Censorship out Classroom Instruction in: A Case Study of Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People

Abstract

ideas. “Hospital” in this novel can represent a shelter, a refuge, for in it, Odili gets the needed space to rethink his life and map out a new direction going forward after his showdown with Chief Nanga. “Cadillac” can symbolize at once opulence and decadence amidst the starvation of the common people. These are by no means conventional symbols, because they do not have a pre-established meaning attached to them. They are rather created or invented symbols in the context, with the meanings attributed or attributable to them in the novel. With “name symbolism,” the teacher has opportunity to teach about personal behavior, character, and the importance of making a good name. For William Shakespeare, character and good behavior are worth more than a name, name which for him was nothing more than merely a way to distinguish one thing or a person from another. However, in the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet could care less whether Romeo was a Montague and she a Capulet; she loved him any way despite the hostility between the two families: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.” Chinua Achebe, for his part, ironically employs first name symbolism to denounce social ills, through naming some of his characters after Biblical or Hebrew antecedents. The corrupt Minister of Culture, Chief Micah Nanga, is not the Biblical prophet Micah, who denounced oppression and was angered by the conquest of Judah by Babylon. The rapacious businessman, Josiah, is not the Josiah who became King of Judah at eight years of age after his father was assassinated, and later carried out religious reforms for which he became famous. Hezekiah Samalu, though, was loved by friends and foes, much like the thirteenth King of Judah, Hezekiah, who found favor with God and was accorded fifteen extra years of life after a very serious illness could have killed him. Achebe’s women also find favor with the narrator. Mrs. Margaret Nanga’s behavior is close to that of the Biblical Margaret, Patron of expectant mothers, whose name means “Pearl.” Edna, young and beautiful, approaches her biblical counterpart, the mother of Sarah in Tobit whose name meant “delight,” “rejuvenation,” “pleasure,” or “youthfulness.” Eunice, who fights the murderers of her fiancé, Max, stoically goes to jail, and is finally exonerated and freed, and comes close to the biblical woman without hypocrisy, who was good, and joyous in victory. Mrs. Eleanor John, who is named for historical Eleanor, shows her own brand of “brightness” in explaining the difficult position of a minister; with Achebe’s tongue in his cheek about this, of course (Achebe, 1967, pp. 14-15). Then, the learned Barrister Mrs. Agnes Akilo, “She who must be obeyed,” I thought much afterwards about that proverb, about the man taking things away until the owner at last notices. In the mouth of our people there was no greater condemnation. It was not just a simple question of a man’s cup being full. A man’s cup might be full and none be (sic!) the wiser. But here the owner knew, and the owner, I discovered, is the will of according to Odili, presents a stern façade, like her Greek pure and holy counterpart, but is really cheap and ready to sleep with the next “big man” (Achebe, 1967, p. 49). The power of “imagery” to render description concrete is captured in the Josiah-Azoge saga. Denouncing Josiah’s rapaciousness in stealing a blind man’s stick to make juju to become wealthy, the narrative voice states: “Some people’s belly is like the earth. It is never so full that it will not take another corpse. God forbid;” “Josiah has taken away enough for the owner to notice (...). If anyone ever sees my feet in this shop again let him cut them off. Josiah has now removed enough for the owner to see.” Then, he concludes: 28 This is a reference to the famous novel, She, by the South African Rider Haggard. A CASE STUDY OF CHINUA ACHEBE’S A MAN OF THE PEOPLE 152