Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic. Some of his most famous works include Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, and Anthills of the Savannah. His writing focused on the Igbo people of Nigeria and criticized the effects of British colonialism. During the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s, Achebe wrote about the conflict and aftermath in works like his short story "Civil Peace." The story depicts the struggles of an Igbo family to rebuild their lives after the war amid continued disorder and violence in their community. It explores themes of collective amnesia, loss of values, and the human spirit's ability to overcome hardship in the aftermath of catastrophic

1. NAVLEEN MULTANII

2. CHINUA ACHEBE (1930-2013)
• 16 November 1930, Ogidi, Nigeria
• Nigerian Novelist, poet and critic
• Nelson Mandela credited him as an author who ' brought
Africa to the rest of the world'
• Achebe wrote novels in English and defended the use of
language of the coloniser to present African culture
• Igbo/ Ibo community, customs,African People, Human
spirit
• Two Cultures, Igbo and British colonialism

3. 'It is the story that outlives the sound of war-drums and the
exploits of brave fighters.'
Anthills of Savannah , Chinua Achebe

4. WORKS
• Things Fall Apart (1958)
• No Longer at Ease (1960)
• Arrow of God (1964)
• Anthills of the Savannah (1987)
• There was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra (2012)
• 'Christmas in Biafra' (poem)
• Short Stories, 'Girls at War' , 'Civil Peace' ( destruction by
war , Biafran War)

5. NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR / NIGERIAN-BIAFRAN WAR
• July 6, 1967 - January 15, 1970
• Annexation of Southeastern Provinces of Nigeria
• Republic of Biafra (self-claimed)
• Nigeria - an area carved by the British in West Africa
• Linguistic and Ethnic groups in Nigeria
• Ethnic Conflicts
• Nigerian federal forces took over the Biafrans (3 million
people died of hunger and disease)

6. • Nigeria changed currency
• Biafran Pre-War currency withdrawn/dishonoured
• People abandoned houses due to the civil war
• Homeless, Unemployment, Scarcity
• Brutality of military
• Apathetic Rulers/Government
• Corruption
• Violence

7. CONCERNS OF ACHEBE
• Colonialism
• Nigerian Civil War
• National Culture, Igbo narratives/life and identity
• Ethnic, Religious, Political, Economic and Cultural
conflicts
• Commitment to National Consciouness; use of European
languages to represent and reconstruct African identity,
Nigerian Pidgin (dialect/vocabulary)

8. CIVIL PEACE
• 1971
• Background/Historical Context : Nigerian Civil War
• Setting : Enugu
• Time : End of Civil War
• Characters : Iwegbu Family , Igbo Community
• Plot : Internal and External conflicts, conflict within
character, conflict between character and outside forces
• Absence of civility in post-war Igbo society

9. CHARACTERS
• Jonathan Iwegbu : ex-miner, industrious, resourceful,
responsible, encourages and inspires family to work
hard,practical,lives in the moment,optimistic,counts his
blessings
• Maria Iwegbu : hard working, focusses on
present,supports her husband
• Thief: controls thief chorus(ex-soldiers), inhuman,symbol
of danger, violence on victims of civil war
• Army Officer : corrupt, incompetence of authority

10. THEMES
• Catastrophe and aftermath of war
• Consequences of Nigerian Civil War/ Biafran War
• Collective Amnesia
• Hardships and struggles of ordinary man in post-war
times
• Aggression, violence and deception in civil society
• Response of community and a family to war
• Efforts, human spirit and optimism to rebuild lives

11. • Collapse of communal solidarity
• Irrationality in the post-war landscape of civil peace
• Disorder ; ceaseless cycle of violence and counter-
violence
• Selfishness, violent habits of man
• Loss of values
• Strength of human values, Cohesive family ties ,Human
spirit and will power to overcome difficulties,resilience

12. • Absurdity of life
• Acceptance and faith ; 'Nothing puzzles God'
• Survival and will to progress, exploring possibilities
• Signficance of elevated individual and collective
consciousness
• Role of collective consciousness and cohesiveness in
rebuilding lives and restoring peace in society
• Positive outlook