#Chinua achebe civil peace analysis series

The third time he uses it, Jonathan receives twenty pounds as an ex gratia reward for turning in Biafran money.

The second time he uses it, he's gazing at the miracle that his house is still standing.

The first time Jonathan uses it, he's marveling that his bike is still in working condition after having spent a year buried in the ground. It means that anything can happen, but God, being omniscient, is not surprised even when mortals are surprised. In the story 'Civil Peace,' Jonathan says 'Nothing puzzles God' every time something miraculous happens. What do you think motivates the 'many in the queues' to blame the man for being robbed? Mention both implied and explicit details and defend both using evidence from the story. But of course he had insisted that the money had been in the other pocket, pulling it out too to show its comparative wholeness. Though it was not right that a man in such an extremity of agony should be blamed yet many in the queues that day were able to remark quietly at the victim's carelessness, especially after he pulled out the innards of his pocket and revealed a hole in it big enough to pass a thief's head. He had to be extra careful because he had seen a man a couple of days earlier collapse into near madness in an instant before that oceanic crowd because no sooner had he got his twenty pounds than some heartless ruffian picked it off him. Read the selection below from 'Civil Peace' by Chinua Achebe and answer the question that follows.ДЄs soon as the pound notes were placed in his palm Jonathan simply closed it tight over them and buried fist and money inside his trouser pocket. He explains to his neighbors that the egg rasher, in the larger picture, doesn't mean a thing. Instead of being angry that such people had so much money that they could throw it away without thinking about it, he was overjoyed that he had made a 'small fortune.' At the end of the story, Jonathan's apparent luck comes to an end when he is robbed of his ex gratia or 'egg rasher.' But even that does not change Jonathan's attitude about life.

Instead, he used the bonus miracle bike to make money ferrying camp officials. He did not spend time being sad that he did not have a job.

#Chinua achebe civil peace analysis series

Because of his happy and positive outlook on life, things that would have been considered 'bad luck' were a series of miracles for Jonathan. In fact he called it a bonus 'miracle,' though still one that was inferior compared to the fact that four out of five of his family members survived the war. A more pessimistic character might have been bitter at having to lose money to a dishonest person instead, Jonathan was overjoyed that he could save his bike. For example, during the civil war, he was forced to give up two pounds in order to save his bike from a man impersonating a soldier. No matter what happens, he seems to look on the bright side. His faith and optimism remain intact despite the traumatic events of the story.Jonathan has an optimistic view regarding life. When a group of thieves robs him and his family one night, he is terrified, but once he is able to get through it without any harm coming to himself or his family, he is unbothered. Through this hard work and optimism, Jonathan is able to support his family and survive the destruction of the war and its aftermath. Even as he seeks to earn money, though, he always does so with the understanding that money is a means to supporting his family, and not an end in itself. Throughout the story, he is constantly searching for new ways to earn money, whether by using his bike to operate a taxi, opening a bar, waiting at the mining office for work, or receiving his egg-rasher. He is also a hard worker, entrepreneurial, and savvy.

Jonathan is a relentless optimist and believes deeply in the will of God, as indicated by his favorite proverb: вЂњNothing puzzles God.вЂќ Although he lost a son in the war and was forced to flee his home, he is always grateful for the blessings that he still has-such as his wife, his three remaining children, and his bicycle. He is the husband of Maria and father to four children, the youngest of whom died in the war. The protagonist of the story, Jonathan is a man living in southern Nigeria just after the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).