Civil Peace Study Guide

Chinua Achebe penned "Civil Peace" in 1971, depicting through it the effects of the
Nigerian Civil War on a man and his family. The War, which began in 1967 with the
secession of several Southeastern provinces from Nigeria, led to an intensive ethnic conflict
and wide-spread starvation, destroying national infrastructure and shattering Nigerian society.
The Igbo people of the Southeast were particularly hard hit.
In 1970, the Southeastern provinces, which had formed the independent, but short-lived
nation of Biafra, surrendered to Nigerian forces, thereby reuniting the country. In three years
of fighting, an estimated one million civilians had died from violence and severe malnutrition
(Philips). Those who survived were left to rebuild their homes and lives in the aftermath.

Achebe produced three short stories about the Civil War, including "Civil Peace", and later
included them in the collection Girls at War and Other Stories, published in 1973.
"Civil Peace" focuses on Jonathan Iwegbu, a hard-working and optimistic survivor
navigating the unstable post-war period. By accepting both gains and losses without losing
hope or determination, Jonathan serves as a model for the reader. His persistence suggests
that people - and by extension, Nigeria and the Igbo people - can pull themselves back up.
While highlighting the protagonist's resilient behavior, the story also reveals the devastation
wrought by the Nigerian Civil War. Jonathan's losses include not only a job and money, but
also his son. Nevertheless, "Civil Peace" remains surprisingly optimistic despite its realism,
providing a glimpse into the aftermath of war and individual efforts at reconstruction.

Civil Peace Summary

Jonathan Iwegbu has survived the Nigerian Civil War along with his wife and three of his
four children, and thus considers himself “extraordinarily lucky”. He also treasures his still-
working bicycle, which he buried during the war to ensure it would not be stolen. Another
apparent miracle is his still-standing home, which he repairs and reoccupies after returning
home to the capital city of Enugu. To explain both his good and bad fortune to himself and
others, he often repeats a phrase: “Nothing puzzles God.”
Jonathan works hard in the aftermath of the war, using his bicycle to start a taxi service and
opening a bar for soldiers. His family mirrors his example, cooking food and picking fruit for
sale. Since the coal mine where Jonathan worked before the war has not reopened, this
resilience is crucial towards securing even their minor comfort.

One day, after turning over rebel currency, Jonathan is given an award of 20 pounds. He
takes care not to be robbed, remembering a theft he observed several days earlier, in which a
man broke down in public over the indignity.

That night, a group of thieves knocks on his door demanding money. Frightened, the family
calls for the neighbors and police, but the heavy silence when they finish reminds them that
nobody looks out for anyone but himself. The thieves then mock them, crying out even
louder to indicate how helpless the family is.

The thief leader demands 100 pounds, promising not to hurt Jonathan or his family if he
cooperates. Eventually, Jonathan realizes their lack of options, and gives the thieves the 20
pounds of reward money so they will leave the family unharmed. Some thieves insist they
should search the house for more, but the thief leader believes this is all Jonathan has, and
accepts it.
The next morning, Jonathan and the family are back at work as the neighbors arrive. Sensing
their confusion over his ability to toss off the situation of the night before, Jonathan explains
to his neighbors that the reward money cannot compare to what he lost in the war. He
chooses to focus on his work in the present rather than regret what has happened, since
“Nothing puzzles God.”

Civil Peace Character List

Jonathan Iwegbu
Jonathan Iwegbu is the protagonist of "Civil Peace." He is defined by optimism and
resilience, even in the face of great tragedy. Despite the devastation of the Civil War,
Jonathan celebrates what he still has rather than regretting what he has lost. For instance, he
gives thanks for the lives of his wife and three living children, instead of mourning the son he
buried.

Jonathan is not only optimistic, but also industrious. Instead of waiting for the situation to
change, he starts several businesses. Through the end of the story, he remains focused on the
future. Even when his ex gratia money is stolen by thieves, he tells sympathetic neighbors
that he "count[s] it as nothing" and continues to work.

Maria Iwegbu
Maria, Jonathan's wife, mirrors his hard-working nature. After the Civil War, she begins
making bean cakes to sell to neighbors. The morning after the robbery she joins her husband
in focusing on work.

thief leader
The thief leader who knocks at Jonathan's door is extremely confident: he announces himself
as a thief, and mocks the family's cries for help. He even offers to call for soldiers after the
police and neighbors fail to answer.

