---
title: "Central theme of Civil Peace"
subject: "Communication English"
chapter: 2
key: "semester_5/communication_english:civil-peace-central-theme"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/civil-peace-central-theme
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Central theme of Civil Peace

Communication English · Chapter 2: Extensive Reading

- Asked in: 2070 Chaitra, 5 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/civil-peace-central-theme
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-2

## Question

What is the central theme of "Civil Peace"? (Civil Peace)

## Short answer

The central theme is resilience and optimism after war, with ironic post-war insecurity. Jonathan Iwegbu values survival over property, accepts loss calmly, and starts again, while crime and moral decay persist, showing human courage amid societal failure.

## Answer

The central theme of Chinua Achebe's short story "Civil Peace" is the endurance and hopeful spirit of ordinary people who must rebuild their lives after a war, together with the irony that the "peace" that follows a civil war is not always peaceful.

#### Story in brief
Jonathan Iwegbu, a Nigerian who has survived the civil war, is "happy" because he and almost all his family are alive, and he still has his bicycle. He uses it to earn money, and he receives twenty pounds as an "egg-rasher" (ex-gratia payment) for turning in Biafran money. He repairs his damaged house and begins to rebuild his life. One night armed thieves arrive and demand money. His family cries for help, but the neighbours do not come. The thieves take his savings. Jonathan accepts the loss calmly and starts again.

#### Themes
1. **Survival and resilience.** Jonathan values life above property. He says he counts the loss as nothing, because the family has survived the war and money can be earned again.
2. **Hope and optimism.** Despite hunger and loss, he does not despair. The family begins work immediately.
3. **Post-war insecurity.** After the war, there is crime, corruption and moral decay. "Civil peace" is a bitter irony, because the thieves and the officials show that violence and exploitation continue.
4. **Value of family.** The unity of the family supports hope.

The story thus celebrates human courage in difficult times and gently criticises the society that fails to protect its people.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is the central theme of 'Civil Peace'?
   A. Endurance and hope of ordinary people rebuilding after war, with the irony that peace is not peaceful
   B. Glory of war
   C. Victory of the army
   D. Wealth of the rich
   Answer: A. Jonathan keeps rebuilding after loss. (Key point: Central theme)

2. How does Jonathan react to the theft?
   A. With violence
   B. By leaving the village
   C. Calmly, valuing life above property and starting again
   D. By blaming neighbours only
   Answer: C. They survived the war and money can be earned again. (Key point: Jonathan's philosophy)

3. Why is 'civil peace' ironic?
   A. Crime, corruption and violence continue after the war
   B. Peace was complete
   C. The war continued
   D. Thieves were punished
   Answer: A. The neighbours also do not help. (Key point: Irony)

4. What does the story gently criticise?
   A. The family
   B. Jonathan
   C. Society failing to protect its people
   D. Bicycles
   Answer: C. It also celebrates human courage. (Key point: Criticism)

## Related in Communication English

- [Civil Peace: an ideal family and hope](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aideal-family-grants-space-civil-peace) — Communication English, chapter 2

## Related in other subjects

- [Governing equations; forward, backward, central differencing](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fcomputational_techniques_in_civil_engineering%3Agoverning-eq-forward-backward-central) — Computational Techniques in Civil Engineering, chapter 5
- [Darcy fluxes around a central grid](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fcomputational_techniques_in_civil_engineering%3Adarcy-flux-central-grid) — Computational Techniques in Civil Engineering, chapter 7