‘Ghosts’ by Chimamanda Adichi Silent Song

  “Many individuals struggle with ghosts from their past.” Write a composition with clear illustrations from the short story ‘Ghosts’ by Chimamanda Adichie to validate this statement.

Introduction

Most individuals in the society usually struggle to overcome some the past experiences that they have undergone. This leaves them traumatized for most parts of their lives. Chimamanda Adichie’s short story ‘Ghosts’ bring out characters and situations where people struggle to cope with the experiences they had undergone. For instances, Professor James Nwoye cannot let go what experiences he has goes as a result of the Biafran war.

Points of Interpretation.

(i)                 Ikenna Okoro, who was thought to have died during the war, 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. When they meet, Prof James Nwoye describes him a man who has become discoloured, dotted with brown age spots. His laughter is ‘… seemed discoloured, hollow, nothing like the aggressive sound tht reverberated all over the Staff Club in those days, …’

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.

(ii)               Professor James Nwoye’s deceased wife, Ebere, 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.

(iii)             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 have been an easy victory for his side

(iv)             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.

(v)               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.

In conclusion:

In conclusion, traumatic events in one’s past life can affect the individual for the rest of their lives.