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HomeANALYSISNOVEL | A MAN OF THE PEOPLE FULL ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
NOVEL | A MAN OF THE PEOPLE FULL ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
AdminTuesday, October 16, 2018
A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
CHINUA ACHEBE
ANALYSIS BY MPELLA EDUCATION BLOG
CHAPTER SUMMARY
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
