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Anthills of the Savannah takes place in the imaginary West African country
of Kangan, where a Sandhurst-trained officer, identified only as Sam and
known as "His Excellency", has taken power following a military coup
Anthills of the Savannah takes place in the imaginary West African country
of Kangan, where a Sandhurst-trained officer, identified only as Sam and
known as "His Excellency", has taken power following a military coup
and Ikem Osodi, a newspaper editor critical of the regime.
Other characters include Elewa, Ikem's girlfriend and Major "Samsonite"
Ossai, a military official known for stapling hands with a Samsonite stapler.
Tensions escalate through the novel, culminating in the assassination of
Ikem by the regime, the toppling and death of Sam and finally the murder
of Chris. The book ends with a non-traditional naming ceremony for Elewa
and Ikem's month-old daughter, organized by Beatrice.
Chris's fiancee, Beatrice is one of Achebe's most fully developed female
characters. She works for Sam and is an old friend of Ikem's, so, through
her connections to Chris, Ikem, and Sam, she plays a significant role in the
action of the novel. She was born the fifth daughter to her parents (one
sister has died). Her father had been hoping for a son, so she was named
Nwanyibuife, which means "A Woman Is Also Something" As an adult,
Beatrice is well-educated, having earned a degree with honors in English
from the University of London, and she holds an important civil service
position as an administrator in a state office. She also enjoys writing short
fiction, which Ikem reads and admires for its "muscularity" and "masculine"
qualities.
Beatrice is characterized by sophistication, intelligence, and independence,
but she is also attuned to the common people on an intuitive level. Never
having planned on a career in the government, she is very disturbed by
accusations that she is ambitious. In reality, she desires what she has
desired since childhoodto be left alone in her peaceful solitude and not
attract any attention. Achebe places her firmly in the mythic tradition of
the people, making her a sort of manifestation of Idemili, a goddess sent to
Man to oversee morality.
Although Beatrice is unaware of the myths regarding this goddess, she
grows into a woman possessed with wisdom, self-knowledge, and
compassion as she connects with the culture of her land. At the end of the
novel, she participates in the naming ceremony for Ikem and Elewa's baby
girl by naming the infant Amaechina, a boy's name meaning "May the Path
Never Close." This is bold not only because she has given a boy's name to
a girl, but also because the responsibility of naming traditionally belongs to
a man.