Overall, the thieves are a poignant symbol of the danger and uncertainty of Nigeria at this
time. The leader's language suggests he is less educated than Jonathan, and his glib, arrogant
tone reveals his awareness of how little a family has to rely on outside themselves. Though he
doesn't commit any acts of violence, the thief leader represents the ever-present potential for
violence in the unstable post-war period.

thief chorus
This group of at least five thieves accompany the thief leader as he accosts Jonathan's family
for money. They form a sort of chorus, chanting responses to their leader's questions. The call
and response structure of the dialogue recalls musical or theatrical forms. At one point, the
chorus questions the decision to accept merely twenty pounds rather than roughly searching
the house, but is quickly silenced by their leader. It is possible that these men are ex-soldiers.

the army officer

During the war, this army officer demanded Jonathan's bike for military purposes, but then
accepted a bribe in lieu of the bike. In a tattered uniform and possessing a “certain lack of
grip and firmness in his manner”, the officer represents the untrustworthiness and
incompetence of authority in "Civil Peace."

robbery victim
This man was pick-pocketed of his egg-rasher money, and had a public breakdown outside
the Treasury. He serves as a foil to Jonathan, both in terms of his carelessness and public
desperation. Jonathan is marked by carefulness and resilience despite setbacks.

Civil Peace Glossary

akara balls
fried bean cakes popular as a breakfast food in Nigeria

amenable
responsive; open to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

anini
a small Nigerian coin worth very little

biro
a brand of ball point pen, often used to refer to pens in general

Bournvita tins
a brand of malted drink mixes that used to be packaged in small metal tins

Coal Corporation
a government-owned corporation with a monopoly in coal mining, production and sales; also
known as the Nigerian Coal Corporation

commandeer
to officially take possession or control of something, especially for military or government
purposes

demijohn
a large container, encased in wicker, often used for brewing

destitute
extremely poor

edifice
a large, imposing, seemingly important building
Enugu
the capital of the short-lived state of Biafra, established by rebelling Southeastern Nigerian
provinces

ex gratia
a legal term used to describe awards or compensation given as a favor and not as a right; this
designation allows payments to be made without the giver assuming liability or obligation

fortnight
two weeks

imperious
arrogant and overbearing

inestimable
too great or precious to calculate

katakata
Glencoe's literature guide suggests that this may be an onomatopoeia for machine gun fire
("Before You Read:Civil Peace" 70)

palm wine
an alcoholic beverage popular throughout Africa and Asia, created from the fermented sap of
the palm tree

queue
a line of people

raffia bag
a bag woven from fibers of the raffia palm

retailed
sold directly to the public, as in goods or products

stock-fish
dried, un-salted fish

wey de for inside

a phrase that means "that went with it" in Nigerian slang ("Before You Read:Civil Peace" 70)
Civil Peace Themes
Untrustworthy authority
In "Civil Peace", government authority cannot be relied upon, neither during the war nor
the post-war period. As a result, individuals and families must look out for themselves.
The first reference to authority occurs when Jonathan recalls the disheveled military officer
who threatened to commandeer his bicycle and then accepted a bribe. Later, after the
declaration of peace, the government-owned Coal Corporation remains closed. His
subsequent visit to the Treasury is marked by inefficiency: “endless scuffles in queues and
counter queues”. Finally, the police and night watchmen fail to help the family during the
robbery, and the idea of seeking help from a soldier is presented as laughable. The Short
Stories for Students guide suggests that the thieves, who are well-armed and function as a
group, could be former soldiers (13). In the story authority is at best inefficient and
untrustworthy, and at worst a source of real fear and danger.

Power of positive thinking

Overall, "Civil Peace" implicitly praises the power of positive thinking through Jonathan's
success. Jonathan’s optimism is introduced in the very first sentence of the story, when it is
revealed that he considers himself as extra-ordinarily lucky. Few would describe a man who
lost his son in a civil war as lucky, but Jonathan continues to deeply appreciate the
“blessings” he has received, among them the lives of his other family members, his
resurrected bicycle, his damaged but still standing “little zinc house”, and the ex-gratia
money. Though he has suffered immeasurable losses in the war, his ability to set aside the
past and hope for the future allows him to successfully manage the difficult post-war
landscape. Figures in the story who despair, like the man robbed in front of the Treasury, are
portrayed as helpless.

Work ethic
If one part of Jonathan’s success can be attributed to his positive outlook, the other can be
attributed to his strong work-ethic. The Iwegbu family works consistently to improve its
position despite significant setbacks. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Jonathan
recovers his bicycle and uses it to start a small taxi service. Once he returns to Enugu, he
opens a bar for soldiers while his wife and children sell breakfast cakes and mangoes. Even
after being robbed by armed men, the family wakes the next morning ready to continue their
work: Jonathan straps a palm-wine container to his bike, his wife fries cakes, and his son
cleans out empty wine bottles. Overall, the story suggests through the Iwegbu's resilience that
recovery - for both individuals and implicitly for a government or society - is possible with
the right attitude and work ethic.

