BATTLE OF THE SACRED TREE BY BARBARA KIMENYE SYNOPSIS, TECHNIQUE AND LANGUAGE USE.

 

ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH STUDY GUIDE

The background of the book.

A 1987 novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah is considered one of the most significant postcolonial novels in recent times. This is his fifth novel and one of the prominent works to have emerged in his canon. It was nominated for the 1987 Booker Prize for Fiction, which recognizes the best original novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom.

Achebe's work was heavily praised upon its release; it narrates the story of an officer who has risen to power as a result of an effective coup. The political ethos in the fictional landscape of Kangan is described by three friends: Chris Oriko, Sam, and Ikem Osodi.

 

The background of the author.

Albert Chinualumogu Achebe (1930-2013) popularly known as Chinua Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, a town in Southeast Nigeria. He was the child of Isaiah Okafor Achebe, a Protestant missionary. His mother Janet Ileogbunam was educated at St. Monica's in Ogbunike. Achebe was named after Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, and Igbo name, Chinualomugo, "may God fight on my behalf". In 1909, his parents were married by G. T. Basden in a Christian ceremony. Achebe had his early education at his father's village, Ogidi and Nekede, Owerri where he won Owerri Province Scholarship to study at Government College Umuahia, one of the premier secondary schools in colonial Nigeria from 1944 to 1947. Among his classmates were Christopher Okigbo and Chukwuemeka Ike. In 1948, he got an admission into University College, Ibadan in Southwest Nigeria where he was intent on reading Science and Medicine, but he soon changed to Literary Studies and received his Bachelor of Arts in English in 1953. While in college, Achebe developed his interest in indigenous Nigerian cultures, and he rejected his Christian name, Albert, for his indigenous one, Chinua. In 1954, Achebe began a career in broadcasting as Talks Producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, and in 1961 he was appointed Director of External Broadcasting for Nigeria, an appointment which frequently took him to Britain and other parts of the world. He relinquished this post after the crises in Northern Nigeria in 1966 and moved back to the Eastern Nigeria. When the Eastern Region declared itself independent under the name Biafra, Achebe decided to join his fellow Ibos.

Synopsis of the book

Anthills of the Savannah is a powerful political novel by Chinua Achebe, set in the fictional West African country of Kangan, which mirrors the post-colonial struggles of many African nations. The story revolves around three close friends—Chris Oriko, Ikem Osodi, and Sam (His Excellency)—who were once idealistic classmates but are now caught in the web of power, corruption, and betrayal in a military dictatorship.

Sam, now the President of Kangan, has become increasingly authoritarian and detached from reality, surrounded by sycophants and paranoid about maintaining his grip on power. Chris, the Commissioner for Information, serves as a mediator between Sam and the public, but he grows disillusioned with the regime's corruption and brutality. Ikem, a fiery journalist and editor of the National Gazette, uses his writing to challenge the government's abuses, making him a target of Sam's wrath.

The novel explores themes of power, betrayal, and the struggle for justice in a society plagued by political instability and moral decay. As the three friends navigate their roles in the regime, their relationships are tested, and they are forced to confront the consequences of their choices. The story also highlights the resilience of ordinary people, particularly women, who play crucial roles in resisting oppression and preserving hope for a better future.

Through vivid storytelling and rich symbolism, Achebe critiques the failures of post-colonial African leadership while celebrating the enduring spirit of the people. The novel's title, Anthills of the Savannah, symbolizes the resilience of life and the inevitability of resistance against oppressive forces, even in the harshest conditions. The story ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power and the importance of collective action in the fight for justice and freedom.

 

 

 

 

 

The novels general summary

The novel Anthills of the Savanah is a socio-political commentary set in the fictitious nation of Kangan. The story begins with the readers being treated to an inside look into a presidential cabinet meeting. It is revealed that the country has had a shaky two years of existence, having coming from a chaotic political upheaval, ousting a dictator from the highest office of the land.

The story revolves around three characters: Sam, Chris Oriko, and Ikem Osodi. The three were childhood friends and have now come into power, fulfilling crucial responsibilities within their society. Sam is the de facto leader, the President of the Republic of Kangan. Chris is the head of the Information Ministry. Ikem is the editor-in-chief of the National Gazette, a widely circulated, government-controlled newspaper. Despite their common origins and deep ties, the three are vastly different in their political leanings and personal temperaments.

Sam is a hard, stern man, a career soldier. He has come into power but it is clear that he does not have his people’s best interests in mind; to make matters worse he has steadily become increasingly paranoid over time and his two friends realize that he is becoming another dictator himself. Ikem, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of Sam. He is a scholarly fellow with an appreciation for art and culture. He is quickly becoming Sam’s most vocal critic, voicing out his opinions regarding the need to make several government reforms. Chris is the most levelheaded of the three and often plays the role of arbitrator between the Sam and Ikem. Ikem and Chris were critical to Sam’s success as an elected official, but with matters taking a turn for the worse both men come to regret their involvement and as such seek to restrain Sam by leveraging their positions.

