I used to fly helicopters for the Navy. Now I work at U.S. embassies to build our mutual security cooperation/defense relationships. I'm also reading a novel from every country in Africa (33 so far). I'm in the process of moving these over to a dedicated website: www.beyondachebe.com.
Most of my non-africa book reviews are now over at www.kruzoo.blogspot.com
"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist." -Anne Applebaum
BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here.
Grad School Extensive Notes on Iliffe's Africans
Embedded below are the extensive notes (book highlights) from Africans. The second embedded document contains my discussion notes on the book that I originally posted here.
Classroom Discussion notes on Iliffe’s Africans: The History of a Continent
IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T CHEAT. DON'T PLAGIARIZE. Notes and Papers are shared here for reference and for studying. Footnote as appropriate. BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here. All Things Achebe--The Complete Notes Collection
DISCLAIMER: These are my notes that I created from reading the novel and from classroom discussion. Generally speaking, the chapter by chapter summaries are my own, however, the other parts of the posts are what I hope are an amelioration of the classroom discussion.
Discussion Points/Observations:
- The role of women; they are still representing
society.
- Parallel to Achebe’s role as minister of info for Biafra
- Rural and urban.
From the 60’s to 80’s, the state has pulled back from trying to connect
to the urban areas.
- Achebe’s
central characters always die.
Their struggle is more important than their life—they inspire
people.
- Failure of ruling class to connect to the majority (which
is the poor)—All there is is struggle—there’s no solution.
- This is the first novel where there aren’t any conflicts
between father and sons—no generational conflict like his other novels.
- In this novel, the rural comes to the city in contrast to
previous novels where it’s the opposite.
- Sam motivated by fear and translates this fear to his
treatment of his cabinet—effectively immobilizing them. And he seeks to mimic the elderly state
heads that he sees as the OAU.
- Irony that Achebe writes a novel about the disconnect
between the elite and the poor masses at such a level that it is not accessible
by those same masses because of the higher intellectual level at which it is
written.
- Beatrice to Elewa to Agatha: bridges of connection
- Older Abazonian man’s speech is a throwback to Achebe’s
prior novels (and a breath of fresh air).
This man is wise but has no power.
The importance of being seen to have fought, but more important for
there to be a record of it.
Wallace Steven’s quote is applicable here: “The Solider is poor without
the poet’s lines.”
- Naming ceremony as a birth of nationalism, where everyone
is present (from all aspect of society) and bonding over a common cultural
heritage but torquing it to reflect a new reality. Showing that all the value systems can coexist—whereas peers
couldn’t. Abdul is present, supposed to be spying on them, but has instead
joined them. So you have all
slices of society present.
- All the books have an older character (the uncle here)
that acknowledges that the times are changing and everyone has to adapt.
- Is Luxurious a
character? What does the bus
represent?
- Fragility of military regime. When do they ‘cross the line?’ For Ikem, it’s when they arrest the elder. But it’s the students’ reaction to the
regicide article in the Gazette that really sparks the movement.
"Nations were fostered as much by structures as by laws
and revolutions. These structures where they exist now are the pride of their
nations. But everyone forgets that they were not erected by
democratically-elected Prime Ministers but very frequently by rather
unattractive, bloodthirsty medieval tyrants. The cathedrals of Europe, the Taj
Mahal of India, the pyramids of Egypt and the stone towers of Zimbabwe were all
raised on the backs of serfs, starving peasants and slaves. Our present rulers
in Africa are in every sense late-flowering medieval monarchs, even the
Marxists among them. Do you remember Mazruicalling Nkrumah a Stalinist Czar?
Perhaps our leaders have to be that way. Perhaps they may even need to be that
way."
IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T CHEAT. DON'T PLAGIARIZE. Notes and Papers are shared here for reference and for studying. Footnote as appropriate. BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here. All Things Achebe--The Complete Notes Collection
DISCLAIMER: These are my notes that I created from reading the novel and from classroom discussion. Generally speaking, the chapter by chapter summaries are my own, however, the other parts of the posts are what I hope are an amelioration of the classroom discussion.
