GHOSTS

BY CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE - NIGERIA

The Title

 The title "Ghosts" refers to Ikenna Okoro, who was thought to have died during the war,
but has unexpectedly returned as a "ghost" of his former self.
 James describes Ikenna as a prominent voice against widespread corruption, and also
presumably for Biafran independence.
 This theme of the unexpected return of a person believed to be dead is a recurring motif
throughout the story and sets the stage for the reader to consider the weight of the past
and how it haunts the present.
 The title also refers to the visits of the narrator's deceased wife, Ebere, who appears to
him in the form of a ghost.
 The narrator's belief in her ghostly presence and the impact it has on his life is central to
the story and highlights the idea that the past cannot be fully escaped, and the memories
of loved ones can linger long after they have passed away.
 The theme of the war also ties in to the title of "Ghosts" as it is a haunting presence
throughout the story.
 The war is described as something that has left its mark on the characters, shaping their
lives and memories, and the lingering effects of the war on the narrator and his
community can be seen as a form of ghost that still haunts them even though the war has
ended.
 In James' mind, the war should've been an easy victory for his side
 Furthermore, the university's current state of corruption, and pension issues faced by
Ikenna and the narrator, can also be seen as a ghost of the past, in the sense that the
negative effects of past actions and leadership continue to haunt and affect the present.
 This further highlights how the past can't be ignored and it keep looming over people's
lives.
 The fake drugs menace is another example of a present-day issue that is linked to the
past, as it is a symptom of a broken system that has not been fully addressed since the
war.
 Overall, the title "Ghosts" is fitting as it references the idea of the past, in various ways,
continuing to linger and affect the present and the people in it.

The Plot Summary

 Adichie’s short story ‘Ghost’ alludes to the 1967-1970 Biafra War in Nigeria which she
deploys as a pivotal vantage point to scan the realities of postcolonial Nigerian state.
 The plot of the story unfolds through the narrative voice of Professor James Nwoye, a
retired 71-year-old Mathematics professor who was at Nsukka University at the time it
fell to the federal forces during the civil war.
 The protagonist in the story epitomizes the devastation of the war, having lost a child to it
and suffered disruption and dislocation.
 'Ghost’ focuses on the present but flashes back to the past to reveal the harsh realities of
the fictional postcolonial spaces it recreates.
  The story, "Ghosts," is set on a university campus in Nigeria and follows the character of
James Nwoye, a retired professor, as he reflects on his past, current life, and encounters
with the ghost of his late wife, Ebere.
 The story opens with James running into his former colleague, Ikenna Okoro, who was
thought to have died during the Nigerian civil war, known as the Biafran war, but it is
revealed that he did not die.
 James and Ikenna reminisce about the past, but their conversation also touches on the
current state of the university, which is plagued by corruption and late pension payments.
 Throughout the story, James reflects on the impact of the war on his life, and how he and
his fellow survivors have chosen to move on from it with a sense of "implacable
vagueness," focusing more on the fact that they have survived rather than the horrors they
witnessed.
 The theme of the war is closely intertwined with the theme of ghosts, as the trauma of the
war is still very much present in James' mind and the ghost of his wife Ebere.
 Ebere visits James regularly, and he is comforted by her visits as she brings a sense of
peace and familiarity to him, as he's still grieving her death.
 James also mentions that the fake drugs epidemic is a new problem in Nigeria and he
fears that the man who produces these fake drugs might not be punished, making it easier
for him to produce more fake drugs that can lead to more deaths.
 As the story comes to a close, James reflects on the current state of his life.
 He describes it as being neither good nor bad, but simply his.
 Though nobody talks about the war, James suggests that everyone who experienced it
lives with the memories of it just like he does. People ignore or sidestep the truth around
other living people, but the war lingers like a ghost.
 The title "Ghosts" is fitting as it encapsulates the multiple layers of the story, from the
literal ghost of Ebere, to the metaphorical ghost of the war and its impact on James' life,
and the ever-present threat of fake drugs, which are like a ghost, lingering in the
background and causing harm without being seen.

Episodes;

 Prof James Nwoye’s visit to the University Bursary -pg. 57-59

 Encounter with Ikenna Okoro- 59-65
 Talk about the civil war on July 6 1967- 60
 Talk about fake drugs -pg. 65
 Prof James back home-pg 66-67

Themes in Ghosts by Chimamanda Adichie

GHOSTS
THEMATIC CONCERNS
a. Corruption

 The explanation why Prof James and other retirees have not received their pension is due
to corruption. The men clustered under the flame tree say, "The Education Minister has
stolen the pension money... it was the vice-chancellor who had deposited the money in
high interest personal accounts." ( pg.58).
  In the University, corruption is further seen where James tells Ikenna about Josephat
Udeana, the great dancer, who, once chosen as vice-chancellor, perpetuated corruption at
the University's high office. "Josephat was vice chancellor for six years and ran this
University like his father's chicken. Money disappeared, and then we would see new cars
coop stamped with the names of foreign foundations that did not exist." (pg.64)
 He also dictated who would be promoted and who would not. The situation did not
change after Josephat left since even the current vice-chancellor is also said to follow the
corrupt route faithfully.
 Corruption is also reported in the Personnel Services Department, where lecturers who do
not want to retire bribe someone, to have some years added to them (pg. 64).
 Further, corruption is seen among university students. Prof tells Ikenna that instead of
reading and working hard to earn fair grades, the university students have bought grades
with money or their bodies (pg. 64).