Sam, in his desire to hang on to his power, decides that he wants to become President-for-Life, a position unheard of in their nation’s history. This move requires a nationwide plebiscite but Abazon, one of the regions in Kangan, rejects the notion of putting Sam in power for the rest of his biological life. In response to their refusal, he deprives the region of his support during a drought in the hopes that this would break their spirit. His embargo forces the region to send representatives to the capital to plead for their cause and get the necessary supplies. Sam however mistakenly suspects the mission of mercy to be a ruse, thinking that they might be planning a revolt; his paranoia fuels his imagination even further and he makes the conclusion that the revolt may actually be funded and organized by someone privy to private details about his life—someone close to him.

Sam becomes increasingly more paranoid and dangerous as a result, and although Chris believes this to be true, he still has faith that Sam can be a force for the good of his country if he remains in power. Ikem on the other hand becomes more and more outspoken in his newspaper editorials, openly questioning the president’s motives and morality. Chris wisely counsels him to be more cautious and take a more moderate tone.

The novel then shifts focus from the men, introducing their respective female partners. These women play crucial roles in the lives of the main characters. Elewa is Ikem’s girlfriend and mother of their child. She is not as well educated as her partner and is employed in a shop. Beatrice is Chris Oriko’s fiancée. In contrast to Elewa, she is an educated career woman. She currently holds office as an administrator for a local government unit. Beatrice also shares common ties with the three male characters; she is under Sam as a government employee and has been friends with Ikem since they were kids. She is privy to both the movements within the government and the media because of her ties with Chris and Ikem. This allows her to understand the situation from a unique vantage point and she advises both Chris and Ikem that they have no relationship with either the populace or the land preventing them from effectively tackling social problems effectively.

Matters come to a head with Sam and Ikem when he instructs Chris to remove Ikem from his post as editor because Sam believes that Ikem is somehow involved in the “rebellion” being “organized” by the leaders of Abazon. Chris reacts to this command in a very uncharacteristic manner: outright refusal because he knows Ikem better. Despite his refusal, Ikem is still fired. Relieved from his post, Ikem unwisely continues his outspoken tirade regarding Sam’s regime. Government propagandists capitalize on a joke he has made about Sam issuing a command to cast new coins with his head on them. They twist this joke, asserting that Ikem wants to have the president decapitated, and Sam can no longer let this slide. Ikem is abducted late at night and assassinated by government forces. Ikem’s assassination serves as a wake-up call for Chris.

He now recognizes that his childhood friend Sam is now, for all intents and purposes, dead and in his place is a power-hungry madman who will stop at nothing and no one to secure his power. Leveraging his ties within the international press community, he exposes Sam as a murderer and dictator then goes underground. Chris manages to round up a ragtag bunch of sympathizers, including Emmanuel, a former student of Ikem. Together, they escape to Bassa, the state capital and head to Abazon. Meanwhile, Sam has called for a manhunt; Chris is now on the government’s most wanted list and orders that anyone caught assisting him or withholding information about him is to be arrested as well.

En route to Abaza, Chris surveys the difficulty that Sam’s despotic regime has brought to their nation. Immersed in the daily activities of his people, Chis reconnects to his roots. Emmanuel on the other hand meets Adamma, a beautiful coed studying at the nearby university. A drunken mob stops their bus and Chris learns that the people are celebrating the death of Sam; he is murdered and his administration deposed in yet another hostile political takeover. There is a mix of celebration and chaos on the streets and as Chris tries to piece together events, Adamma is abducted by a militiaman to be violated. He hurries to save her but the soldier ends up killing him. Emmanuel, Adamma, and the motley crew of survivors from the previous regime make their way back to Bassa to give Beatrice the tragic news of her husband-to-be’s death.

The novel ends with a grieving Beatrice as she holds a naming ceremony for Ikem and Elewa’s child. Elewa had given birth after the tumultuous kidnapping and murder of her partner; only men customarily perform the naming ceremony, but Beatrice accomplishes the rite anyway, symbolic, perhaps, of a true new beginning. The child is given the name "Amaechina," which is ironically, a masculine name that means “May the Path Never Close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characters and their roles

Chris Oriko

One of the primary narrators, Chris Oriko is the Commissioner for Information and one of the first advisers to His Excellency. He is a longtime friend of Ikem Osodi and His Excellency. During the course of the novel, he becomes more and more alarmed with the behavior of His Excellency. He is romantically involved with Beatrice, who helps him go in to hiding after Ikem is assassinated.

 

Ikem Osodi

Another witness/narrator, Ikem Osodi is the newspaper editor of the government-run National Gazette, a position he often uses to criticize the President. He stands with the people of Abazon who have been ignored by His Excellency, and he is ultimately removed from his post and killed. Ikem serves as the moral center of the novel, offering long monologues on the purpose of government and the obligations citizens have to one another.

Beatrice Okoh

Beatrice Okoh is an educated woman who is romantically involved with Chris Oriko. She is the Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, and the only person in the service with high honors in English from Queen Mary College, University of London. She is a strong and outspoken feminist. After Ikem's assassination, she assists Chris as he goes into hiding and cares for Ikem's pregnant partner.

