Civil Peace | Roles of the Story and Story Teller in Society
In this essay, the author examines how Chinua Achebe's ideas about the roles of the story and the storyteller in society are reflected in his short story.
At first blush, Achebe's short story ‘‘Civil Peace’’ appears to be a sad tale of one man's failure to cash in on the meager rewards of post-civil war Nigeria. Jonathan's windfall of twenty Nigerian pounds is taken from him in a midnight scene filled with portents of violence and bloodshed. But, if the reader examines Achebe's own words about the storyteller's responsibility in society, ‘‘Civil Peace’’ can be construed as a story that teaches its readers about survival and about the merits of a never-say-die attitude.
In an interview with Eleanor Wachtel,...
[The entire page is 1774 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about Civil Peace at eNotes.