Hidden violence
Though rarely referenced directly, an undercurrent of violence runs through "Civil Peace".
This violence is hidden and never fully described or witnessed. Overall, the's story use of
violence parallels the way Jonathan has learned to ignore the violence of the past in order to
move forward.
This theme is ever-present. The death of Jonathan’s son is only briefly alluded to, and
Jonathan is able to bury and recover his bicycle from the burial ground, seemingly without
much emotional grief. Later, in the capital, Jonathan’s surviving children pick fruit by a
cemetery, another oblique reminder of the war's carnage. And finally, the violence of the
climactic robbery always remains unseen, reminding the family and the reader that ever-
present, impending violence can often be as threatening as explicit and direct violence can be.

War
War is everywhere in "Civil Peace", which is set in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War
of 1967, which devastated the country’s infrastructure and economy, particularly the
Southeastern region near Enugu, where the story unfolds.

The destruction of the war permeates the narrative. Jonathan is elated when he finds his home
still standing, remarking that a neighboring building was reduced to rubble. In other words,
he has learned to accept destruction as a given. Homeless men gather outside an unopened
mine hoping for work, and cooking what little food they have in small metal tins. Their
situation has been reduced to one of helplessness. Finally, the desperation and violence that
drives the thieves is a direct outgrowth of the war. They are the symbols of the ironically
titled "Civil Peace", which implies a continuation of the tensions that defined the war period.
Though Jonathan's optimism often softens the story's tone, the story nevertheless presents a
world that has been torn apart.

God
God is invoked regularly throughout the story, mostly in the way others might refer to fate.
Both in terms of positive and negative situations, Jonathan's religious sensibility is reflected
by his refrain: “Nothing puzzles God”.

Jonathan repeatedly refers to positive outcomes - like the survival of his home and family - as
“blessings” or “miracles”. Likewise, he believes that "Nothing puzzles God" in bad
situations, like with the Coal Corporation's closing or with the climactic robbery. By imbuing
God with the power to understand, Jonathan frees himself from agonizing about the
seemingly random experiences of the Civil War and its aftermath. He may not understand,
but God does. This allows him to use his energy constructively in the present instead of
wallowing in the seemingly inscrutable past.

Legacy of colonialism
Many of Chinua Achebe’s novels deal directly and extensively with the legacy of
European colonialism in Africa. This theme is muted in "Civil Peace", but can still be
detected. Reference is made to British products like Biro pens or Bournvita drinks.
Elsewhere, Achebe attributes some responsibility for the Civil War itself to a colonial legacy
which created borders without considering human geography and robbed Africans of the
opportunity to practice self-rule (“Nigeria’s promise, Africa’s hope”). In this way, "Civil
Peace" shows a society struggling with the long-lasting effects of British colonialism and
imperialism.
Civil Peace Quotes and Analysis
"Jonathan Iwegbu counted himself extra-ordinarily lucky."
Narrator
This sentence both opens "Civil Peace" and introduces one of its major themes: positive
thinking. The story is centered around the thematic conflict between Jonathan's optimism and
the war-torn world in which he is trying to make a new life. This first line establishes the
protagonist's positivity, which helps him successfully navigate post-war Nigeria despite the
significant losses he has suffered. As someone who believed in the instructive power of
writing, Chinua Achebe likely meant Jonathan to act as a model for his fellow countrymen
("Africa and Her Writers" 617). Either way, he makes Jonathan's personality extremely clear
from the beginning.

"He had come out of the war with five inestimable blessings--his head, his
wife Maria's head and the heads of three out of their four children."
Narrator
An early sentence, this passage reflects the thematic conflict of the story, between Jonathan's
optimism and war-torn world around him. He succeeds largely because he is able to focus
only on the former. The sentence structure here focuses on the surviving family members,
and introduces the death of Jonathan's son only indirectly. Though the death of Jonathan's son
represents his most devastating loss, it remains relatively hidden throughout "Civil Peace". It
is only mentioned once more, almost incidentally, when the narrator describes the place
Jonathan buried his bike. However, the survival of the remaining family members is
mentioned several more times, highlighting the story's emphasis on "blessings" instead of
losses. The horrors of the Civil War remain a dark undercurrent, but never overwhelm
Jonathan's constructive and hopeful approach to life. In this way, he is a model, both for other
individuals and for struggling governments.