His Excellency / President / Sam

Sam rises to power and becomes His Excellency after a successful coup removed the previous dictator. He was good friends with Chris Oriko and Ikem Osodi during their schooling, and he rewards them with positions in his Cabinet. He becomes increasingly paranoid and authoritarian as the novel progresses, which is primarily motivated by the threat he senses from Abazonian protestors. He is concerned with maintaining his position for life and will do anything to remove people who stand in his way.

 

Mad Medico

Mad Medico, or Jon Kent, is a British man who met Chris, Ikem, and His Excellency while in school. He is ultimately exiled from the country as His Excellency continues to seize power.

 

Elewa

Elewa is Ikem's lover. She is a lower-class woman who Beatrice takes care of after Ikem is killed. Elewa gives birth to Ikem's daughter at the end of the novel after Ikem has died.

 

Professor Okong

Professor Okong is a member of the President's Cabinet, and His Excellency's scolding of Professor Okong at the beginning of the novel foreshadows Sam's power-hungry behavior.

Agatha

Agatha is Beatrice's live-in maid. She is rude at times and Beatrice does not get along well with her.

Emmanuel

Emmanuel is another intellectual who travels with Chris as he flees the capital via bus. He is with Chris as he dies trying to protect the young woman who is being sexually assaulted.

Chief of Abazon Delegation

The Abazon delegation travels to the capital to plead their case to His Excellency, and they are led by the Chief. He is the first character to introduce the story of the tortoise and the leopard, which becomes a recurring theme in the novel

 

 

 

Analysis by Chapters

Chapter 1 Analysis

This chapter, titled First Witness—Christopher Oriko, is presented from the perspective of Christopher Oriko, the Commissioner for Information in Kangan. The chapter opens with a tense confrontation between Chris and the Head of State, His Excellency Sam, over whether the President should visit Abazon, a province suffering from drought and political unrest. Sam refuses to go, viewing the request as an insult to his authority.

In the course of the exchange between His Excellency and Christopher Oriko, the reader senses the anger and volatility of His Excellency. The Cabinet members fear His Excellency, and even Christopher, who became a Cabinet member through his former friendship with His Excellency, feels "the fury of (His Excellency's) eyes" and must lower his eyes in an attempt to appease His Excellency. Despite serving as advisers, it is clear that it is an unequal relationship in which the Cabinet members must constantly flatter His Excellency in order to avoid conflict. The reader learns that Christopher's deferential behavior has intensified over the past year, which is important to note moving forward in the novel. The first chapter moves between dialogue between the Cabinet members and His Excellency and reflections by the narrator, Christopher Oriko.

Part of the reflections by Oriko provide information on the personal evolution of His Excellency from the time he became the President to today. Initially scared, His Excellency constantly worried about the people falling into dissatisfaction and rioting against him. He was insecure and unsure of what to do with his new position of power, and so he appointed his friends to Cabinet positions and relied on them for ideas. It is unclear how much time has passed since that moment, but from Oriko's point of view, the president is much more volatile at this point in time and his advisers fear him greatly.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2 Analysis

Chapter 2 shifts to a broader examination of Sam’s rule and the political landscape of Kangan. The chapter reveals Sam’s reliance on the State Research Council (SRC), led by Major Johnson Ossai, a brutal enforcer. Unlike the inefficient civilian cabinet, Ossai is effective in suppressing opposition, demonstrating the regime’s preference for force over governance.

Chapter 2 foreshadows conflict between His Excellency and Abazon, who has sent a coalition to the Presidential Palace. His Excellency says that they have come to pledge their loyalty but also may have a petition about the drought in their region. His Excellency says, "Everybody knows my attitude to petitions and demonstrations and those kinds of things." This statement hints at the disdain that His Excellency has for political participation by citizens and his lack of skill to deal with conflicts in a tactful or peaceful way. He views the coalition's petition as "sheer signs of indiscipline," things that should not be tolerated, foreshadowing conflict to come and providing insight on his ruling style. He is not shy about lying to his citizens, which he asks Professor Okong to do on his behalf. His Excellency orchestrates moments to control the flow of information and his public perception. When Professor Okong is dispatched to deal with the Abazon coalition, he is also instructed to bring the Commissioner for Information and the Chief of Protocol so they can shape the public narrative of the event. His Excellency wants to be extremely careful about what the public sees and how they interpret the series of events.

Mr. Ikem Osodi is introduced for the first time and is associated with the problems of Abazon, which is described in a negative way that has brought trouble for His Excellency's rule. Osodi and His Excellency are set up to be in conflict with one another, but many of the details are still unclear. Achebe has been slowly releasing small pieces of information about Abazon, His Excellency, the Cabinet, and the state of the nation as the chapters progress, leading to a gradual buildup of tension. Chapter 2 is also the first sign of discontent within the Cabinet; Professor Okong warns His Excellency that his friendship with the Commissioner of Information and the Editor of the Gazette may cause trouble for his rule in the future. Professor Okong does this in an attempt to win His Excellency's favor, but he is dismissed when His Excellency says, "I deal with facts not gossip." This leads to the first time the novel uses His Excellency as a first-person narrator, which is important because all previous knowledge of His Excellency came from the observations of others.

