Annotated Bibliography

Chinua-Achebe.com. 6 Apr. 2008 <http://chinua-achebe.com/>.
This website is great for getting background information on Chinua Achebe and his feelings on some of his works and why he wrote them. This was the first source I found and it helped me understand the Nigerian war even better and its affect on how he wrote Civil Peace. This source will be very useful for my paper. It will provide me with
basic information about Nigeria, but most importantly it will give me an idea through quotes of how Achebe feels about the story and the Nigerian War.
Emenyonu, Ernest. “Post-War Writing in Nigeria.” Issue: A Journal of Opinion 3:2 (1973): 49-54.
This source was another very interesting source. It offered an overview of what kind of writing was being done after the Nigerian War by Nigerians. It quotes Achebe and gives insight into why he wrote the way he did and what specific aspects of the war affected his writing. I learned from this source that the war had a huge affect on Achebe’s writing and the points he wants to get across. I can definitely use this source to show how Achebe’s life has influenced his writing.
Interview: Chinua Achebe on Biafra. Transition. 36 (1968): 31-38.
I found this interview to be very interesting. It took part right in the middle of the Nigerian War. Achebe was still living in Nigeria at the time and is able to give many first hand experiences. Achebe’s responses indicated that he is really intent on affairs in Nigeria getting better. I think using this source is so important to my paper. The
theme I am addressing in my paper is war and the hardships and struggles people face after it. I can use this source to show how hard the war was, which made it difficult for the country as a whole to adapt once it was over.
Nafziger, Wayne E. The Economics of Political Instability: the Nigerian-Biafran war.
Colorado: Westview Press, 1983.
This source gives reasons as to why it was so difficult for the Nigerians to form a government after they were not under British rule anymore. It discusses how the country was dealing with difficult things, like thieves, which can be seen in Civil Peace. I learned from this source that the Nigerians were under British rule for so long that it was hard for them to come together as one people and form stable and working government. I can use this source to show why it was easy for thieves to rob people in Civil Peace and how this was common after the war ended.
Niven, Rex. The war of Nigerian Unity. Ibadan: Evans Brothers, 1970.
This source provides great information about the historical context of the Nigerian War. It is very objective because it just states the facts. It gives great information that I can link to certain situations in the short story. I learned about how the war started and
what it did to Nigeria from this book. After reading some information from this source it gave me a clearer picture as to why some of the characters acted the way they did in the story. This source would be helpful because it provides me with a great basis on what the war did to Nigeria as a country and a people.
Ojinmah, Umelo. Chinua Achebe: new perspectives. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited, 1991.
This source gives an account of how Nigerians were written about after the Nigerian War. This source shows that Achebe has pride in his country and wants it to improve. This book delves into why Achebe writes the way he does. It discusses his life experiences and how they affect his writings. This text will help me even more with relating Achebe’s personal experiences to the short story. Using this source will be very beneficial because it will help me to show the importance of knowing the author’s background information because it can be transferred into the piece of literature