Summery: Civil peace - Chinua Achebe

Civil peace

 Chinua Achebe

Chinua achebe’s story ‘Civil Peace’ is a realistic story which presents the condition after the Civil War. It is about a Biafran civil war and its effect on Nigerian people.

The protagonist character of this story is Jonathan Iwegbu, who thinks himself very lucky to have survived. He had come out of the war with five inestimable blessings to him, his wife Maria and his three children out of four. He had also his bicycle as an extra bonus, which he dug up after the fighting had stopped. This bicycle was seized by by the military officer, but he got it by spending two pounds.

He finds his house in Enugu still standing, despite the absence of doors, windows and roof. After getting the house, Jonathan who saw everything in positive terms, this was another miracle for him. And then the family started its journey back to normality and prosperity.  The children started selling mangoes, his wife akara balls and he was involved in selling palm wine. From one point of view, it is meager material with which to start a new life, but to the Jonathan, after the horrors of war was blessing. The final windfall is the egg rasher he receives. It confirms his belief in God. ‘Nothing puzzles God’ is his catchphrase. In both situations, he uses the same phrase. Everything that life provides is a bonus to him. He counts himself a extraordinarily happy after he survived the war. The recovery of his bicycle is another miracle for him because he sees everything in positive terms. He starts a new life in his house with insufficient materials. He is optimistic and is happy with which he has. When the thieves take ex-gratia away, he is engaged in his everyday work. He considers that his life did not depend on that money last week.

Jonathan is clever as well as practical too. When his bicycle was seized by military officer, jonathan brings it by giving the two pounds. He also gave twenty pounds willingly to save the life of family from the thieves. He work hard in both situations and has complete faith on God.

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