b. War and its effects

 The Biafran Civil war that the story highly relies on has significant negative implications
on the people:

c. Loss of loved ones

 Pro James Nwoye lost his daughter Zik to the war (pg. 61). Ikenna lost the whole of his
family to the war, thus the reason he has lived in Sweden ever since. He tells Prof, "My
whole family was in Orlu when they bombed it. Nobody left, so there was no reason for
me to come back." (pg. 61)
 A great genius - Chris Okigbo, also died in the war Nsukka lost a great mind - a star
whose poetry moved everybody. His prowess is compared to that of a colossus; thus, a
significant loss for the people page 62.

d. Displacement of people and separation of loved ones

 When the civil war started on July 6, 1967, the people had to evacuate Nsukka in a hurry
Prof James and his wife Ebere moved to America while Ikenna moved to Sweden using
Red Cross planes (pg. 61).
 Prof James and his daughter live separately due to the war. His American born daughter
Nkiru is a doctor in America while James lives in Nsukka. He feels that the war has
denied him an opportunity to teach his grandson the Igbo language and the culture (pg.
67).

e. Destruction/Loss of property
  After the civil war ended in 1970, Prof James and Ebere returned to Nsukka from
America. They were, however, disappointed to find some of their properties having been
destroyed and others missing. "Our books were in a charred pile in the front garden. the
lumps of calcified faeces in the bathtub were strewn with pages of my mathematical
annals, used as toilet paper, crusted smears blurring the formulas I had studied and taught
Our piano - Ebere's piano was gone. our photographs were ripped, their frames broken."
(pg. 61)
 On their way home that day, Prof James and Ebere saw a landscape of ruins, blown- out
roofs and houses riddled with holes, injuries, and physical pain (pg. 62).
 The day Prof James and Ebere drove back to Nsukka, Biafran soldiers stopped them and
shoved a wounded soldier into their car, and his blood dripped onto the backseat of their
vehicle (pg. 62).

f. Counterfeit/fake drugs

 The selling of expired medicine is the current plague in the country. Ikenna tells James
that he has been reading about fake drugs in the papers (pg. 65).
 The effect of fake drugs has been felt by James, whose wife Ebere's death is linked to the
counterfeit drug deal. Prof James thinks that Ikenna must have heard of 'How Ebere had
lain in the hospital getting weaker and weaker, how her doctor had been puzzled that she
was not recovering after her medication how none of us knew until it was too late that the
drugs were useless' (pg. 65).
 In addition, Prof James bitterly remembers how he had watched some broadcast of an
interview on NTA. Through the interview, a man accused of importing fake drugs -
typhoid fever drugs, had defended himself by claiming that his drugs do not kill people
but only fail to cure illness (pg. 66).

g. Dealing with past ghosts

 Prof James is presented as an individual struggling with ghosts from his past. The illusion
of his wife's return like a ghost is one of the mechanisms he adopts to deal with his
terrible past. It is an attempt to deal with the absence of Ebere and the devastating effects
of war. The freshness of the memories of war is brought out through the many flashbacks
used by the writer. One of the flashbacks captures the day the civil war arose (pg. 60).
Another shows the return of Prof and Ebere to Nsukka in 1970 (pg. 61-62). By
remembering these events, Prof James shows that the memories of the war are still deeply
etched in his thoughts.

h. Betrayal

 James' first reaction is to think that Ikenna betrayed the cause.

 This suggests that Ikenna was possibly a flighty person when James knew him in the '60s
and '70s.
 James also still carries some anger towards the sabos, indicating that he still feels the
horrors and betrayals of the war.
  Whatever his feelings about Ikenna, James also left Nigeria in the aftermath of the war
rather than stay and join the restoration effort.
 Though it seems like it was a healing experience for James and his family, it also makes
James's feelings about Ikenna's time in Sweden more complicated.
 Ikenna is certainly aware that having left during the middle of the civil war makes him
seem like a coward to many of those who stayed. He seems guilty for having done so.
 Even if he didn't mean it, James' language confirms that he privately thinks less of Ikenna
for leaving.

