However, as Odili becomes more involved in politics, he quickly realizes that Chief Nanga and his associates are deeply corrupt, using their positions of power for personal gain at the expense of the people they are supposed to serve.Īs the story unfolds, Odili becomes disillusioned with Chief Nanga's hypocrisy and the widespread corruption that permeates the political system. The story is narrated by Odili, who initially supports Chief Nanga, a charismatic politician and former teacher, in his bid for re-election. The novel is set in a fictional African country called 'Nanga,' and it provides a scathing critique of post-colonial African politics and the challenges faced by newly independent nations. It tells the story of Odili, a young teacher in a small African country who becomes involved in politics and is swept into a corrupt world of greed and power. 'A Man of the People' is a satirical novel written by Chinua Achebe, published in 1966. The book ends with a military coup, similar to the real-life coup organized by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Captain Chris Anuforo, Major Donatus Okafor, and Major Humphrey Chukwuka. Odili represents the changing younger generation, while Nanga represents the traditional West African customs inspired by Achebe's native Nigeria. Written as a satirical piece, 'A Man of the People' follows the story told by Odili, a young and educated narrator, about his conflict with Chief Nanga, his former teacher who enters a career in politics in an unnamed fictional 20th-century African country. A Man of the People' (1966) is a novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe.

A man of the people by chinua achebe