"That night he buried it in the little clearing in the bush where the dead of the
camp, including his own youngest son, were buried."
Narrator
The only explicit reference to Jonathan's deceased child in "Civil Peace" is buried in an
anecdote about the near-theft of a bicycle. This passage is taken from that anecdote. Instead
of emphasizing grief, the language is active, detailing the decision Jonathan makes in order to
move forward. The death here is not, as might be expected, an anecdote of its own, but
simply serves as a marker in the scenery of another story, one about progress rather than
reflection. This approach is representative of the way violence is portrayed throughout "Civil
Peace"; it serves a subtext, always present but rarely directly referenced. And further, it
establishes the reason Jonathan prefers a perspective of that sort: it allows him to succeed.

"Nothing puzzles God."

 Jonathan Iwegbu
Jonathan first uses this phrase, but the narrator adopts and repeats it several times throughout
the story. Ultimately, its centrality reflects how well it captures the story's primary conflict,
between Jonathan's optimism and the war-torn world in which he lives. Jonathan ultimately
succeeds because he is able to ignore matters over which he has very little control, and focus
instead on what is in his power.

In one interview, Achebe spoke of the role of God and evil in Ibo society in Southeastern
Nigeria, explaining that "the Ibo do not struggle against the fact of imperfection, but believe
that it is their duty to make the world a better place through their work. Evil is to be expected
and recognized--this is the only way to proceed in the world" (Sanderson 27). Taken in this
context, the quote reflects not only Jonathan's temperament but also a cultural perspective
that prizes hard work and optimism.

"Of courses the doors and windows were missing and five sheets off the roof.
But what was that?"
Narrator
This quote demonstrates Jonathan's positive outlook. His overwhelming joy at finding his
house standing in the aftermath of the war outshines the significant damage it incurred, or the
destruction the rest of his hometown has suffered. The paragraph leading up to this sentence
describes at length Jonathan's genuine gratitude and happiness. When the damage to his home
is finally referenced, it is spoken of quickly, and immediately put into a larger context: "But
what was that?" The story remains realistic by acknowledging the negative, but then
emphasizes the positive, ultimately promoting resilience in the face of adversity.

"As the weeks lengthened and still nobody could say what was what Jonathan
discontinued his weekly visits altogether and faced his palm-wine bar."
Narrator
This is another passage that reveals Jonathan's positive outlook, and suggests how it leads
him to success. Instead of relying on the government like the desperate miners waiting
outside the national Coal Corporation's offices, Jonathan embraces his own hard work and
abilities. Authority, in this instance represented by the government-owned coal mine, proves
unreliable in the post-war period; the mine is closed indefinitely, and information is not
forthcoming. Faced with this reality, Jonathan decides to invest all his time into his own
private venture: the palm-wine bar he opened for soldiers. By taking responsibility for his and
his family's survival, he avoids the fate of the homeless and starving miners. Overall, the
story suggests that we must generally look out for ourselves in difficult periods, as both the
government and our community can fall apart in the face of severe trauma.

"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."
Narrator
This passage is from an important moment in the story, one that poses a stark contrast to
Jonathan's worldview. First, Jonathan shows extreme care, revealing that his optimism is
hardly naive. He knows how dangerous and volatile post-war Nigeria can be. Moreover, the
man's behavior here stands as counterpoint to Jonathan's behavior later in the story when he
himself is robbed. Jonathan accepts the theft, and he and his family immediately fall back
into their routine of hard work, whereas this man fell into a public "near-madness". Where
Jonathan is a survivor, the agonized man is a "victim". Because Jonathan maintains this
outlook, he is able to find some success is a dangerous world.

"My frien... we don try our best for call dem but I tink say dem all done
sleep-o... So wetin we go do now? Sometaim you wan call soja? Or you wan
make we call dem for you? Soja better pass police. No be so?"
Thief Leader
Here, the thief leader mockingly offers to call over some soldiers to protect Jonathan and his
family. The mocking tone, in the midst of such a tense situation, reveals perhaps the most
depressing aspect of post-war Nigeria: the disappearance of community. In particular, this
passage reveals how unreliable the soldiers and police are. However, in its context, the
passage reminds the family that nobody is going to step forward to help them. Everyone has
learned to look out for himself.
This passage also gives some indication of who the thieves might be. The English here is
substantially different from that used by Jonathan and the narrator. Clearly, Jonathan has
more education than these men, which could explain why they have resorted to such crime.
Finally, the language could be intended to have a comedic effect, undercutting the violence of
the situation with the ridiculousness of broken language ("Civil Peace" 20).

"No Civil War again. This time na Civil Peace. No be so?"

