Goddess of the Savannah: Beatrice as Achebe’s Sensible Solution

This paper argues that Beatrice in Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah is a character whose democratic nature creates a place for voices typically excluded in the novel’s government. Functioning under the common assumption that Anthills of the Savannah is a political allegory, it is Beatrice’s democratic nature that makes her an ideal political leader. By blending change and tradition, Beatrice is able to form an inclusive and evolving solution to the novel’s leadership problem. The paper briefly reflects on colonialism’s role in destroying the socioeconomic and political systems already in place in African nations, specifically Nigeria, and the byproduct of this destruction, post-colonialism. This framework is then applied to Achebe’s text, examining how he uses narrative to explore the relationship between post-colonialism, leadership, and gender. The paper analyzes how leadership is presented in the novel, what Beatrice’s style of democracy looks like, and how Beatrice’s unique form of democracy is successful