A Man of the People

A Man of the People is a 1966 novel by Chinua Achebe. Achebe, a Nigerian novelist and well-known figure of African literature, also wrote Things Fall Apart (1958) and Arrow of God (1964). A Man of the People chronicles political unrest in an African nation that only recently gained its independence from Britain. The novel opens with the narrator, Odili Samalu, awaiting the arrival of Minister Nanga, also known as Chief Nanga, at Anata Grammar School, where Odili teaches. The villagers are excited to see Nanga, but Odili is not, for he thinks little of Nanga and his political methods, which Odili considers unethical. However, Odili’s cynicism surrounding Nanga begins to fade after Nanga gives a speech.

In Chapter Two, Odili explains why he chose to become a teacher, believing the post offers him more autonomy than working as a civil servant. He mentions to Nanga wanting to return to school, and Nanga invites Odili to stay with him in the capital, Bori, so that he might talk with the Minister of Overseas Training about his scholarship. Later, Odili’s friend, Andrew, visits him, and they talk about girls, particularly Edna, a young girl who was with Nanga, whom he intends to make his second wife.

Odili travels to Bori in Chapter Three to stay with Nanga, who offers Odili a warm welcome and his own room in his house. They go to visit Chief Koko, the Minister of Overseas Training. However, before they can begin to discuss Odili’s scholarship, Koko drinks some coffee and becomes convinced that he has been poisoned. As it turns out, the coffee isn’t poisoned—it’s just a different type of coffee, because his cook ran out of his favorite brand. Odili and Nanga return to Nanga’s home, where Odili speaks with Nanga’s wife, who is referred to as Mrs. Nanga. He talks with her about Edna and admires Nanga’s home, deciding that if he should ever become minister, he would like to stay in the role indefinitely.

In Chapter Four, Odili learns that Mrs. Nanga and the children will leave Bori and return to Anata, Nanga’s home village. He’s glad for this, as he thinks it would be indecorous to entertain women—particularly a friend named Elsie with whom he hopes to be intimate—while Mrs. Nanga is in the house. Nanga returns for lunch and has a phone meeting with the Minister of Public Construction, T.C. Kobino. Odili overhears part of the conversation and learns that Nanga prefers to work with Europeans instead of local experts, and that there’s something he’s keeping out of the press. The chapter ends with a visit from a pair of Americans named John and Jean. Jean flirts with Nanga, and John speaks with Odili about America and colonization.

John and Jean invite Nanga and Odili for dinner in Chapter Five. However, John ends up having to fly back to America and Nanga ends up entertaining a barrister named Agnes Akilo instead. Nanga arranges for Jean to drive Odili home after the dinner. Odili enjoys dinner, particularly when he’s able to correct a misconception about the meaning of a local gesture. After the other dinner guests leave, he and Jean dance and are intimate. Then, Jean offers to drive Odili home, and they take an early-morning tour through Bori, during which Odili becomes frustrated with Jean but ultimately asks to see her again.

Chapter Six brings Odili to the hospital where his friend and college lover, Elsie, works. He arranges for her to visit him at Nanga’s for two days, and for her friend to come along to entertain Nanga. The day arrives when he will pick her up from the hospital, and Nanga decides he will accompany Odili on his way to speak at an exhibit of African authors. He asks Odili what his relationship to Elsie is, and Odili responds that they’re not serious. They pick up Elsie only to discover that the other girl is unavailable. The three attend the event together, though Odili spends Nanga’s speech whispering with Elsie.

Chapter Seven picks up after the exhibit. Odili learns that Nanga bribed the editor of the Daily Matchet with five pounds in order to keep withholding information pertaining to Nanga’s interests. The editor promises to print Nanga’s speech on the front page of his paper. Nanga, Odili, and Elsie return to Nanga’s home, where Odili hopes to entertain Elsie in private. Nanga ends up visiting her in her room, which angers Odili. Odili leaves the house and wanders Bori for several hours. Upon his return, he and Nanga argue, and he leaves for good.

Odili goes to stay with his friend Max Kuramo in Chapter Eight. Max works as a lawyer in Bori. Odili decides that he’s going to exact revenge on Nanga by sleeping with Edna, his intended second wife. Meanwhile, Max invites him to join a new political party called the Common People’s Convention. Odili decides that he can exact more pleasing vengeance if he also unseats Nanga from his position as minister.

Chapter Nine brings Odili to Anata. There is some commotion as Josiah, a local merchant, is chased out by villagers who are angry with him for trying to trick a local blind man named Azoge. On the night of his return, Odili goes to visit Mrs. Nanga, who helps him find Edna. Odili meets Edna’s father and learns that Edna’s mother is sick in the hospital. He offers to take Edna there to bring her mother some food on his bike, but some sheep get in the way and the bicycle crashes. The food is ruined. Odili offers to buy Edna’s mother some food at the hospital.

In Chapter Ten, Odili sees Edna again at Mrs. Nanga’s house. He tells her she shouldn’t rush into marrying Nanga, and they argue. Then, news breaks about corruption in the government and Max summons Odili back to Bori to launch the new political party. When Odili returns to Anata, he has a car and money. He goes to find Edna, but she has left to visit her grandmother, so he writes to her. He also announces he will run against Nanga in the upcoming election. Josiah tries to warn him and offer to work for him, but Odili declines. After being harassed, he hires a bodyguard. Odili is fired from his job as a teacher. He goes to say goodbye to Mrs. Nanga, who treats him with hostility. He says farewell to Edna too, who seems sadder to see him go.

In Chapter Eleven, Odili decides that he wants to be with Edna for his own reasons, not just for revenge. He receives a letter in which she offers her friendship. Odili is forced to put together a team of bodyguards, led by a man named Boniface, to protect him against the Nangavanga—thugs who support Nanga. Odili returns to his home village of Urua, where he stays with his father. Nanga comes to bribe him into dropping his campaign, but Odili refuses.

Max announces Odili’s candidacy in Chapter Twelve, and then tells Odili he should have taken Nanga’s money, and that he himself took money from Chief Koko. Odili doesn’t like the idea of using money he considers dirty. The next day, he goes to tell Edna he is love with her, but she yells at him and tells him to leave. Odili’s father is removed from office, heavily taxed, and nearly arrested for allowing Max and Odili to stay at his home.

In Chapter Thirteen, the people are told they will vote for Nanga. Odili goes to his inaugural campaign meeting, where he is identified and beat up. Nanga’s thugs prevent Odili from formally registering his candidacy and he misses the election while in the hospital. He learns that Max has been killed, and unrest takes over as thugs and marauders act violently throughout the country. The government falls, and the country is taken over by the army, which arrests Nanga. Max is declared a hero, and Odili and Edna receive their fathers’ blessings to marry.