Thief Leader
This passage, spoken by the thief leader, not only gives the story its title but also underlines
its central irony. The aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War is neither peaceful nor civil. The
threat of violence lurks throughout, despite Jonathan's positive outlook: a man is robbed of
his money outside a government building, and thieves roam residential neighborhoods
robbing and potentially assaulting families. The barrier between Jonathan and the violence of
the Civil War is thin, both literally and figuratively - the thief's knocking threatens to tear
down the door, and Jonathan finds his family completely unprotected by society. In this way
the 'Civil Peace' is not completely different from the Civil War. All of the story's questions
about personal responsibility are framed by the danger implied in this ironic phrase.

"'I count it as nothing,' he told sympathizers, his eyes on the rope he was
tying. 'What is egg-rasher? Did I depend on it last week? Or is it greater
than other things that went with the war? I say, let egg-rasher perish in the
flames! Let it go where everything else has gone. Nothing puzzles God.'"
Jonathan Iwegbu
In this final moment of the story, Jonathan reveals the same persistence that is already
helping him rebuild his life post-war. After being robbed in the middle of the night, Jonathan
rises and moves forward, rather than reflecting on his poor fortune the night before. Even as
he speaks to his neighbors, he keeps working.

And yet the passage reveals that his optimism is not naive. On the contrary, it references the
pain of war. He implies that he lost much greater things in the war; the reader can infer this
means his youngest son. He clearly knows what it is to lose - he says the egg-rasher can
now go "where everything else has gone". And yet he will not pretend to knowledge of good
and bad fortune that only God can have. Instead, he moves forward.

Civil Peace Summary and Analysis of "Civil Peace"

Summary
The narrator introduces us to Jonathan Iwegbu, a man who considers himself very lucky
after having survived the Nigerian Civil War, which has just ended. Not only has most of his
family - his wife (Maria Iwegbu), and three of the four children - survived with him, but he
has even managed to hold on to his old bicycle. Because of his luck, he embraces the way his
neighbors now greet one another: "Happy Survival!"
Though he knows his bike is nowhere as valuable as his family is, keeping it was also a
"miracle" of its own. He almost lost the bike during the war, when an army officer dressed in
rags attempted to commandeer it. Sensing a “certain lack of grip and firmness in his manner,”
Jonathan guessed that the officer might accept a bribe in exchange for the bike. After the
army officer complied, Jonathan buried the bicycle for safe-keeping, in the same clearing
where his son and other casualties from the camp were interred.
After the war, he retrieves it, still in good condition. Feeling blessed with this good luck, he
muses, “Nothing puzzles God.” He returns to this sentiment time and again when
contemplating his good fortune.

Using the bike to start a taxi service, he soon accumulates a “small fortune", which funds his
return to his hometown, Enugu. There, he encounters another minor miracle: his house is still
standing. Though it is small and hand-constructed from zinc, wood, and cardboard, it has
survived relatively unscathed whereas most of the surrounding bigger buildings have been
destroyed. Having returned so early, most of the wreckage is untouched. He collects what he
needs to repair the house, and then hires a poor carpenter for the labor.

Soon enough, he moves his family back home, and they return to work. His children pick
mangoes to sell to soldiers’ wives, while Maria makes breakfast cakes to sell to the
neighbors. Jonathan himself opens a palm-wine bar for soldiers and other people with money.
He occasionally visits the Coal Corporation, where he had worked before the war, but it
shows no signs of reopening.

After days standing in line to turn in his rebel currency, Jonathan receives 20 pounds from the
government Treasury. This payment - which is "like Christmas for him and many others" - is
known as an ex-gratia award, or an award given not out of legal obligation, but as a gift.
Because few can pronounce the term, it is known as egg-rasher.
Jonathan is very nervous about losing the money, after having seen a robbery
victim collapse in desperation when he discovered his award had been pick-pocketed. To
protect his own gift, Jonathan balls the bills in his fist and stuffs his hand in his pocket,
keeping his eyes down to avoid running into anyone on his way home.
He remains anxious during the rest of the day, and has trouble falling asleep that night. Soon
after he finally drifted off, he wakes to the sound of someone knocking at his door. It is
extremely late. He asks who knocks, and the man identifies himself as thief with "him [sic]
people."

Maria immediately screams for help, and Jonathan and the children soon join her, calling to
both the neighbors and the police. They stop after a few moments, to hear only silence.
The thief leader then mockingly offers to help, leading his thief chorus into even louder
cries for help. Jonathan realizes there are least five other men with the leader.
Having proven his point - nobody will come to help the family - the thief leader mockingly
asks if he should now call for soldiers. Jonathan tells them not to bother.

