Summary
Mrs. Nanga tells Odili that she will soon be traveling to Anata. Odili is excited by her departure, as he can now bring Elsie to the Minister’s home without judgment. Later, Odili peruses the minister’s private library. To his surprise, he finds that the library is quite small and only offers a selection of American books. He then begins to read a local news magazine, which outlines Bori’s plans for dealing with the excess of waste produced in the city. Odili comments on the irony of the matter.
Later, Odili overhears an aggravated conversation between Chief Nanga and the transportation minister. Jean and John, an American couple, arrive at the Minister’s house. They call Chief Nanga and his wife by their Christian names, which startles Odili. The narrator begins talking to John, who makes bombastic claims about American benevolence, saying that the U.S. is the only country in history that decline to use its power to conquer other nations. Their conversation is interrupted by the entrance of a cook, who claims that as long as a chef prepares European cuisine, cooking cannot be seen as an emasculating activity.
Mrs. Nanga leaves for her trip to her village, and another woman by the name of Mrs. Akilo arrives from another town eighty miles away. Odili is immediately taken aback by her beauty and intellect. Odili joins a dinner party at Chief Nanga’s house, and afterwards, he spends the night with Jean. During their time together, Elsie calls Odili’s phone. Later, Jean drives Odili around the city in her car.
During their drive, Odili comments on Jean’s know-it-all attitude. He grows aggravated with her opinions and assertions. He begins to tell the audience about Elsie, who curiously has not yet appeared during the narrator’s visit to Bori. He explains that Elsie has been working night shifts at the hospital and will soon arrive with a friend to Chief Nanga’s house for a two-day stay. Odili goes to see Elsie at the hospital, and tells her that he met another American named Elsie at a party, making her jealous.
Back at the Minister’s house, Chief Nanga asks how serious Odili is about his relationship. Odili replies that Elsie is “just a good-time girl,” which he immediately regrets. Odili explains that he and the chief have already exchanged so many stories about female conquest that he finds it difficult to be honest and vulnerable with the Minister. For some reason, Odili is suspicious about Chief Nanga accompanying him to the hospital to greet Elsie. Chief Nanga tells Odili that “women have no sense and just speak jargon” (61).
Chief Nanga’s decision to come to the hospital is surprising to Odili, as the Minister has a speech that he needs to prepare. Odili and Elsie accompany Chief Nanga to the Writers’ Society to hear him give the speech at a book exhibition for the novel The Song of the Black Bird. Odili realizes that he knows the writer from his time at the University. Odili explains that since the publication of the novel, the writer had “become so non-conformist that he now designed his own clothes” (62). Odili soon realizes, ironically, that the Minister of Culture knows nothing about the author about whom he is giving a speech.
Odili greets the author, but he is offended that he is not recognized by his former colleague. This causes Odili to form “a poor opinion of [the author] and his silly airs” (63). Chief Nanga quickly starts criticizing the author for his flippant attitude and appearance. The author explains that he dresses for no one but himself, but Chief Nanga continues to insult him. During his speech, Chief Nanga forgets the name of the author’s book. However, the audience cannot believe that the Minister of Culture would make such a mistake, and his error is treated as an intended joke.
Analysis
In these chapters, Odili sees in even sharper detail the glaring inconsistencies between Chief Nanga’s personality and his politics. On various separate occasions, Odili addresses the irony of the Minister of Culture’s behavior. Firstly, he notices that Chief Nanga’s personal library is incredibly sparse. Additionally, the library only features American literature. This is ironic because Chief Nanga ostensibly fights against Western influence in an effort to preserve African cultural autonomy. The irony reappears when the Minister of Culture fails to prepare his speech for the Writers’ Society and proceeds to insult the keynote speaker—the writer who he is supposed to be honoring, and whose work he doesn't even know.
The tension between Western and African cultures is further exacerbated by the presence of the American couple Jean and John. As the couple talks to Chief Nanga, they decide to call the Minister by his Christian name. Symbolically, this action indicates the erasure of African culture in favor of Western, white assimilation. While Odili is made uncomfortable by the couple’s behavior, his feelings magnify as he talks to John. When John makes a claim that America is the sole benevolent superpower in history, Odili finds himself aggravated and powerless. While the story takes place in post-colonial Africa, this detail indicates that the continued detrimental effects of colonialism on post-colonial society.
When Odili and Jean spend the night together, we are prompted to analyze the language used in describing their tryst. Odili comments that Jean looks at him across the dinner table with a voracious “eagerness.” This dynamic indicates the animalistic, barbaric way in which Jean views Odili. Symbolically, this perspective symbolizes the dehumanizing white gaze and the objectification of the African body. Thus, the importance of Jean and John as characters—and their subsequent effect on Odili’s own nationalism and frustrations—are addressed.
Chief Nanga and Odili’s discussion about Elsie foreshadows the climactic conflict between these two characters. Chief Nanga’s interrogation indicates that he has taken interest in Odili’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, Odili’s reply demonstrates the negative effects of Chief Nanga on Odili’s personality. In this way, we can understand that Chief Nanga’s pursuit of Odili's girlfriend is partially Odili's own fault. Rather than maintaining his own integrity, Odili succumbs to the Minister’s womanizing and disrespectful ways.
Odili’s response to Chief Nanga is another concrete example of his hypocrisy. While Odili is quick to criticize his father’s inconsiderate behavior towards his wives, Odili fails to defend Elsie and thus engages in the same selfish behavior. As the narrator explains that he fears being vulnerable with Chief Nanga, we are prompted to consider the fragility of masculinity. Because both of the characters are too prideful to reveal their true emotions, they proceed to bring one another down.