Man of the People
Notes and Discussion from Class
This
novel takes place in 1964 examines the institutions of Nigeria. Coming out of colonial times, the
people have no sense of taxes or being
taxed, especially the farmers (because the tax is just being wrapped into the
purchase price). Originally
published in 1966, during which there were two coups in Nigeria. The first coup ended the first
republic. After these two coups
Achebe went to Biafra to join their independence movement. When Biafra lost that bid, Achebe
headed to the US for an extended period.
Without
understanding that Chief Nanga is a man of the people, the story does not work. In the novel, it’s the
people that drive the action. It’s
important that Nanga is the only character that talks to the people. Odili never talks to the people in the
same manner. Even at Odili’s
rally, it’s Maxwell who speaks, and he still doesn’t speak to them in the way Nanga
does (paragraph’s ideas mainly attributed to prof).
- How sympathetic is
Achebe’s hero? Achebe portrays
Odili as symbolic of the next generation.
It’s important to note that Achebe writes in the first person, a
departure from his previous novels.
- How do women in this book represent society at large?
Edna
is a pawn and passive figure—the least of the actors.
Elsie
shows a keen lack of fidelity.
Eunice
symbolizes accountability, which is what you want in a nation.
Akilois educated but also a prostitute.
Mrs
Nanga:what’s the deal with her Adam’s apple?
*In
the novel, women go along with objectification. If they symbolize society at large, they are treated as objects that
don’t care that that is the way they are treated.
- Where did lack of selflessness come from? Who’s to blame for this endemic
corruption? Achebe blames it on
scale of largesse—in the nation/state there’s no ownership (like that exists at the village level). Before independence stealing was fine
because it was from the White man, but now it’s stealing from the people?
- How is religion replaced by materialism in the novel?
- Examine the inversion of education’s importance.
- Could Chief Koko’s overreaction (when he thinks that he’s
been poisoned) be a dig at the alarmist nature of that region by Achebe?
- Examine how he uses different women in the novel:
- Examine the theme of infidelity among men and women. Does this transfer to a lack of
fidelity in society at large?
- Jalio is Soyinka (Sho-yeen-kah). How does this idea fit into the novel’s meaning? Incidentally, read some of this man’s
poetry! It’s essential.
- The novel offers Achebe’s commentary on education—they
purge the western-educated ministers at the beginning and voice a disdain for
their education abroad. The action
highlights this competition, as well as the inability of society to hold anyone
accountable, because they don’t
understand how their country fits into the larger global context.
Examine the roles played by fathers in the novel.
Chapter 1
Chief Nanga (Minister of Culture) comes to his hometown
(village) of Anata. He is “a man
of the people.” Background on his
rise to power. He recognizes and
remembers Odili, who is a teacher in the village. He invites him to come stay withi him in the city. The
corruption and the politics are introduced.
- would a
sensible man “spit out a juicy morsel that good fortune placed in his mouth.”
- showing tip of tongue to sky to swear oath?
Chapter 2
Background on Odili and Else, his friend with benefits. Also meet his friend Andrew. Odili is firm in his aspirations and
his work to keep his actions ‘clean.’
He will not stoop to cronyism to get the scholarship to London that he
desires. There is a universal
disdain among politicians for education abroad, however Nanga still looks
forward to his upcoming honorary law degree from a small college in US.
- Objectification and devaluation of women shown in
anecdotes.
Chapter 3
Odili goes to Nanga’s and is welcomed warmly. Background on Odili’s father, a
district interpreter—a powerful and hated man with five wives and 35
children. Odili’s mother died
giving birth to him—there’s shame associated with this. Odili and Nanga visit Chief Koko, who
handles education abroad, but they don’t get a chance to discuss the
scholarship.
- After independence the value of education becomes
inverted. Proximity to power is
most important.
- Corruption feeds and multiplies bureaucracy and vice
versa.