The thief leader then asks for 100 pounds, and insists they will not hurt the family. He wants
"no Civil War again," only a "Civil Peace."
Swearing he only has 20 pounds to his name, Jonathan offers it to them. Some of the group
insists he must be lying, and insist they search the house. The leader silences them and
accepts the 20 pounds.

The next morning, neighbors visit to express their sympathy. They find the family already
hard at work preparing for the day - Jonathan strapping a wine jug to his bike, Maria cooking
breakfast cakes, and his son cleaning old wine bottles. It is as if nothing had happened.

Jonathan tells his neighbors that the loss of the egg-rasher money was nothing to him, as he
had lost much more than that in the war. He ends by saying, “Nothing puzzles God.”

Analysis
The story's opening operates on a contrast. At the same time that it introduces the reader to
Jonathan’s constructive outlook, it obliquely references the extent of the war's devastation.

Jonathan not only considers himself lucky, but has an almost dazed optimism in his manner
and attitude. Everywhere he looks, he sees not cause for mourning but rather opportunity and
fortune. Consider when he returns home to Enugu. Instead of lamenting the devastation of his
hometown, he celebrates his own little victory and gets to work.

And yet this attitude is not about ego. Instead, the religious language - "blessing" and
"miracle" are used a lot - suggests how his attitude is actually shaped by humility. Jonathan
seems to understand that he is at the mercy of circumstances bigger than his control, and thus
revels in his seeming good fortune. He rarely celebrates his own cleverness or skill, but rather
recognizes everything down to his survival as a special gift. In his mind, he is given not only
life, but also his bicycle, his house, and later, the egg-rasher money. His key phrase -
"Nothing puzzles God" - reflects his ability to move forward without being consumed by
darkness. Jonathan's piety and resolve play a large role in his resilience at the end.
Achebe certainly sees this optimism as remarkable, considering how much cause there is to
be potentially pessimistic. The greeting Jonathan and his neighbors use - "Happy Survival!" -
evokes the extent of the tragedy they have survived: the Nigerian Civil War which raged
from 1967 to 1970. Though Jonathan's exact role in the conflict is not discussed in the story,
it is clear from context that he is Igbo, the people who had fought for independence from
Nigeria but were defeated in 1970. During the animosities, the Igbo were heavily persecuted
by the forces seeking to reunite Nigeria. (See the Additional Content section of this
ClassicNote for more detail on the war.) So Jonathan's family would have most certainly been
immersed by the war, the men possibly enlisted to fight as 'rebels', or all surviving as
refugees. In other words, their entire world had been ripped apart.
Achebe personalizes Jonathan's tragedy through details that surface despite Jonathan's
optimistic outlook. For instance, his delight that three of his four children had survived
indirectly alludes to the death of his fourth child. Further, during the war, he used that child's
burial ground to hide his bicycle. The anecdote is presented as a victory, hardly mentioning
any remorse for or reflection over the boy's demise. Jonathan celebrates the success of his
plan, ironically revealing the level of dehumanization his people have suffered. His child's
resting place has become a repository, to some extent suggesting that he has come to view
human remains simply as objects in the face of such devastation.

Another way Achebe evokes the horrors of the war is through his language. Saying that the
Iwegbu family had “come out of the war” with their “heads,” Achebe employs a synecdoche
which raises the specter of decapitation and other violence. The body is viewed as a
collection of pieces, again implying a sense of dehumanization. This wording is repeated
several times throughout "Civil Peace" to continually remind us of the war's violence and
chaos.

Perhaps one of the saddest implications is that the war has destroyed Jonathan's sense of
community. He is almost entirely focused on himself and his family; almost never in the story
does he wonder how his actions will benefit or affect anyone else. The story does not judge
him for this quality - how could it, given the war he had just survived? - but does imply that
years of misery had taught people to look out only for themselves. It is yet another way that
the war has dehumanized its victims. That idea is echoed, of course, when nobody tries to
help the family when they are accosted by thieves.

And certainly, Jonathan and other Igbo cannot rely on authority for any guidance. The story's
first representative of authority - the disheveled army officer - establishes this distrust. Not
only is the man potentially just trying to steal the bike (claiming it is for military purposes),
but he is easily satiated with a bribe. His only bargaining chip is his authority (and
presumably his weapon). And of course, he is ostensibly Jonathan's representative, on the
'rebel' side. Authority is considered unreliable in "Civil Peace" - this is clear when Jonathan
chooses not to call for soldiers when accosted. He knows they cannot be trusted to help. It is
no surprise that people have had to turn to themselves, when their own communities are
decimated, the opposing army wants to persecute them, and their own army will gladly
exploit them.

