How did the civil war affect Jonathan and his neighbors? How does Jonathan begin to rebuild his life after the war?

The destruction of the war permeates the narrative. Jonathan is elated when he finds his home still standing, remarking that a neighboring building was reduced to rubble. In other words, he has learned to accept destruction as a given. If one part of Jonathan’s success can be attributed to his positive outlook, the other can be attributed to his strong work-ethic. The Iwegbu family works consistently to improve its position despite significant setbacks. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Jonathan recovers his bicycle and uses it to start a small taxi service. Once he returns to Enugu, he opens a bar for soldiers while his wife and children sell breakfast cakes and mangoes. Even after being robbed by armed men, the family wakes the next morning ready to continue their work: Jonathan straps a palm-wine container to his bike, his wife fries cakes, and his son cleans out empty wine bottles.