- OHMS, which the elite don’t use. (Our Home Made Stuff)
- the gap between power and previous life is so huge that it
feeds corruption
Chapter 4
Mrs. Nanga gets ready to leave with the children to visit
her village, which they do at least once a year. Americans John and Jean stop by. Jean flirts shamelessly with Nanga while her husband
highbrows it with Odili. Jean and
John work in public relations for Nigeria in their efforts with the U.S.
- Good details about racism and lynching in the US to
contrast with Nigeria’s problems.
Chapter 5
Odili goes to Jean’s party and ends up sleeping with
her. He finds that he doesn’t
really like her but ask to see her again.
For American, Africans are a novelty, one that they hold apart and
distinct from the ‘blacks’ back home.
At the dinner party, Odili has a good time. Nanga never ends up going because Mrs. Akilo arrives at his
home—we find out later that he sleeps with her.
- Shaking the fist is a sign of great honour and respect.
Chapter 6
Odili visits Elsie and sets up a date. He takes Nanga’s Cadillac which
impresses her. They all go
together to a book exhibition to hear Nanga speak.
- Objectification of women again.
- Jalio wrote fictional Song of the Blackbird
Chapter 7
Nanga makes a good speech and they return home. He comments that he likes Jalio after
he sees various ambassadors fawning over the author. They eat dinner and Nanga has sex with Elsie! Odili loses it when he hears them (she
is screaming Odili’s name in a perverse twist) and leaves the house at
4AM. He comes back in the morning
and curses out Nanga and heads to Maxwell’s.
- a dash is a small
loan or bribe—this destigmatizes corruption—it’s just a small quick thing after
all.
Chapter 8
Odili plots revenge against Nanga. Maxwell hold a meeting of the Common People’s Convention
(CPC). While the party has
Communist undertones, Maxwell is quick to reject that label. He reveals that the CPC has an inside
man in the current government.
- All the
politicians care for are women, cars, landed property. It’s like a rap video today. Case in point:
- some in the older
generation wish the white man had never left
- “it is only when you are close to a man that you can
begin to smell his breath”
Chapter 9
Odili goes back to Anata and we hear the story of Josiah,
the bar-owner who took too much.
Odili visits Mrs. Nanga and gets
Edna’s location and then visits her, saying that Nanga sent him to inquire
after her mother (who is in the hospital). He gives Edna a lift to the hospital on his bike but also
crashes it, humorously.
- No greater condemnation: taking things till at last the
owner (the people) notice.
Chapter 10
At Christmas, details of major corruption (more than their
fair share) break out in the media concerning current government. The CPC has Odili run against
Nanga. Odili implore Edna not to
marry Nanga! Odili meets a lot of
opposition in his campaign. It’s
important that he rejects Josiah’s offer of support.
- now we see a dash of
a four-story home!
- we also see that the wooden masks are now a game played by
drunkards and children
- we see Odili enjoying the fear in another person—enjoying
power
- whereas a telegram might take 3 days to reach the country,
rumour took a day or less
Chapter 11
Odili gets bodyguards as the campaign gets vicious. Through it all, he pines for Edna
(probably more than he cares about the CPC). Nanga approaches Odili’s father and tries to buy off Odili with
250 pounds and a two year scholarship.
Odili firmly rejects this.
- “Eating the hills like yam”
Chapter 12
Maxwell arrives from the city with his CPC staff to drum up
support for Odili. Maxwell admits
he took a bribe similar to the one offered to Odili, however, he insists that
the bribe carries no weight and he just did it to take the money. When Odili approaches Edna, she angrily
dismisses him. When the POP finds
out that Odili’s father indirectly supported his son’s campaigning, they nearly
jail him and levy convenient overdue taxes against him. Odili’s home village loses their pipes
for supporting him. Odili writes
off Edna.
Chapter 13
In disguise, Odili goes to Nanga’s campaign meeting. Josiah sees him though and calls him
out. Odili is beaten severely,
with only Edna vainly trying to help.
