jected as being 'realistic', commonsense views. Achebe's satirical treatment of thecharacter enforces a debate on those values. The implicit questions are these: can a man be popular, and a scoundrel? can aman be honest and, at the same time, corrupt? is political success evidence of a betrayal of ideals? Nanga affirms that hispurpose is to make sure that his constituents "press for their fair share of the national cake." He tells his audience that he wouldhave preferred to speak in the vernacular but he uses English because (as he puts it) "speeches made in vernacular were liableto be distorted and misquoted in the press." (p. 15) In passages such as these, where one notes the socio-politicalcontradictions that are revealed by the use of satire, the main target is clearly the exposure of hypocrisy. Indeed, Nanga'shypocritical approach to his role of benevolent politician clarifies the connection between 'honest' national aims and personalhypocrisy (a connection that is supported by the treatment of Odili and becomes, itself, a major projected contradiction). ChiefNanga is a man who "attracts drama irresistibly to him." (p. 51) He also attracts a large measure of Achebe's attention as afigure who activates the fictive debate of values.Both Odili and Nanga are juxtaposed against such characters as the lawyer Max, Odili's father, and the trade-unionist whoconsiders that nervousness is at the root of the country's trouble. "'We say we are neutral,' he says, 'but as soon as we hearcommunist we begin de shake and piss for trouser'." (p. 90) All these figures contribute to Achebe's personalisation of socialcontradiction, a process by which the consideration of values is embedded in the realist novel form.It would appear that Chinua Achebe does attempt (or suggest) a certain degree of resolution to the contradictions that he bringsunder scrutiny in A Man of the People. In the final section of the novel, the main figures are shown against a bac...
