Anthills of the Savannah is a fictional novel by Chinua Achebe

Anthills of the Savannah is a fictional novel by Chinua Achebe. The novel tells the story of three educated friends who become major figures in a new regime in the fictional West African land of Kangan. The new regime has been in power for a couple of years, the coup overthrew a former dictator. The three friends have all assumed important positions within the new government. Sam is the presidential dictator, who has become a leader that does not care much for the people but more for the power that he is gaining as the leader. Chris Oriko is the Commissioner of Information and is an honest man who retains his morality in a corrupt government. Ikem Osodi is the editor of the government controlled newspaper, the National Gazette. Ikem is an outspoken about the need to reform the government. Beatrice is Chris’s girlfriend and she becomes a dominant educated woman figure throughout the novel. Throughout the novel tensions began to rise due mainly to political oppression and cultural confusion and Sam’s desire for power becomes an obsession for him. The friends are all highly influenced by western culture and educated in the United Kingdom they are far ahead in the development of modern culture compared to their fellow African people. They all studied abroad and are comfortable tossing off literary and cultural references from the West. At the same time, each is proud of and clearly shaped by their African heritage. This novel demonstrates the challenges posed to African societies by modernism and Western influence.
Sam the president and the rest of the men all came into their positions after a coup that they were involved with overthrew the dictating government. Sam established the role as president even though he himself did not even feel prepared because his military background was inadequate preparation for a position of such importance. His friends helped him get appointed and encouraged him. Sam took on the position being completely unprepared to become a