Just So, We Meet Again At Last, Achebe

          Good evening fellow bloggers and readers!  Over our past week of separation, I was fortunate to have read the works of Chinua Achebe.  The tales of African literature have certainly mesmerized me thus far.  However, I must admit that when Professor Benander mentioned reading Achebe, it was not my first acquaintance with the great Nigerian author.  My first Achebe experience occurred when I was a freshman in high school.  My English teacher assigned the class to read Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart.  While reading Achebe's short stories "An Image of Africa," "Girls at War," and "The Madman," I felt a certain familiarity in his text.  Achebe's stories are connected by common themes that are very important to Achebe in the real world.
          I was reminded of my own values of karma when I read Achebe's short story "Girls at War."  I immediately took a liking to the character of Gladys, who was a strong-willed feminist.  Due to recent events in my life, I have developed a more liberal view on life.  Gladys makes me think of another woman in my life, who is often oppressed by others' opinions of what makes her happy.  Nothing could outrage me more than this!  This woman's right to marry was turned down like how Gladys' right to join the militia was turned down.  I was glad to see Gladys working for the Red Cross, fighting in her own way for liberation.  The truly sad part of this story was the depth of corruption and greed.  I was very saddened to read of Gladys selling her body to live day to day.  It made me consider what I would do in her situation.  Honestly, I do not believe I would be strong enough to survive it.  Gladys was a good person who had no other choice but to become an entrepreneur in her own way.           
         On the other side of the story, Nwankwo was loading up on goods and food for his family without sparing some for others.  The greedy Nwankwo said naively, "one cannot help the crowds" and so he only helped himself.  If I were in his situation, I would definitely give some type of food to others.  It is the right thing to do, morally!  I truly believe that if one is able to provide for others, one should do so.  This is why I was so angered at the end of the story!  The morally good Gladys dies trying to save the wounded soldier, while Nwankwo saves himself and lives.  This irony lives when bad things happen for good reasons or when good things happen for bad reasons.  However, I wondered, did Nwankwo survive so that he may now live with the regret of his morally bad behavior?  I would certainly like to think so.

          As I read about Nwibe's two wives in Achebe's short story "The Madman," I flashbacked to his novel Things Fall Apart.  If there is anything I remember from that novel in high school, it was the fascination I had in learning that this African man had three wives.  I am embarrassed to admit that this was the first time I had heard of such a thing.  I remember not liking Okonkwo very much for this at first!  I believe that Achebe had the same theme in "The Madman."  Like Franz Fanon once said, "By a kind of perverted logic, it turns to the past of the oppressed people, and distorts, disfigures, and destroys it!"  Achebe was a big fan of Fanon, and he indeed wrote about this.  In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo accidentally kills a tribe member and is exiled.  Similarly, in "The Madman," Nwibe becomes outraged at a clinically insane man for stealing his cloth and is labeled crazy after running into the market place naked.  The witnesses in the market place did not know of the madman and why Nwibe was running after him.  For this reason, they created their own reality in which Nwibe was insane and furthermore, was denied a position on the tribe council.  I enjoyed the light-heartedness of Achebe for poking fun at people who create their own reality.  I think he is criticizing such people for being blind to actual reality.  This kind of unjust society has been plaguing Africa.  Achebe's advice is for one to just go crazy so one can be free.  I would like to try his advice one day, for the adult life can be a rough one!  Just kidding!  Good night!