Once again, His Excellency's inconsistencies are shown in this chapter, where at one moment he dismisses Professor Okong for raising concerns about the Commissioner of Information's loyalty but then one moment later raises the same question to the Attorney General. The exchange with the Attorney General also shows how vulnerable His Excellency is to flattery and excessive compliments. The Attorney General denigrates himself repeatedly at the feet of His Excellency, and the Attorney General wins the favor of His Excellency by the end of the interaction.

 

Chapter 3 Analysis

In Chapter 3, Chris calls Ikem Osodi, the editor of The National Gazette, asking him to send a photographer to cover a delegation from Abazon. Ikem is skeptical, suspecting that the delegation is a political stunt rather than a genuine act of goodwill.

Ikem tells the story of Abazon via a religious prayer. It is a story of creation and destruction, and the cycle is repeating itself. When drought first destroyed the land where the people of Abazon originated, they fled and eventually found a small village that they conquered and renamed Abazon. Now that Abazon is facing the same serious drought, their only option is to plead with the government for help. While this is the first time that the story of Abazon is told in a more contiguous manner, the narrator still provides information in an ambiguous manner. The reader can assume that Ikem is related to the region of Abazon in some way

Chapter 4 analysis

There is an example of personification when Ikem explains the danger of America's influence on the state: "No, the English have, for all practical purposes, ceased to menace the world. The real danger today is from the fat, adolescent and delinquent millionaire, America, and from all those virulent, mishapen freaks like Amin and Bokassa sired on Africa by Europe." America, the country, is personified in the most undesirable of terms—as a gluttonous and immature millionaire. The description of His Excellency as a child is also quite important, and it implies that his inherent character traits expose him to the influence of older African leaders.

 

 

Chapter 5 analysis

Chapter 5's conversation between Beatrice and Chris contains a very important quote that is an example of foreshadowing: "We are all connected. You cannot tell the story of any of us without implicating the others." How will the future of this novel show the ways in which they are connected? The use of the word implicated, which has a negative and criminal association, is also ominous and foreshadows dramatic interpersonal conflict to come.

Chapter 6 analysis

Chapter 6 also alludes to past tension and the ways in which the relationship between Chris and His Excellency has changed, as well as insinuates that His Excellency has changed a great deal as well. While Beatrice used to see him quite regularly, she's now shocked when she hears from him. She is completely overwhelmed by his presence on the phone and stammers her way through the conversation, offering many apologies to His Excellency. What preceded this change in relationship? At this point, all of the narrators have spoken to the fact that it has changed, but it is not clear exactly what happened or if there was a particular event that precipitated the change.

Another interesting component of Chapter 6 is the change in writing style between the narrative text and the dialogue. Beatrice says the following to Agatha when the driver arrives, "Tellam make he siddon," I said, "I de nearly ready," but this style of writing is not used in the parts where she is narrating. Using the writing style of the quote would completely change the dynamic of the narration, and using it for the quote provides a stark contrast between internal monologue and dialogue.

When Beatrice is first being introduced at His Excellency's party, the initial person she meets is Lou Cranford, an American journalist. Upon learning that Beatrice is the only person in the service to receive high honors in English at her university, Lou responds, "Wow, that's terrific. How did you do it Beatrice?" While it may seem like a benign follow-up question, the element of disbelief reveals part of the condescending relationship between America and Basa. How did she do it, Lou asks, as if Beatrice accomplished an impossible task and must have used something other than diligence and hard work to accomplish this goal. Additionally, this interaction is gendered. If His Excellency was introducing a man who was the only person to achieve high honors, it's harder to imagine that he would clarify that he is the only person, including men and women, to achieve this honor. Rather, he would likely just be presented as the only person to achieve this honor.

Chapter 7 analysis

Beatrice is affronted to think that people around her think she is ambitious. "Ambitious. Me ambitious! How? And it is this truly unjust presentation that's forcing me to expose my life on these pages to see if perhaps there are aspects of me I had successfully concealed even from myself" (88). The idea of a woman being ambitious is insulting, though it would be a compliment to give to a man. Beatrice also references Madame Pompadour here, in that journalists are trying to make Beatrice a "latter-day Madame Pompadour." Madame Pompadour was a member of the French court and the chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745-1751, taking charge of his schedule and serving as a valued adviser who had many enemies.

Beatrice's strained relationship with her parents is partially because she was the fifth girl born to them, and her mother had prayed for a boy to be born. Once again, the hierarchy of male and female is exposed in the novel. This is true both in the novel and in the real world: women are thought to be inferior to men and are preferred as silent and agreeable individuals who should not seek power or influence. If they do try to be ambitious, they are cast off from the rest of society.