Stylistic Devices used in Ghosts by Chimamanda Adichie

GHOSTS
LANGUAGE AND STYLE
a. Imagery

 Imagery is a literary device used in poetry, novels, and other writing that uses vivid
description that appeals to a reader's senses to create an image or idea in their head.
 Imagery also aims to portray the sensational and emotional experience within text.
 The author uses imagery to create a vivid picture of the scene, such as the motorcyclists
on Ikejiani Avenue, the faded field of Freedom Square and the rose bushes, etc.

b. Flashback

 The narrator James frequently reflects on past events, such as the war and his relationship
with Ebere, which are portrayed through flashbacks.

c. Symbolism

 Symbolism is the use of words or images to symbolize specific concepts, people, objects,
or events.
 The imagery of the vultures on the narrator's roof symbolizes the passage of time, and the
fading of the university symbolizes the decline in standards.
 The imagery of the “neem trees” that screen his house is supposed to be medicinal.

d. Irony

 Irony is when something that is said or done is in contrast to reality or to what is

expected.
 The narrator is expecting his pension which never comes, and he talks about how
standards are falling everywhere, which is ironic because he's retired and is not supposed
to be so worried about the state of affairs.

e. Personification

 When an idea or animal is given human characteristics. “The sky weeps.”

 The vultures are personified as "stamping" on the roof, which implies movement, as well
as contemplation.
f. Allusion

 Allusion, in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a

part of another text.
 For example, the narrator mentions his daughter Nkiruka and its being in relation to the
'what is ahead is better' which is a phrase that alludes to the aftermath of war and moving
forward.

Character and characterization in Ghosts by Chimamanda Adichie

CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION
Character List
a. James Nwoye

 The narrator, a retired professor, he's been living alone on the university campus since his
wife, Ebere died. He often reflects on his past and his regrets. He talks about his wife
who had passed away and who still visits him in spirit.

b. Ikenna Okoro

 An old friend of the narrator, who was thought to have died during the Biafra war. He is
now retired and comes back to the university and the narrator sees him for the first time
in years.

c. Ebere

 The narrator's deceased wife, who visits him in spirit and he describes the visits as
comfort, soothing, and healing.

d. Nkiruka (Nkiru)

 The narrator's daughter and Ebere's, who is now a doctor in America, who visits him
regularly.

e. Harrison

 House help, who comes to the narrator's house five days a week, he helps with gardening
and housekeeping.

f. Josephat Udeana

 A man who was the Vice Chancellor of the University and was known for his corrupt
practices and the way he ran the university like a personal empire.

g. Professor Maduewe
  An old friend of the narrator and a professor at the university.

h. Otagbu's son

 A young man who fixes the narrator's television.

i. Vincent

 He is the former driver of Prof James.

 He served Prof. James in the eighties when he was the faculty dean.
 He is now retired and is following up on his pension, just like Prof and other retirees.
 He currently works as a cobbler near the university hostels. Although he is younger than
Prof (In his late sixties), he looks much older.

Character Traits
a. James Nwoye

 Nostalgic: James Nwoye reminisces about his past life, the university and his wife,
Ebere. He also reflects on the state of the university, which he sees as having greatly
changed for the worse.
 Reflective: He reflects on the lives of himself and his peers, and how they have changed
over the years.
 Patient: He mentions that he is waiting for his pension since he retired. He also expresses
contentment with his current life despite it being different from what he had imagined.
 Observant: he pays attention to the details around him such as the changing seasons and
noticing new potholes in the university's avenue.
 Open-minded: He is open to the idea of a visit from his deceased wife which others may
have found strange and hard to accept.
 Skeptical: He is initially suspicious of Ikenna's sudden reappearance after being thought
dead and his bringing up the fake drugs trade, as if it were a coincidence.
 Resilient: He has survived the war and the death of his wife, he has moved on with his
life and found a way to deal with the loss and move forward.
 Family-oriented: He often mentions his daughter, Nkiruka, and grandson and is
interested in their lives.
b. Ikenna Okoro

 Intellectual: He is an Oxford man who went to school in "oyibo-land" (abroad) and had
a career as a university lecturer
 Disillusioned: He is disappointed by the current state of the university and the corruption
he sees in it. He speaks out about the issues such as politics, money disappearing and
university politics
 Observant: He notices the small details of James' life such as the scratch on his car, and
the signs of the fake drugs in the market.
 Resilient: Despite the fact that he has faced many difficulties in his life and retired, he is
still determined and looking to create change.
  Empathetic: He expresses regret over his inability to pay James' pension and the overall
state of the country.
 Nostalgic: He has a strong sense of memory and longing for the past, he often reminisces
about the way things used to be in the university, and speaks of the "good days before the
war".

c. Nkiruka (Nkiru)

 Ambitious: She is a doctor and moved to America to pursue her career.

 Concerned: She often calls her father and asks him how he is doing and if he is okay.
 Caring: She is the one who suggested bringing her mother's body back to bury her in
Nigeria.
 Progressive: She is described as American-born, and has an American accent that is
vaguely troubling.

d. Vincent

 Concerned and caring: He always minded about the welfare of Prof. James’ daughter.