Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The novel presidential handshake is a novel that tells us about character named Chukwuemeka Nebedum who is an upright and honest man, who was rewarded with the gift of been able to see the president.
This novel unfolds the event that takes place in teacher Neb’s life. We can see that the writer of the novel used the novel to discuss the issues and problems in the society.
It is an apt x-ray of the relationship between the society and polity. The writer of this book also tries to tell us that, we the citizens help in destroying the nation. We see this in page 335, the issue between Akarika and the drug law enforcement Agency because he has been importing fake drugs and also in page 316, when teacher Nebe’s landlord admitted to build an estate on top of the central city waste Pepe and other estate which was built on the national electricity high tension wires, these men (Akarika and Nebe’s landlord) knew what they did as wrong yet they have the quests to come to Nebe for him to plead for them to the president. In this novel the writer help us to see the core of the society’s mindset.
PLOT
Exposition
These are the background information of a novel. The beginning of the novel the presidential handshake starts the running of teacher Nebe from the school ball because of the loud screams from the school community which flitter his ears like an uncountable swarms of bees.
We can also see that teacher Nebe who has apathy towards politics is being invited to the presidential vanilla for a presidential by his worse students named Sopuru Obiom, we reader learn that Sopuru Obiom has always been a troublemaker and a naughty student who made trouble everywhere he went to but also escapes.
In the beginning of the novel, the narrator takes time to introduce us readers to other fellow teacher e.g. Dife, the literature teacher, Mr. Nwoko e.t.c
The beginning of the novel also tells us (readers) about how teacher Nebe hates farming an also how he came about in marrying her wife Rita
Initiating incident
This changes the situation established in the background of the novel and sets the conflict in motion.
The indicating action in the novel starts in the beginning of the novel. The issue of the teacher Nebe being invited to the president’s vanilla for a handshake. After teacher Nebe had been invited, his life events changed, he was been disturbed by known and unknown people even the Igwe of the town invited him to his palace because of the issue of the presidential handshake, after the invitation Chukwuemeka Nebedum’s life knew no rest.
Rising action
This is the point of complication; it is the tying of knots in a story. The rising action in the novel is when the people surrounding teacher Nebe began to pressure him to honor the invitation of the president e.g. when Chike teacher Nebe’s friend asked him to honor the invitation or refund him his money he used in sponsoring the drinks for celebration and also when Rita’s mother and teacher Nebe’s sister came to force him to honor the invitation to the president’s villa
Climax/peak
This is the point of the greatest conflict in the novel or the turning point of a novel. This is when the teacher, teacher Nebe was summoned again to the palace. There he was been forced by the Igwe and the cabinets to honor the president invitation
Falling action
This is when teacher Nebe decided to honor the president’s invitation in order to find people in his environment.
Denouncement
This is when teacher Nebe visits the president and he was surprised at how Sopuru Obiom has changed. There he promised to be an activist.
THEMES
- Corruption
In this novel, we the readers found out that it is not only the leaders that are corruption but also we the followers are more corrupt than our leaders and we claim not to know. Like in page 310 the issue of chief Uba’s estate. Chief Uba is said to having been bribing government officer to step the dimidiation of his estates which will build on central waste pipe and near high tension electricity.
In page 329, we see the issue of Akarika who has been paying law enforcement Agency in order for him to import fake drugs not minding the consequences. Etc.
- The mindset of the people
In this novel, we can see that the people have a typical traditional mindset where they think the president can solve relevant and non-relevant situation within a twinkle of an eye. For example when Uche teacher Nebe’s cousin came to him in order for him to beg the president to grant him a visa instead of applying of it.
- Image of women in the society
In this novel, the writer talked about the image of women in the society on three different occasions.
One was with Philo, Nebe’s cousin, whose father was been insulted because his household was filled with female children. Secondly was also with one of Nebe’s cousin who was thrown out of her husband’s home because he was died and she refused to sleep with the younger brother.
Thirdly was with the old woman, whose son was imprisoned by the uncle in order for him to claim their father’s property because he was late and also the plan of killing the widow to inherit everything.
- The importance of education
In this novel, we can see that education is very important. If teacher Nebe was not to have been educated, he would have not tackled the issues surrounding the way he tackled it.
- Inhumanity
The theme inhumanity is one of the major themes in this novel; we can see the issue occurring in many chapters of the book. Like the issue of Nebe’s cousin being throw out of the house because she could not sleep with her late husband’s younger brother. And the issue of chief Uba building his estates in dangerious place without caring for the Enacts life.
CHARACTERS
Chukwuemeka Nebedum
He is the main character of the novel. He is also the narrator of the novel; it is through his eyes that we are able to understand what is happening in the novel.
He is a teacher, an upright man and a ward man. He is the husband of Rita and a friend of teacher Dife and Chike. He is also a peacemaker and a counsin of Philo.
Rita
She is the wife of teacher Nebe. She is said to be very beautiful, hardworking, kind and compassionate. She is also a teacher and a good wife
Philo
She is a cousin of teacher Nebe, a friend of Rita’s and a wife to Chike. She is also a mother of one and a business woman. She is said to be very tall and has a Manish structure.
Teacher Dife
He is said to be a tall and big man. He is nicknamed Gorilla by teacher Nebe. He is a very close friend of teacher Nebe. He is a very good man and also a man who doesn’t play with food.
Chike
He is an in-law to teacher Nebe and also a friend. He is husband to Philo Nebe’s cousin. He is a very good man who is very rational. He is a banker and also a friend to teacher Dife.
Agaba
He is a very rich man. He is a man who wants Rita, teacher Nebe’s wife and when she refuses he decides to publicly humiliate her.
Chief Uba
He is a landlord to teacher Nebe, teacher Dife and Chika. He is a hypocrite. The pretend to know God yet he endangers the life of his tenets knowingly.
Akaika
He is a very wealthy man. He owns many charity homes yet he endangers the people by importing false drugs all in the name of making fast money.
LITERACY TECHNIQUES
Language:
The language is very simple. The writer makes it so in order for the people to understand and communicate with the novel while reading it.
Flashback: Flashback occurred many times in this novel. It is one of the major literacy techniques used in this novel.
Like in page 227; when Philo was recalling a past conversation she had with her father and also her teenage age.
And also in page 52, when Agaba came to visit teacher Nebe and Rita was recalling what she went through in the hands of Agaba.
Simile
“It came into his eardrums like the drone of uncountable swamis of bees”. “The teacher yearned to be free, free like the birds”.
THE POINT OF VIEW
The point of view used in this novel is the first person part of view which is teacher Nebe.