Chapter 8 analysis

Chapter 8 builds the tension of the novel much more quickly than the past chapters. Beatrice confronts Chris and essentially orders him to get his act together and take charge. She informs him of the trouble that is coming and how he must do something, like reunite with Ikem, if they are going to weather the storm. While Chris slowly starts to see this perspective, he is scared and explains more of how His Excellency has threatened to jail him if he disobeys. The characters can sense that the trouble with His Excellency is culminating and it is going to be dangerous. There is no more making light of the ruler's commentary or irrational behavior. There appear to be very serious consequences brewing for the first time in the novel.

Chapter 9 analysis

This chapter describes at length the importance of Ikem to Abazon, which was not clear earlier in the novel. The Chief of the delegation scolds the Abazon indigenes for being upset that Ikem has not participated in their cultural events. His voice, says the Chief, is incredibly important for Abazon. They defer to him in all matters regarding the President's rule. One example of this is His Excellency deciding that he should serve for life. Because Ikem did not write anything in support in the Gazette nor come to speak to the people of Abazon, the people of Abazon voted no. Abazon is the only dissenting region of the country, and Ikem's influence over it puts him directly in danger. This helps to set the stage for future conflict. It also has the allegory of the tortoise and the leopard, told by the Chief of the Abazon delegation: when the tortoise realizes that he will be defeated by the leopard, he asks for a moment to prepare his mind. He then begins to scratch with his hands and feet on the road and throw sand everywhere. The tortoise says to the confused leopard, "Because even after I am dead I would want anyone passing by this spot to say, yes, a fellow and his match struggled here." Similar for the Abazon delegation, their efforts may not lead to assistance for the drought. The Chief explains: "My people, that is all we are doing now. Struggling. Perhaps to no purpose except that those who come after us will be able to say: True, our fathers were defeated but they tried" (132). The Abazon delegation is outmatched and His Excellency appears to be ruling without any real concern for the welfare of his people, and yet Abazon must try because what else is there to do, even when it seems helpless?

Given the build up of tension, the moment that Ikem is harassed by the police officer first appears to be a part of a broader plan to bring him down, but it is resolved quickly by the senior officer who punishes the traffic cop in front of Ikem. While the danger for Ikem continues to grow, it does not culminate in this moment as it initially appears it will.

Chapter 10: analysis

The drivers criticize Ikem in a series of backhanded ways after coming to apologize and praise him. They don't understand why he drives himself in a poor-quality car, as he could afford a driver and that would provide a job for a low-income driver. Ikem struggles with this, as on the one hand he could be congratulated for living like most people in his country and not being ostentatious about his wealth, but on the other hand it seems insensitive because he is taking away opportunities for the lower class to provide services to him. At the core of this issue is Ikem's discomfort with his privilege and wealth in a country that has so little.

Chapter 11 analysis

In Chapter 11, Ikem thinks critically about how to exist in the world with integrity. "In any event he had always had the necessity in a vague but insistent way, had always felt a yearning without very clear definition, to connect his essence with earth and earth's people. The problem for him had never been whether it should be done but how to do it with integrity" (143). He knows that he wants to be connected to the public and work in their service, but how does he do so in a meaningful and impactful way? Working in public affairs has not satisfied this desire. In addition to the massive corruption, subservience to foreign powers, hand-me-down capitalism, and abuse of striking workers, the chief failure of public affairs has been their inability to connect with the poor and dispossessed groups in society.

Chapter 11 is the most unstable we've seen His Excellency, and the change in his behavior is not entirely clear. Just as Ikem and Chris try to decipher what has motivated this behavior, the reader is as well. It's possible he was influenced by the American journalist from the party, or perhaps he is still personally hurt that he did not win President for Life. If this is the case, his desire to blame Chris and Ikem speak to his lack of connection to reality and a desire to avoid thinking seriously about his own behavior.

Chapter 12 analysis

Ikem's speech challenges norms of revolution and forces the audience to think more critically about the situation and future rather than heap all of the blame on capitalism and imperialism. He tells them that revolution cannot be entirely fueled by passion; instead there must be careful thought about what must be changed and how the future will be different. He furthers this argument with the parable that if you want to get at the root of murder, you go to the blacksmith who forged the machete. He compares this logic to constantly blaming capitalism and imperialism for Kangan's problems. It's impractical and ultimately does not address the more proximate causes. While both may be factors in the situation, neither can be ignored in favor of the other. Additionally, Ikem shows that he is not afraid of critiquing any power structure, going so far as to criticize students at large while standing before a room full of students.

Chapter 13 analysis

The conflict escalates in Chapter 13, where Ikem is now accused of regicide and is killed by the military police. It happens suddenly and behind the scenes in the novel—it is not given a direct description but rather the incident is revealed through a media announcement that Ikem has been shot. The other characters attempt to make sense of this news and the new reality they are living in, realizing that their attempts to be logical were useless, as their actions were misrepresented to create an alternative reality by His Excellency. It is clear that there is no turning back at this point, and they prepare to flee. Beatrice takes on a leadership role and demonstrates her capacity to remain calm under pressure, which is an important theme of the novel.

