Critically assess the elements of style and meaning in Chinua Achebe's a man of the people

Achebe’s style is witty and understated. For example, he describes the politician: “Nanga must have gone into politics soon afterward and then won a seat in Parliament. (It was easy in those days—before we knew its cash price.)” He uses the language that a young, educated man such as Odili would use. Achebe states profound truths simply, and uses metaphor sparingly. He sometimes connects the personal story of Odili and the political story of the country by tying the themes together. For example, he shows how Odili uses deception to get what he wants with women while at the same time Odili is repulsed by the way politicians deceive the people.

Achebe writes some of the dialog in the pidgin dialect of Africa, which may be difficult for non-African readers to understand, but which adds to the vibrancy of the country in which this novel takes place. Better-educated characters use the pidgin dialect when they are trying to connect with less-educated countrymen.