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.