Chapter 14 analysis

Beatrice continues her leadership role by caring for Elewa and considering what has made Elewa and Agatha so different. She does not arrive at any firm conclusions, but considers Ikem's love for Elewa as a differentiating factor. The mysterious voice calls multiple times and speaks in riddles, but Beatrice is able to make sense of them and they gradually become more clear the more he calls. While it is not immediately clear at the beginning if the caller is an ally or a foe, he reveals in his final call of the chapter that he is an ally to Beatrice and Chris.

Chapter 15 analysis

The key way that Chris avoids further questioning at the police checkpoint is by offering the policeman a small gift. By doing so, he diverts the man's attention away from recognizing Chris as a wanted fugitive. The small gift shows the limited capacity of the police force to resist bribes and their willingness to be compliant when someone offers something they desire, however small. It is a brief commentary on the corruption and inadequacy of government services that Ikem criticized during his life.

Chapter 16 analysis

Chris and Emmanuel have taken refuge in a small, cramped apartment with a poor family. The housing conditions are poor, and there are many bodies in a small space. Beatrice feels guilty for arriving just so that she can say goodbye to Chris, downgrading her own desires and needs to say goodbye to a loved one. She struggles to balance her own desires with her unwillingness to impose herself on anyone else. While the book has focused on the struggles in Abazon, this is the first detailed look at urban poverty in Kangan.

Chapter 17 analysis

This chapter mostly focuses on the difference between perception and reality, specifically how the elites living in Bassa have very little understanding of what life is like in other parts of the country. They think that Bassa is Kangan, but Bassa is actually an outlier. The elites cloak themselves in ignorance by not traveling to the other parts of the country, especially not by bus, where every change is noticeable and cannot be ignored. Even Chris, who undergoes a transformation and begins to see how different life is outside of the capital, is not immune from his ignorance. This is shown when he refuses to use the cleaning water in the restaurant, and he has to learn that this is the best they can offer because they have such limited resources. This is a chapter of awakening to the reality in Kangan.

This chapter also reinforces the impact that corrupt and morally bankrupt behavior by ancillary characters can have on broader society. Even when His Excellency has been removed from power, the corruption of the police force, for example, continues. A prime example of this is the police officer who attempts to rape the girl, which ultimately leads to Chris' death. The behavior of this relatively insignificant character has major ramifications.

Chapter 18 analysis

The chapter signifies that time has passed because Elewa's daughter has been born and is ready for a naming ceremony. Beatrice begins to see the deaths of Chris and Ikem not as notable outliers, but as common stories that occurred much before their actual deaths: a death on the dangerous Great North Road or a victim of the growing police state. Beatrice's decision to give Elewa's daughter a traditionally male name speaks to her strength as a female character. She sees the "masculine" qualities of the name as equally applicable to women as well, and she wants this young girl to have every opportunity in front of her. Ikem may be dead, but his feminist ideas live on past his death.

 

 

 

 

 

Major themes

Government Corruption

The government of Kangan is corrupt and this can be seen in its treatment of the poor in Abazon. Ikem is killed because he spoke out, and the government even tries to cover up the murder by saying it occurred in a struggle. While His Excellency began his rule with good intentions, his hunger for power grows and knows no bounds. As soon as his power is questioned, he begins to silence those who doubt him and stand in his way, including his longtime friends, Ikem and Chris. His Excellency not only wants to exterminate the people who speak out, but also the ideas they are promoting, and he does this in his attempts to discredit them after their death. The claim that Ikem advocated for regicide is an example of this. The extent of the corruption spreads into every aspect of life and every relationship that the state has with its people.

The Importance of Storytelling

Ikem is the storyteller-in the literal and in the political sense. He is the editor of the Gazette who spoke out on controversial and critical issues. The theme of storytelling begins in the cultural roots of the citizens, such as when one of the Abazon leaders says that in battle, the story is the most important element because it is everlasting. More so than the battle, the story that comes out of it is critical. While Ikem tries to do this to improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised, those operating in favor of evil also struggle to control the story. For example, when conflict reaches its apex and Ikem is killed and Chris is forced in to hiding, His Excellency's government spreads the false story that both men were involved in a coup attempt. This is not true, but it is an attempt to give His Excellency leverage and freedom to operate as he wishes to advance his power. Controlling the narrative is critical for both factions in Anthills of the Savannah.

Women's Role in Society

This theme is mirrored in Beatrice. She is a woman in a high position, educated, well-spoken, and probably smarter than any of the men around her. Unfortunately, as a woman she isn't taken as seriously and her knowledge is overshadowed by her attractive looks. She has grown up in a conservative family, and being a fifth daughter in a family without sons, she didn't have much affection and always lived in her own world. She cynically looks upon the opinion that women are better off married, even to a lower-class man, than being alone. Women's role in society is also introduced by Ikem's love letter to Beatrice where he recognizes the oppression of women throughout ages in the form of religion or societal rules. This theme is emphasized repeatedly through Beatrice's ability to remain levelheaded and calm during moments of extreme stress. She is a quiet leader of Chris, Ikem, and Elewa during the most chaotic moments of the novel.

