chaos?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

In the New York Times article announcing Chinua Achebe's death ("Chinua Achebe, African Literary Titan, Dies at 82"), Achebe's work and legacy are explored, at one point turning to his most famous work, Things Fall Apart. After discussing how well the book was received by the majority of the world, the article touches on how it was received by some critics in Great Britain by stating, "The acclaim for [Things Fall Apart] was not unanimous. Some British critics thought it idealized precolonial African culture at the expense of the former empire."

In a few sentences, discuss perspective when it comes to how Achebe may have felt about the British presence in Nigeria vs how the British may have felt about their presence there. (Remember, it was written and published while it was still colonial Nigeria)