"Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe is a short story that depicts the aftermath of the Nigerian civil war. The story follows Jonathan, a man who has survived the war and has returned home to rebuild his life.
The climax of the story occurs when Jonathan discovers that the iron safe that he buried in his backyard during the war has miraculously survived. This discovery is a turning point in the story as it represents Jonathan's hope and determination to rebuild his life after the war.
The safe contains all of Jonathan's family's valuable possessions, including money and important documents. Jonathan had buried the safe during the war to protect his family's belongings from being stolen or destroyed. The fact that the safe survived the war unscathed represents a ray of hope for Jonathan and his family.
The discovery of the safe is a significant moment in the story because it symbolizes Jonathan's resilience and determination to rebuild his life. Despite the devastation of the war, Jonathan has not given up hope. He is resourceful and takes advantage of every opportunity that comes his way. He sees the survival of the safe as a sign that he and his family can rebuild their lives and start afresh.
The passage that illustrates the climax of civil peace is when Jonathan uncovers the safe and realizes that it has survived the war. The passage reads, "Jonathan uncovered the iron safe and opened it. The documents were still there. The money was still there. Even the household treasures, the ancestral dancing masks and the carved ikengas, were intact. Jonathan threw his head back and laughed. He was a rich man again." This passage represents a significant moment in the story as it shows Jonathan's hope and determination to rebuild his life after the war.
In conclusion, the discovery of the safe is the climax of "Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe. This passage represents a turning point in the story as it symbolizes Jonathan's resilience and determination to rebuild his life after the devastation of the Nigerian civil war.