Irrationality of a Despot

At the beginning of the novel, Chris tries to appease His Excellency and believes that there may be an opportunity to operate from a place of reason. As the novel progresses, however, it becomes clear how irrational His Excellency's despotic behavior is. There is no reasoning with it or tempering it—His Excellency will do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. Chris realizes that he can not negotiate with someone who behaves like this, but it takes the majority of the novel for him to accept the irrationality of his friend's behavior. There is no point in being reasonable or pacifying His Excellency, as he will do as he pleases no matter what.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

His Excellency is an example of the old adage, "absolute power corrupts absolutely." While he did not set out to have absolute power and initially shunned the idea of ruling for life, he soon ignores past statements, betrays his friends, and ultimately lies to the public in order to advance his own agenda. He is willing to do anything to protect his power—silencing protesters, spreading misinformation, and assassinating those who stand in his way. The drive for absolute power, and to protect his absolute power, drives him to corruption.

Perception vs. Reality

Throughout the novel, the characters struggle with the tension between perception and reality. This occurs in multiple places, such as between Ikem and Chris, Chris and His Excellency, and the elites and the lower classes. Ikem and Chris perceive their relationship to be much more contentious than it actually is. Chris perceives His Excellency to be less threatening and worrisome than he actually is. Most notably, the elites in Bassa cannot see the realities that are true for the rest of the country. There is immense poverty and struggle throughout the country, but they are unable and unwilling to see it from Bassa.

Pervasiveness of Corruption

In Anthills of the Savannah, the corruption of His Excellency dominates as an overarching theme, but there is more time and attention dedicated to the ways in which the minions of the government perpetuate this corruption than the actual acts of His Excellency. The behavior of His Excellency sets the tone for the rest of the administration, who has a more direct impact on the well-being and experiences of the citizens of Kangan. The best example of this is the behavior of the police force, from accepting bribes from the bus drivers to the attempted rape that ultimately leads to Chris' death. While the reader is primarily concerned with the corruption of His Excellency, ultimately, it is the corrupt acts of the nameless and less significant characters that lead to the death of Chris. These ancillary characters' corrupt actions have major ramifications for the plot and for the civic health of Kangan.

 

Quotes worth a discussion

"But it wasn't Authority that worried me really; it never does. It wasn't those officious footlings, either. It wasn't even the four who were mangled. It was the thousands who laughed so blatantly at their own humiliation and murder."

~Ikem Osodi, Four, Second Witness-Ikem Osodi

Ikem is witnessing an execution of four thieves. Being a man of common sense and a writer, he worries about this act and he makes a perfect observation of the heart of the issue. It isn't the execution itself that is to blame but the acceptance and laughter by the side of the same people like the ones executed. They are like sheep following the dreadful acts without realizing that it could be any one of them standing there. Even in his lecture after being fired from his position as the editor of Gazette, Ikem sees the heart of the issue in the same way. Responsibility is shared by those committing the act (the government) and the people who accept the actions blindly and without resistance.

"No I cannot give you the answer you are clamouring for. Go home and think! I cannot decree your pet, textbook revolution. I want instead to excite general enlightenment by forcing all the people to examine the condition of their lives because, as the saying goes, the unexamined life is not worth living...As a writer I aspire only to widen the scope of that self-examination. I don't want to foreclose it with a catchy, half-baked orthodoxy. My critics say: There is no time for your beautiful educational programme; the masses are ready and will be enlightened in the course of the struggle. And they quote Fanon on the sin of betraying the revolution. They do not realize that revolutions are betrayed just as much by stupidity, incompetence, impatience and precipitate actions as by doing nothing at all."

~Ikem Osodi, Chapter 12

In his meditation after being suspended as the editor of the Gazette, Ikem recognizes that the crowd is clamoring for a template for revolution. He refuses to give them one because he realizes the danger in a group of people looking to one person for all of the answers without doing the necessary thought and self-reflection to make such a movement successful. Change will only be possible if the people pushing for change are enlightened, and so he wants to motivate people to go home and think. While many want revolution to be quick, sudden, and passionate, Ikem wants them to see that revolutions can be betrayed by stupidity and incompetence just as easily as they can be betrayed by doing nothing at all. Instead, they should prepare, reflect, and think critically about what will come next.

"But the strange fact is that Dr. Castro, no matter what he says, never defaults in his obligations to the international banking community. He says to others, 'Don't pay,' while making sure he doesn't fall behind himself in his repayments."

~American Journalist, Six-Beatrice

This quote describes the way the leaders would say anything to get the people on their side. They would act heroic and rebellious to appease the people and doomed are those who follow blindly. As long as they are on top, they don't choose words that will make them get there. Hypocrisy is a very important tool for that.

"My position is quite straightforward especially now that I don't have to worry about being Editor of the Gazette. My view is that any serving President foolish enough to lay his head on a coin should know he is inciting people to take it off; the head I mean."