(Along these lines, one interesting possibility, detailed in The Short Stories for Students,
is that the thieves might well be former soldiers. This would explain the machine gun they
own, as well as their group efficiency. If one accepts this interpretation, then authority is
actually presented not only as inefficient, but also as dangerous.)
Of course, Jonathan is not only fortunate, but also focused and efficient. As mentioned above,
he sees in his decimated town not cause for grief, but opportunity. Instead of viewing the
wreckage as remains of a former life, he sees them as materials for his home's future. His
philosophy is reflected best of all in that phrase - "Nothing puzzles God" - which implies that
God does not concern Himself with trying to understand the world. In the same way,
Jonathan leaves the past behind, works with what he is given, and exploits whatever is
available to his family's benefit.

And this attitude serves him well. He repairs his home quickly, and then establishes a
seemingly efficient set of businesses. Jonathan has clearly instilled his work ethic and
perspective in his children, who pick their mangoes in the military cemetery, willing to
overlook the humanist implications for the sake of a small profit.The family's entrepreneurial
spirit is commendable, and not universal. Achebe tells us of other men who spend their days
simply waiting for the Coal Corporation to reopen. Homeless, destitute, and helpless, these
men stand in stark contrast to Jonathan, who began to plan his recovery as soon as the war
was over. As someone who believed in the instructive power of writing, Chinua
Achebe likely meant Jonathan to act as a model for his fellow countrymen, someone whom
the men outside the Corporation would do well to imitate ("Africa and Her Writers" 617).
Indeed, Jonathan realizes the importance of vigilance and forethought. Consider the man he
sees outside the Treasury, who “collapse[d] into near madness” in public, after having been
pick-pocketed. This character serves as Jonathan's foil - he represents the very carelessness
that Jonathan swears to avoid. In Jonathan's mind, this man did not only suffer poor fortune,
but also allowed himself to be robbed. That is, Jonathan recognizes the centrality of luck or
fortune, but also knows that he must capitalize on that luck. His panicked walk home from
the Treasury could almost be comic for being so heavily planned if the scene were not
infused with so much desperation.
(This moment also foreshadows the story's climax. In the same way the man was robbed and
then publicly shamed, the family will be robbed within sight of all its neighbors. This
unstable, dangerous society produces witness who are not shocked but instead “remark
quietly on the victim’s carelessness,” similar to how the neighbors later ignore the Iwegbu
cries for help. What distinguishes this foreshadowing scene to the climax is how Jonathan
reacts to the robbery, as detailed below.)

There is also a cultural component to Jonathan's resilience. Through his character, Achebe
praises the Igbo people in general. In one interview, Achebe talked of the role of God and
evil in Ibo (another way of writing Igbo) society in Southeastern Nigeria, explaining that "the
Ibo do not struggle against the fact of imperfection, but believe that it is their duty to make
the world a better place through their work. Evil is to be expected and recognized--this is the
only way to proceed in the world" (Sanderson 27). This is a concise summation of Jonathan's
worldview, and suggests the reason he is able to persevere.

Such resilience is particularly important in this story, since in the post-war period, the
government is either unwilling or unable to offer any support. The Nigerian Coal Corporation
reflects this, as it was a state-run monopoly that after the war can offer no safety or stability
to its people. And yet so many people have so little that they wait all day at its gates, hoping
to be rescued with even a small job. When considered in contrast to the government, Jonathan
serves as a symbolic potential that a government after a conflict might have. If that
government simply focuses on moving forward and rebuilding itself (as Jonathan does with
his family), then perhaps recovery can be more effectively realized. Unfortunately, this
Nigerian government does not seem poised to offer such assistance.

And what little help the government can offer - through the meager 20 pound egg-
rasher money - is delivered poorly, as Jonathan's experience at the Treasury shows. The
narrator references “five days of endless scuffles in queues and counter queues” to suggest
how inefficiently the government operates. This works as another contrast to Jonathan and his
family, who prize efficiency for their success.
Of course, the government's minimal assistance might reflect its deliberate disinterest in the
Igbo people who lived in the state's Southeastern region. The name of the 20 pound award is
a good example. As described in the Summary, the actual name for the egg-rasher money is
the ex-gratia award, meaning an award given not out of legal obligation, but as a gift. The
phrasing implies a superior attitude to the people who receive it. While Achebe does not
comment much on the political realities of post-war Nigeria, it is a fact that Nigeria viewed
this region as rebellious - their independence as Biafra had caused the war. Thus, one can ask
whether the government simply does not care to offer any substantial report to the region.
It is an unstable, dangerous world that Jonathan manages with amazing optimism. This
central thematic conflict is manifest in the story's climax, when the thieves accost the family.
Quite remarkably, the story is structured in two parts. The first half, before the thieves
appear, introduces the family, their world, and the aforementioned central thematic conflict.
The second half reflects almost everything established about that world through the climactic
encounter.

