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NEB ENGLISH ALL NOTES [C.ENG | M. ENG] CLASS 11
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Civil Peace Class 11: Summary | Exercise (Questions & Answers) | Chinua Achebe | Class 11 English Guide
Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chinua Achebe (1930) - He is a Nigerian novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist. Most of his works describe intertribal and inter-racial tensions. In this present story, he describes the settlement of a family after losing everything in the Nigerian Civil War.
MAIN SUMMARY
Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe
Jonathan Iwegbu thought himself to be luckier for the "happy survival!" of his five people out of six. His old bicycle was also miraculously saved. The bicycle had a little history of its own.
One day, during the extremely high climax of the war, one officer came and asked for the bicycle "for urgent military action." Jonathan doubted the officer's lack of grip and firmness in his manner, though he didn't suspect him by his rag dress. Giving the man two pounds from his bag, he was able to keep the bicycle back. Then he buried the bicycle in the little clearing where dead people were buried. When he dug it up again after one year, all it needed was palm oil grease.
He used it as a taxi to carry officials and their families across the four-mile way to the road, and he earned, by the end of a fortnight, one hundred and fifteen pounds. He made the journey to Enugu and found his little house in good shape. It was a zinc house built with mud blocks. The doors and windows were missing, and five sheets were off the roof. After some repairs, he brought the whole family there to live. His children sold mangoes to soldiers' wives. His wife started to make breakfast for her neighbours. Jonathan himself opened a bar to sell palm wine to soldiers and other people. He used to visit the coal corporation, where he used to be a miner.
Finally, he heard that they were going to give compensation to the miners for the destruction in the war. He received twenty pounds. It was like Christmas for the recipients of the payment. He was very careful about money to bury it in a fist, and both money and fist were inside his trouser pocket. He had heard some heartless ruffian pick money off a man two days before. He got home safely. He was normally a heavy sleeper, but that night he heard all kinds of noises outside. Suddenly, they heard knocking at the door.
Someone was asking them to open the door. Maria was the first to raise the alarm, then he followed, along with all their children. Their alarm calls for police and neighbours scared the thief away for some time. But only after a while did there come the same voice. Jonathan and his family were now completely paralysed by terror. Jonathan asked, in compromise, what they wanted. There were many voices outside.
The leader said that the civil war had finished and there was civil peace. He demanded one hundred pounds, and they would go away. There was a sound of the automatic fire of guns. Jonathan said that he had only the twenty pounds that he had received the same day. Though others were saying that this man was a liar, the leader shut them up. Taking the money, they went away. Early in the morning, neighbours came to console them, but Jonathan was already strapping the gallon to his bicycle carrier. His wife and children were busy with their work. He gave no importance to the event because it was a common thing in war or peace after the war for him.
SHORT SUMMARY
Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe
This story starts off in eastern Nigeria after the Civil War has ended. Jonathan, the main protagonist, considers himself extraordinarily lucky because he has come out of the war with five inestimable blessings. Except for his youngest son, all heads are safe.
He gets his bicycle in fine condition and converts it into a taxi. Within two weeks, he earned 150 pounds.
He moves towards Enugu to search his house. He is so surprised to see his house standing where other structures are completely demolished.
The house needs some repairs, so Jonathan finds some supplies around and makes it look like a home again. He moves his family into the house. The entire family works hard to earn money and restore their lives. The kids pick mangoes to sell to the soldiers' wives. Maria makes akara balls to sell to their neighbours. Jonathan starts a bar after realising that his old job as a miner isn't possible. He decides to run a bar for soldiers out of his house.
Jonathan gets ex gratia of 20 pounds from the government in exchange for biafran currency. But the group of thieves demands money from Jonathan. They take money from Jonathan and move away. After that, life goes on as usual for Jonathan.
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CIVIL PEACE: EXERCISE (QUESTIONS & ANSWERS) | DETAILED INFORMATION WITH SUMMARY
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