~Ikem, Chapter 13

Ikem offers this answer to the audience during his meditation at the University. It becomes the fodder of the next day's newspaper headline, which claims he is advocating for regicide. It is part of the completely trumped-up case against Ikem that leads to his assassination.

"Yes, really. And the lives of some of my friends. It wasn't Ikem the man who changed me. I hardly knew him. It was his ideas set down on paper. One idea in particular: that we may accept a limitation on our actions but never, under no circumstances, must we accept restriction on our thinking."

~Emmanuel, Chapter 18

In the final chapter, Emmanuel remembers Ikem and what he learned from his example. Ikem was a man who wasn't afraid to think and voice his thoughts about the injustice of what he witnessed. This is the essence of his legacy: change begins with a thought.

“The Attorney General was perched on the edge of his chair, his left elbow on the table, his neck craning forward to catch his Excellency's words which he had chosen to speak with unusual softness as if deliberately to put his hearer at a disadvantage; or on full alert on pain of missing a life and death password. As he watched his victim straining to catch the vital message, he felt again that glow of quiet jubilation that had become a frequent companion especially when as now he was disposing with consummate ease of some of those troublesome people he had thought so formidable in his apprentice days in power. It takes a lion to tame a leopard, say our people. How right they are!”

~His Excellency, Chapter 2

This quote provides another window into the ruling philosophy of His Excellency, who likes to dominate people in every way possible, including the ways he speaks with them. Opting for a quieter, harder to hear voice, he believes this enhances his position of power and views the other person in the conversation as the "victim." This quote also encapsulates the evolution of His Excellency as a ruler, from his early "apprentice days" in power where he was less sure of himself, to this moment in time when he is manipulating his closest advisers in the smallest of interactions. This interaction shows how casually ruthless His Excellency can be.

"Later I hear how a concerned neighbor once called the police station—this was before I came to live here—and reported that a man was battering his wife and the Desk Sergeant asked sleepily: "So Therefore?" So, behind his back, we call him Mr. 'So Therefore.' I can never remember his real name."

~Ikem Osodi, Chapter 4, p. 41

This quote communicates the normalcy of abuse and society's willingness to accept the abuse of women. The police's response, who is charged with protecting those who are vulnerable, is dismissive of the serious complaint of abuse. Similarly, Ikem's response of turning it into a nickname minimizes the gravity of the situation.

"You see, they are not in the least like ourselves. They don't need and can't use the luxuries that you and I must have. They have the animal capacity to endure the pain of, shall we say, domestication. The very words the white master had said in his time about the black race as a whole. Now we say them about the poor."

~Ikem Osodi, Chapter 4

Ikem's reflection on how colonizers used the same language to describe the black race as the current ruling elite uses to describe the poor shows how the postcolonial state has adopted some of the same behavior as the colonial state. The object of oppression has changed but the language has remained the same. This quote raises broader questions of the goals and methods of the postcolonial state and whether it has brought meaningful change to the lives of its citizens. It also forces the reader to think critically about the concepts of equality, justice, and governance, and whether it is possible for a governing class to exist without marginalizing some portion of its population.

"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 Mazrui calling Nkrumah a Stalinist Czar? Perhaps our leaders have to be that way. Perhaps they may even need to be that way."

~Chris, Chapter 6, p. 79

This quote is a defense of the lavish spending on the Presidential Guest Retreat, which Ikem and Beatrice disagree with and Chris defends. While the retreat allows His Excellency to escape from the pressure of addressing the basic needs of his people, Chris believes that massive structures such as these are important for nation building. The examples he cites (cathedrals of Europe, pyramids of Egypt, etc.) all have become national symbols of those geographic locations, and they were built on the backs of serfs, starving peasants, and slaves. Chris conflates these symbols with the actual greatness of a country. Do symbols that generate tourism make a country great? Or do policies that improve the citizens' human condition make a country great? Can these two coexist or are they mutually exclusive? The quote wrestles with these larger questions of nation building and governance.

"The prime failure of this government began also to take on a clearer meaning for him. It can't be the massive corruption though its scale and pervasiveness are truly intolerable; it isn't the subservience to foreign manipulation, degrading as it is; it isn't even this second-class, hand-me-down capitalism, ludicrous and doomed; nor is it the damnable shooting of striking railway-workers and demonstrating students and the destruction and banning thereafter of independent unions and cooperatives. It is the failure of our rulers to re-establish vital inner links with the poor and dispossessed of this country, with the bruised heart that throbs painfully at the core of the nation's being."

~Ikem, Chapter 11, p. 144

Ikem is considering his path in public service as a way to fulfill his desire to live an ethical and meaningful life, and he is thinking critically about the many ways that "public affairs" has failed the people it is tasked with serving. Its most basic failing is that it has not reconnected the "inner links with the poor and dispossessed of the country," which were severed during colonial rule. It was an essential promise of the new government, and it has been ignored. While the government has committed many wrongs, the root of all of them is the fact that this link remains severed. The disconnection allows for all of the other deplorable things, like shooting striking workers, to occur.