Ghosts Analysis - A Silent Song and Other Stories Easy Elimu Study Guide

Ghosts by Chimamanda Adichie

About the Author

chimamanda ngozi

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie orn 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction.

Adichie has written the novels Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013), the short story collection The Thing Around Your Neck (2009), and the book-length essay We Should All Be Feminists (2014).

Ghosts is on of the short stories in the collection titled The Thing Around Your Neck (2009)

Her most recent books are Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017), Zikora (2020) and Notes on Grief (2021).

Her fiction reveals her critical engagement with diaspora issues, feminism and postcolonial problems.

The Title

The title "Ghosts" is appropriate for the story for several reasons.

It 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.

Key moments in Ghosts

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

Characters and Characterization

Character List

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.
Ikenna Okoro - An old friend of the narrator, who was thought to have died during the Biafra war. He is now retired and come back to the university and the narrator sees him for the first time in years.
Ebere - The narrator's deceased wife, who visits him in spirit and he describes the visits as comfort, soothing, and healing.
Nkiruka (Nkiru) - The narrator's daughter and Ebere's, who is now a doctor in America, who visits him regularly.
Harrison - House help, who comes to the narrator's house five days a week, he helps with gardening and housekeeping.
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.
Professor Maduewe- An old friend of the narrator and a professor at the university.
Otagbu's son- A young man who fixes the narrator's television.

Character Traits
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.

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".

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 to bring 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.

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.
He is seen as a concerned and caring person who always minded about the welfare of Prof.James’ daughter.

Themes

War and its effects / post-war trauma

The story deals with the impact of the war on the main character, James Nwoye, who is a survivor of the Biafra conflict. He is haunted by memories of the war and struggles to come to terms with what happened. The destructive aftermath of the war include:

Displacement of families
Loss of loved ones / Death – Zik, two lectures, Chris Okigbo, Ikenna's entire family
Destruction 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.”
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. 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
Landscapes with ruins, blown out roofs, houses with holes
Trauma – Wounded soldier, Ikenna Okoro pale shadow of his former self
Separation of families – Nkiru and his son live in America
Harrowing conditions – muddy bunkers
No food – cassava peels, malnutrition, relief food, picking through dustbins
Counterfeit/fake drugs - fie 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’. 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

Death and grief

The story features a number of ghosts, including the narrator's deceased wife, Ebere, who visits him in his dreams. The story explores the theme of grief and how it is processed by different characters.

James lives with the weight of the civil war and what might have happened.

He sees that the war robbed him of the opportunity to truly pass on his culture to his American grandson, and also of a closer relationship with his daughter (if only in a physical sense).

Corruption

The story takes place in a university setting, where the characters discuss the corruption in the institution and how it affects their lives. This theme is represented through the characters experiences with fraud, fake drugs, late pension payments and the falsification of official documents.

On the Nsukka campus, where "Cell One" took place. We see that the police corruption of "Cell One" isn't the only kind of corruption that plagues the campus.

The government isn't properly paying its employees, and this has been going on for a long time.

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.” (money is being mismanaged or indeed outrightly stolen)

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.”

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. People look the other way at professors lying about their birth dates so they can work longer.

Further, corruption is seen among university students. Prof tells Ikenna that instead of reading and working hard to earn fair grades, the universitystudents have bought grades with money or their bodies.

This is because though Ikenna lives with his memories like James does, Ikenna's memories aren't tainted by the uncomfortable truths of the present.

The fake drugs are another facet of the widespread corruption. The government isn't regulating drugs, so ineffective fake drugs are on the market. Such a drug resulted in the death of Ebere, James' wife.

James and Ikenna views on corruption are different for where James doesn't seem to think that there's anything he can do about the corruption; he's just resigned to living with it while Ikenna holds a contrasting view. With consequences like these, government corruption is a serious condition affecting the lives of many.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another strong theme in this story.

Throughout the war everyone was anxious and fearful of violence.

Old age, too, has its own kind of anxiety. James worries not only whether his daughter will call but also whether she will think him senile if he tells her of Ebere's ghostly visits.

He worries about his pension and about getting older and weaker.

Aging

The story also explores the theme of aging and the sense of insignificance that comes with it, as James reflects on his life, regrets and what could have been

Exile

The story also deals with the theme of being in Exile, as James Nwoye is exiled from the society in which he grew up and the way of life he knew because of his experiences with the war.

He is now living in a society that is foreign to him, which is made worse by the fact that his daughter and grandson live in America.

Difference between traditional practices and the habits of those who are Western-educated

In the story’s setup, James introduces the idea that there's supposed to be a huge difference between traditional practices and the habits of those who are Western-educated. He suggests, though, that he doesn't see the traditional practices as silly; rather, they're just not for him.

"But I am a Western-educated man, a retired mathematics professor of seventy-one, and I am supposed to have armed myself with enough science to laugh indulgently at the ways of my people."

Even if he doesn't think traditional practices are silly per se, James appears to have internalized some of the superiority that he's implied comes from his Western education.

"At another man's prodding, James buys some fruit and nuts from the men. He thinks they all need moisturizer, and thinks about his late wife, Ebere, teasing him about moisturizing properly." He makes a judgement on the men and thinks they all need moisturizer.

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

Flashback:

A flashback interrupts that chronological sequence, the front line action or “present” line of the story, to show readers a scene that unfolded in the past.

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

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.

Irony:

Irony is a rhetorical device and literary technique that is incredibly useful when used correctly.

Simply put, 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.

Repetition:

Repeating words or phrases.

(There are actually many different types of repetition like anaphora and epiphora.)

The narrator’s describing the falling of standards, is repeated multiple times throughout the story

Imagery:

Imagery is a literary device used in poetry, novels, and other writing that uses vivid description that appeals to a readers' senses to create an image or idea in their head.

Through language, imagery does not only paint a picture, but 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 rosebushes, etc.

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.

Allusion:

Allusion, in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.

Most allusions are based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader and that therefore the reader will understand the author's referent.

For example, the narrator mentioning his daughter Nkiruka and it being in relation to the 'what is ahead is better' which is a phrase that alludes to the aftermath of war and moving forward.

Revision questions for Ghosts

Do you believe in ghosts? What is the lesson in this story?
How effectively has the writer used flashbacks in the story ‘Ghosts,
The dialogue between Prof James and Ikenna carries the critical messages in the story. Is it true?
The higher learning education sector is satirised in Ghosts how this is achieved.
Name the forms of corruptions that occur in the story Ghosts

Essay Questions

Society today is filled with many evils that cause suffering to individuals. Support this claim using Chimamanda Adichie’s short story ‘Ghosts’
Discuss themes including:
- Death
- Corruption
- War
War has devastating effects and thus should be avoided at all cost. Using illustrations from ‘Ghosts’ by Chimamanda Adichie write an essay to support this claim.

The destructive aftermath of the war include:

Displacement of families
Loss of loved ones / Death – Zik, two lectures, Chris Okigbo, Ikenna's entire family
Destruction 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.”
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. 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
Landscapes with ruins, blown out roofs, houses with holes
Trauma – Wounded soldier, Ikenna Okoro pale shadow of his former self
Separation of families – Nkiru and his son live in America
Harrowing conditions – muddy bunkers
No food – cassava peels, malnutrition, relief food, picking through dustbins
Counterfeit/fake drugs - fie 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’. 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

Many individuals struggle with ghosts from their past. Show how true this assertion is based on ‘Ghosts’ by Chimamanda Adichie. Click here for the answer