A Critique
The present critique on Chinua Achebe’s fifth novel Anthills of the Savannah is a sequel to my previous book entitled Culture and Anarchy in the Novels of Chinua Achebe published by Prakash Book Depot of Bareilley in 2003. Anthills of the Savannah is an uncommonly powerful book of great value. The unprecedented success it had met with is enough evidence of its impact and its importance to the contemporary world. Critics have appreciated its relevance, which is not only to the erstwhile colonized countries, but its significance in aspects related to humanity as a whole. It deals with question of the systems of government, the tendency of their subjection to frequent changes i.e. from civilian government to the rule by the military and vice versa and the reasons and the concomitant detrimental results.
Achebe concerns himself with the ‘trouble with Nigeria’ in the main. He raises questions like why do governments fail to meet with the hopes and aspirations of the people and thereby fall? What are the responsibilities and obligations of leaders of such countries where the population is largely illiterate and therefore politically unaware? What is the modus operandi of leaders to establish ‘vital inner links with the poor and the dispossessed’ of the country? Is repression the right answer to solve the problems facing a country? How many forms can oppression take in a country under a dictatorial rule or any other form of government? Why do alternative governing systems fail to bring prosperity to a nation? Can any one understand the magnitude of the resultant confusion and disillusion of the masses? What are the roles of people, particularly of women in achieving progress and prosperity for the country? These and many other questions and aspects relating to the prosperity and declivity of a society occupy the thought and concern of Achebe in writing this extraordinary book about ordinary people and their day-to-day life. A modest attempt has been made in this critique to study, interpret and analyze various issues, which have been orchestrated into a harmonious whole by Achebe like a great maestro.
I sincerely hope that this humble attempt at evaluating the novel, Anthills of the Savannah will throw new light and help the aspiring student and the general reader with a better understanding of not only Achebe’s Africa but also of the fact (which he emphasized)
“There are different forms of dispossession, many, many ways in
which people are deprived or subjected to all kinds of victimization-
it doesn’t have to be colonization. Once you allow yourself to identify
with the people in a story, then you might begin to see yourself in that
story even if on the surface it’s far removed from your situation.”
Jaya Lakshmi Rao Vempala
Visakhapatnam
March 2005.