Symbolically serving as a microcosm for that uncertainty, the thieves threaten great violence
that is neither directly visible nor quite realized. In the same way danger might always be
around the corner in post-war Nigeria, these thieves literally stand on the other side of
Jonathan's door. Similarly, the family hears their machine gun, but never sees it.

The importance of relying only on oneself is reflected in the cries for help. Nobody responds
to the family's cries, and the thieves threateningly mock them by crying out themselves. The
implication is that everyone cries only for himself; and in moments of tragedy, we are all
responsible for our own doom or salvation. Both community and authority are useless.

And more poignantly, the thief leader indicates the story's ultimate irony by speaking the title
phrase: "Civil Peace." It is ironic because the period is neither civil nor peaceful; the presence
of the thieves is evidence of that. The title also plays on the greater irony of the common
phrase 'Civil War,' usually a country's most horrific war precisely because it relies on
anything but civility. But most simply, the phrase merely shows up how the war's violence
and upheaval has bled into the peace, blurring any strict distinction.

The extended dialogue between Jonathan and the thief leader only underscores how split any
sense of community is. Whereas Jonathan speaks clearly, with a strong sense of grammar, the
thieves are clearly uneducated. Their call-and-response chorus has a musical, theatrical
quality that hearkens back to tribal ritual, evoking an Igbo past that Jonathan has long traded
for the more 'civilized' town life. They are of the same people, yet fundamentally
unconnected.

As a group, these thieves reflect the very tumult that Jonathan gives praise to God for having
survived. They represent the forces of death and destruction, those which make each man
meaningless, threatening always a potential demise that Jonathan has next to no control over.
In the largest sense, they are the same forces of hatred and fear that caused the war, and leave
humans always unsettled, a reflection of what other civilizations might call the tragic force.
They are everything we wish to avoid, and that someone like Jonathan hopes to counter with
his resilience. But no matter how hard he tries, those forces can show up at any time.

Most remarkable of all is the family's resilience in the face of the robbery. If the thieves
represent the same forces that Jonathan faced during the war, then he reacts to their
disappearance in the same way he acted after it: he gets back to work. They lament nothing,
and instead rededicate themselves to a notable efficiency in which each family member is
preparing for business. As the neighbors saunter over, Jonathan responds in an entirely
different way than the man as the Treasury did. Whereas that man showed a public
“extremity of agony”, Jonathan refuses to express concern. His attitude - as established at the
beginning of the story - is that nobody has control over his fate, so it is best to simply make
do with what he has.

In his final address, Jonathan expresses once again the central conflict of the story, that
between grief and persistence. He alludes to his greater grief at the end, mentioning that he
lost greater things than the egg-rasher money during the war (presumably his son), and
hence considers that loss negligible. Though it admits no pain, the phrase does indicate that
Jonathan has not forgotten about his son's death, but instead has learned from it. In other
words, his greater optimism is not naive but informed, a survival tool. He will not let himself
be deterred by trying to understand tragedy, but instead will see what is left and praise his
fortune for that. After all, "Nothing puzzles God."
Additionally, it is worth noting that Achebe is able to capture the story's contrasts and ironies
in large part through his notable and unique writing style. Most of Achebe's work is praised
for its matter-of-fact style, in which the narrator seems to merely recount facts, rather than
emotionally comment on them. He does not empathize through language - as one might do
when recounting a war scene by describing the brutality of a body. Instead, Achebe's style is
almost journalistic, which adds both a distance and a certain heaviness when he recounts
horrible events or memories. Throughout this story, Achebe's style neither explicitly approves
of Jonathan's approach to life, nor emotionally justifies it through the description of that
troubled life. Instead, it leaves the judgment and empathy to the reader.

Finally, some readers might know that many of Chinua Achebe’s novels deal directly and
extensively with the legacy of European colonialism in Africa. This theme is muted in "Civil
Peace", but can still be detected. Reference is made to British products like Biro pens or
Bournvita drinks. Elsewhere, Achebe attributes some responsibility for the Civil War itself to
a colonial legacy which created borders without considering human geography and robbed
Africans of the opportunity to practice self-rule (“Nigeria’s promise, Africa’s hope”). In this
way, "Civil Peace" shows a society struggling with the long-lasting effects of British
colonialism and imperialism, even if it it does not explicitly comment on that situation.