A Man of the People

Chapter Four takes place on Odili’s first full day in the capital. He is woken at eight in the morning by Nanga, who is on his way to the office. More than once in the chapter, Odili thinks about how Nanga can get home at two in the morning and be ready to go to the office a mere six hours later. He also has trouble imagining Nanga working in an office, because “he was obviously more suited to an out-of-door life meeting and charming people” (36). That morning, he learns that Mrs. Nanga and the children will leave in three days to visit their home village. He’s glad for this because he plans to entertain Elsie while staying in the capital, and would rather Mrs. Nanga not be home, despite the fact that he has a private apartment.

Odili explores Nanga’s library but finds nothing there of interest, so reads the daily paper, where he finds a notice about excrement buckets. He is filled with surprise and disgust. His surprise comes from the reminder that some people live with excrement buckets while others, like Nanga, live in luxury. He is disgusted when he recalls working as a houseboy for his half-sister and her husband when he himself was twelve years old. They had had excrement buckets and he tried not to use them often.

The day wears on and at two in the afternoon, Nanga returns home for lunch. He makes a phone call to the Minister of Public Construction, T.C. Kobino, who insists on speaking to experts before paving a road. Nanga wants the road paved quickly so that it will be done before the elections, and also because he’s ordered ten luxury buses. Odili overhears Nanga say that he prefers to work with the Europeans, and that he won’t let the press publish something, though Odili doesn’t know what that is.

After that, John and Jean, a pair of Americans, come to visit. While Jean flirts with Nanga, John and Odili talk. John tells Odili that America is improving, and has had no lynchings in the last ten years. He also proudly states that America is the first powerful country to not conquer others, even though it has the capability. Odili doubts it is the first in that position. A potential cook arrives, to prepare food for Nanga while his wife is away, but the man cooks foods Nanga doesn’t like, so he doesn’t hire him. Odili notes that he believes cooking is unmanly.

Chapter Five starts out with an invitation for Nanga and Odili to have dinner with Jean and John, but John ends up having to fly back to America. Nanga, too, must cancel his plans to attend when a barrister named Agnes Akilo drops in for a surprise visit. She has traveled from eighty miles away and Nanga decides he must go to dinner with her instead, though he promises to drive Odili to Jean’s home for her dinner party. He arranges for Jean to drive Odili back to his home afterward. Odili concludes that Nanga will sleep with Agnes that night.

Jean compliments Nanga over dinner, calling him handsome, but also calling attention to his unpredictable nature. She tells her guests that if he says he will try to make it to dinner, it means he might cancel or show up with extra guests. Odili enjoys the conversation with the other guests at Jean’s party, particularly when he is given the opportunity to educate them on the meaning of a gesture.

One of the guests remarks upon having seeing an elderly woman shaking her fist at a statue, and decides she’d been expressing her anger. Odili corrects the notion, and tells them that she’d been expressing her admiration for the statue’s power—that in fact, her regard had been positive. This notion unseats the idea that she had disliked the statue because it was of one of her pagan gods. Odili decides that everyone is probably hanging on his words because he is staying with Nanga, but he doesn’t mind the attention.

After the guests leave, Odili and Jean dance to a record and then sleep together. In the middle of the night, Elsie, one of the dinner guests, calls to see if Jean has driven Odili back to Nanga’s. Jean lies and says that she did. When Odili decides it’s time for him to leave, they drive through Bori first. Odili becomes frustrated with Jean for laughing at the fact that several streets are named after Nanga, but he asks to see her again regardless.

Chapter Six begins with Odili’s assurance that he is still interested in Elsie—not the American Elsie he met at Jean’s party, but the young woman who drew him to Bori to begin with. He has written to her, and visited her at the hospital where she was working the night shift. He was allowed in to see her because he traveled there in Nanga’s limo. The two of them arranged for another girl to accompany her on a two-day visit to Nanga’s home, the other girl’s purpose being to keep Nanga company. Odili doesn’t bother to learn her name.

On the day Odili is supposed to pick them up, Nanga is scheduled to give a speech at the opening of an exhibit of African authors. Initially, Odili is interested in the event, because he plans to write a novel about the arrival of the white man in his district. Nanga returns to his home during lunch with a speech, but instead of reading it, he asks Odili what his intentions are with Elsie. Odili replies that she’s a “good-time girl” (56). He points out to the reader that he hasn’t slept with her but feels compelled to speak about her this way after he and Nanga had discussed their romantic liaisons.

Odili convinces Nanga to read his speech and they travel to the hotel to collect the girls. The other girl is sick, so only Elsie goes with them, but Nanga remains in high spirits. Odili observes, “in Chief Nanga’s company it was impossible not to be merry” (58). They arrive at the exhibit and meet with the president of the society and one of the authors, Mr. Jalio. Odili is annoyed that though they have met before, Jalio doesn’t remember him, and is secretly pleased when Nanga scolds Jalio for inappropriate dress. Nanga tells him he should wear a suit or the National Costume instead of clothes he designed himself.

Jalio introduces Nanga to the crowd, complimenting him. As Nanga’s speech begins, Odili whispers with Elsie, pointing out that Jean and John are sitting in front of them, and that it was at Jean’s party where he met the other Elsie. He also notices a finely dressed man whose robes still feature the tape that identifies the fabric as 100% wool, made in England. The man also wears a gold chain.