He wakes up in the hospital and ends up winning Edna. A military coup occurs in the country,
overthrowing the government and suddenly Max is a martyr and a hero.
- corruption equated with “a warrior eating the reward of
his courage” at throwing the white man out
- the people had nothing to do with fall of government—it
was unruly mobs and private armies.
- “but in the affairs of the nation there was no owner, the
laws of the village became powerless.”
- you’ve lived a good life when someone will shoot your
murderer without expecting anything in return.
BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here.
Discussion notes on Iliffe’s Africans: The History of a Continent
(I have a separate document with the highlights from the book typed up if you are interested)
12 JAN 2012 NOTES (Chapters 1-6)
**Precolonial history is important but very little of this history is written down.***
***Pay attention to Iliffe’s theme of social organizations and horizontal structures.***
Questions: with his methodology—what are you most/least confident about?
- Population is the most significant theme/framework for the author
- In West Africa with trade you have a tendency to overexpand
- In East Africa it’s production.
- Polygny is at one level rational but on another it’s an enduring source of conflict
- Ethiopia has a long enduring history with Christianity as a state religion; among highlanders especially there’s still a large number that identify themselves as an ancient Christian state.
They are also the only society to have avoided colonization (except for Italy for 7 years from 1938-1945)
- Islam expansion spreads across North Africa more forcefully, whereas it filters more gently down the east and west coasts (slowest on the west coast)
- Islam is more effective in pre-existing polygamous societies.
- Animist religions in West Africa are perhaps more amenable to Christianity in many ways because of compatible overlaps such as replacing numerous deities with saints etc…
17 JAN 2012 (Chapter 7)
Questions:
What about the idea of slavery’s acceptance culturally? vs. the Arab slave trade?
What caused slavery? Demand overseas or existing institutions?
What’s the relationship today between Africa and biggest slave partners?
What’s the relationship between state building and enslavement?
- “Secondary empires” were prevalent from slave trade (they depended on the market from guns for example)
- Slave trade => peaks decades later for East Africa in the 1800s whereas this had already peaked for the Atlantic Slave trade. Perhaps the effects of the slave trade was worst in the East because of how rapid, violent and intense the peak of the slave trade came on.
- Mat
ril
ine
age helped Atlantic slave trade because they could steal villages/people—sell their men and absorb their women.
- 19th century:
Central: trading revolution
South: military/competition/modernization—at least in the organization
West: Religious revolution
East: late impact of slave trade and its impact to authority
- Zulu expansion/condensing efforts led to a withdrawal of population from South African interior that opened it up for later Afrikaners.
- Abolition of slavery just accelerates it elsewhere: Sokoto Caliphate has 1/3 slave population
24 JAN 2012 (Chapters 9-10)
Questions:
- What is the story for the African people- infrastructure or population? Which drove which at which point?
*Initial railways not for economic reasons necessarily but for military and transportation of personnel…this gave way to reduced trading costs and increased trading along rail lines—an indirect and beneficial effect
- What was racism’s impact on colonial administrators?
- What is the role of overpopulation pressures to the continent?
- What’s the role of the literature of adventurers like Stanley?
- How are missionary efforts tied to education (and is it different) between France and Britain?
- British are more economically focused whereas perhaps the French are more (broadly) strategically focused
- Divergence of interests between countries and between homeland administrations and local governors on the ground
- 3 schools of thought:
Colonialism was destructive/changed everything
It changed very little because Europeans couldn’t control much
Iliffe is in between, looking at the aims/desires of Africans and Europeans separately but in
parallel
- Indirect rule seeks to create bureaucracy in African communities…so choosing a leader from them steals that african leader’s legitimacy
31 JAN 2012 (Chapters 10-13)
Early independence:
Questions:
- How did ruling classes respond to state that they inherited?
Early response was patrimonialization since most of them inherited useless political infrastructures.
