Civil peace Notes : Summary and Question Answers

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Why did Jonathan think of himself as ‘extraordinarily lucky’?

Jonathan thought of himself as ‘extraordinarily lucky’ because he had survived the Civil War along with his wife and children.

b. What are the ‘five blessings’ for which Jonathan is grateful?

The ‘five blessings’ for which Jonathan is grateful are his head, his wife Maria’s head, and the heads of three out of their four children. That means he is grateful for the survival of five family members.

c. Why did Jonathan mistrust the officer who wanted to take his bicycle? What does this tell you about the situation in Nigeria?

Jonathan mistrusted the officer who wanted to take his bicycle because the officer easily accepted bribe exchange of his bicycle. This tells us that the situation of Nigeria was so much worse as the government officers were corrupted and used to take bribes from the citizens.

d. What visitors might be at the door? Are Jonathan and his wife completely surprised? Explain.

The visitors who knock at the door of Jonathan’s house might be the thieves. Jonathan and his wife are completely shocked due to fear as it was midnight and the thieves are knocking at the door violently.

e. Why does no one in the neighborhood respond when the thieves pound on Jonathan’s door? Why do the thieves call for the police?

No one in the neighborhood responds when the thieves pound on Jonathan’s door because they are scared of the thieves. The thieves called for the police because they knew very well that no one will come to support Jonathan’s family.

Reference in the context

a. What does Jonathan mean by his expression “Nothing puzzles God”? What does this expression reveal about his character? Explain by citing details from the story.

b. How does Jonathan change as he experiences the conflicts in his life? Explain.

c. Read the extract and answer the questions below.

“To God who made me; if you come inside and find one hundred pounds, take it and shoot me and shoot my wife and children. I swear to God. The only money I have in this life is this twenty pounds egg-rasher they gave me today …”

i. Who is the speaker?

Jonathan is the speaker.

ii. Who is the speaker talking to?

The speaker is talking to the thieves or robbers.

iii. Who does “they” refer to?

"They" refers to the officials of the treasury i.e. the government.

d. Nigerian English has words like soja ‘soldier’ and katakata ‘confusion’, ‘trouble’ derived apparently from English words but transformed by native languages’ phonologies. What does the author’s use of dialect here add to the story?

e. Why do you think the thieves who come to rob Jonathan speak English with a heavier African accent than Jonathan does?

The thieves who come to rob Jonathan speak English with a heavier African accent than Jonathan does to show that they were white Americans so that no one could doubt on them and also to prove their superiority.

f. The title of the story "Civil Peace" itself is ironical as there is little to differentiate ‘civil peace’ from ‘civil war’. Do you think that the title of this story is appropriate, or would “Civil War” have been a better title? Explain.

The title of the story “Civil Peace” is especially interesting because it is used in an ironic sense. The story follows Jonathan Iwegbu as he collects the fragments of his life after the end of the Nigerian Civil War. The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, was a protracted conflict that resulted because a section of Nigeria attempted to secede and form its own country. The war leaves a tremendous amount of destruction in its wake, and Jonathan gathers up what he can to reestablish his life. The title of the story is ironic because even though the war has come to an end, the area is still chaotic and filled with strife. Indeed, a gang of robbers use the term “civil peace” when they rob Iwegbu and his family in the dead of night. Thus, Achebe uses the title ironically to highlight the violence still present in a post-war Nigeria.

Reference beyond the text

a. How would you describe the civil peace in Nigeria?

The condition of the Civil please in Nigeria wasn’t good. After the war, the time of the civil peace was the time of the resettlement.There was nothing new for the people.People had to face various problems during that time.The government’s law during that time was good.There were many risks in people’s life.Thieves used to do loots and beat people without having any fear of law.Though the Civil piece prevailed there, there was Anarchy everywhere.

b. What kind of attitude towards life do you think you would have if your situation was similar to that of Jonathan’s?

If my situation was similar to that of Jonathan’s, I would have similar optimism about my life and my family. I would be ready to face any challenges so as to protect my family as like Jonathan did. I would try to do hard labour keeping faith in God for the welfare of my relatives. I would try to be quite away from violence. Hence I think that I would have positive, optimist and energetic attitude towards life if my situation was similar to that of Jonathan’s.

c. Draw the character sketch of Jonathan Iwegbu.

Jonathan Iwegbu- Jonathan is a round character. His main trait is optimism, however some of his smaller traits are, peacefulness, persuasiveness, and calmness. He is a static character; he stays the same through the whole story

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