- Count
erf
act
ual: What would have happened if there hadn’t been a Cold War that funded and stabilized the continent initially (no borders moved etc…)
One could compare the parts that were more and less affected by the Cold War.
Research/thesis: Examine the level of Cold War influence. But this can be difficult when you look at francophone countries less affected by the cold war who received significant French economic support.
- Professor: Cold War patronage might have been the only thing that prevented widespread anarchy and violence in the short term
- No ruling classes were in a position to think long-term
- Russian influence served as a counterbalance to European influence. Previous colonial powers were hesitant to abuse African countries because they didn’t want to push countries toward Russia (which happened in some places).
- Role of single party regimes and army
“Army did not intervene in politics, they were invited in”
South Africa
Questions:
Thesis/Research : Examine the role of historical apartheid on current military structure/effectiveness and foreign policy.
Thesis/Research:Has circumcision rose among infants since fight against AIDS?
- Story of South Africa is gold but also the size of the settler class. They’ve been there for 200 years…they’re not from anywhere else.
- You have the pre-existing conflicting between Afrikaaner settler class and British colonial
Afrikaner interests are generally agricultural
- Doesn’t address the foundations enough…look at comparative colonialism. This is closer to South American colonialism.
Role of access to land plays a pivotal role
- South Africa they talked about an economy of gold and maize (play on germany’s iron and rye). It’s a national capitalist economy in a way that don’t exist elsewhere in Africa.
*Interesting role between African population, colored/Indian, and white population.
- Eventually ANC will have to change because now it’s both the labor and business party
*18th century is when ‘colored’ classification began
4 classifications: European, Colored, Indian and Africa
n
- African
ers tended to be poorer and more rural and Brits tend to be more urban and business type
s
-
Sys
tem is still in place that allows people to migrate from elsewhere to farm and work.
*This migrant worker economy (long term mobility) is a huge driver or HIV (you see the same thing happening in Cote D’Ivoire which also has a migrant worker economy)
IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T CHEAT. DON'T PLAGIARIZE. Notes and Papers are shared here for reference and for studying. Footnote as appropriate. BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here.
DISCLAIMER: These are my
notes that I created from reading the novel and from classroom
discussion. Generally speaking, the chapter by chapter summaries are my
own, however, the other parts of the posts are what I hope are an
amelioration of the classroom discussion.
No longer at Ease Notes
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
T.S.Elliot
If there was a soundtrack to this novel it would be Biggie Smalls: Mo Money Mo Problems. I would love to develop a screenplay for this novel. It would make a good Sundance 'short'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twkh0YiInPM
General Notes:
- Pay attention to pidgin English, still widely used today.
- ‘na’ is not a negative; it means nothing for the most part.
- Achebe is about the same age as Obi when he writes this novel.
Chapter 1
UPU sends Obi to London for school. He doesn’t become a lawyer though, but instead becomes a senior level civil servant. He’s found guilty of taking a bribe for 20 pounds. UPU is more upset that he didn’t know how to take a bribe, NOT that he actually took one.
Chapter 2
Shows Obi and Clara’s relationship. He likes philosophy and poems; she likes violent movies. They argue about the movies often. The corruption of the older generation is discussed. Bribery is normal and cyclical. The elevated role of returning soldiers is mentioned.
Chapter 3
Obi returns to Nigeria via boat. On the boat he meets Clara (again) and kisses her.
Chapter 4
Obi returns and is feted by UPU but they don’t like his humility. Obi later has a drink with Joseph who thinks he should stay in the hotel and not save money by staying in his flat—Joseph thinks it’s below Obi now. The reader sees Minister of State Sam Okoli (and Clara in his car).
Chapter 5
Oki interviews and is appalled by the inherent assumption of corruption. During the interview you have a thread drawn back to Things Fall Apart: “Suicide ruins a tragedy (grandfather Okonkwo) and then to Obi’s current Nigeria: “A real tragedy is never resolved.” This is a novel and a story that never resolves.
He travels home by lorry and again sees corruption with police officers. He’s welcomed home in his village. Lamentations on the old way of life are expressed and Obi expresses nostalgia for the Igbo way of life.
Chapter 6
Obi’s homecoming brings his realization at how old his parent’s are, and also that their pension is too meager—he must help them, but he also must back UPU their 800 pound loan and help his brother John pay his school fees. Obi recounts childhood difficulties as a Christian. He wonders why Clara won’t let him tell anyone about her.
Chapter 7
Obi’s first day on the job. His boss Mr. Green is a white jerk; all the others in the office kowtow to him. Clara reveals that she’s an osu and Obi says he doesn’t care, although he does hesitate at first. He receives a lot of upfront money at his job.
Chapter 8
Obi is warmly welcomed at monthly UPU meeting. They agree to give him 4 months before he has to start paying them back. Then they confront him about Clara—he flips out and storms out.
Chapter 9
A man tries to bribe Obi. Obi refuses. Then the man’s sister comes and tries to bribe him with sex. Obi refuses. Clara comes home in the middle of the encounter. She doesn’t understand what’s wrong with a little monetary bribe. University degrees are universally regarded to be the key to success.
Chapter 10
The reality of Obi’s financial situation becomes clear. With his position comes the bureaucracy’s fees and taxes. He gets into a fight with Clara. He takes out a loan from the bank for 50 pounds to pay for his car insurance.
Chapter 11
Obi gets to be friends with his white secretary. Clara loans him 50 pounds. They go out dancing and Obi’s car is robbed of the 50 pounds.
Chapter 12
This chapters mark’s the beginning of a slippery slide for Obi. Obi gets letter from his Dad requested that he come home to visit. This means that he has heard about Clara. Obi cheats on Clara with an Irish girl. Later she tells him that the head nun says they can’t be seen with Africans. Chris and Obi argue about sex and monetary bribes. If everyone is taking a bribe and you abstain this upsets the system.
Chapter 13
Obi visits home with both longing and fear. Clara tries to break off their engagement before he leaves on his trip.
Chapter 14
Obi gains ground in his argument with his Dad about Clara. His mom says that she will kill herself if Obi marries an osu before she is dead. Obi’s dad was Okonkwo’s son.
Chapter 15
Obi returns to Lagos, almost getting into a huge traffic accident along the way. He tries to explain the situation with his family to Clara but she isn’t happy and ends their relationship and also reveals that she’s pregnant. They search for an abortion doctor.
Chapter 16
Somehow Obi gets the money for the abortion. Clara gets the abortion and ends up in the hospital for several weeks with complications.
Chapter 17
Obi gets a salary advance to try to payback Clara. She doesn’t want to talk to him.
Chapter 18
Clara is finally released but won’t talk to Obi. Obi’s mom dies but he doesn’t go back for the funeral—and can’t afford to send much money for it either.
Chapter 19
Obi begins to take money and sex bribes and is eventually busted for a 20 pound bribe and arrested.
Questions and ideas for further exploration:
1. Was corruption always part of African culture? Or can it be traced to this pre-independence period?
2. How would you compare the role of Soyinka and Achebe in both literature and in Nigerian politics?
3. Examine the car as a metaphor for mobility (societal and infrastructure).
4. Examine English structure of Obi’s poems transposed over Igbo ideas as a metaphor for Obi’s dreams and desires.
5. Examine Clara as a symbol for Nigeria itself—she’s Nigeria’s future; Obi’s mom is the past. Her abortion is the “abortion of Nigeria’s future.” She also like violent movies, perhaps a precursor to Nigeria’s violence.
6. What’s the trajectory of the main characters’ in Achebe’s books say about the concept of adaptation in Nigeria?
*Interesting the things about which he has a moral dilemma—he is against corruption but cheats on Clara and during his slide does not hesitate to pay for an abortion.
*In a movie treatment I would begin the film in stark black and white, letting corruption slowly seep in as sepia tones and color.
*In Nigeria today, they still pay rainmakers in the hopes that it won’t rain before special ceremonies.
