Chinua Achebe’s no longer at ease is a stark, revealing look at the destruction of a man. Obi, a young Nigerian fresh off the boat from studying abroad in England, is an idealist readying himself to purge the government of corruption and help his country enter modernity. However, he soon discovers that the desire for wealth and corrupt politicians are not old traditions, but part of the transition into the modern world.
The Tragedy of Obiajulu Okonkwo
Achebe’s writing style in no longer at ease follows a haphazard timeline, jumping back and forth between various times in Obi’s life, while weave together seamlessly to tell the story of Obi’s rise and subsequent fall.
The story begins with his court case and the judge declaring, “I cannot comprehend how a young man of your education and brilliant promise could have done this,” before shifting back to his childhood when he was “in fact a village celebrity.”
Obi leaves Africa to attend university and study English. He later returns to a Nigeria that is “in many ways different from the picture he had carried in his mind.” He starts life with such high prospects, but throughout the novel Obi’s pride and lack of experience prove his downfall, as he slowly becomes the type of man he has always despised.
Characters in no longer at ease
While Obi is the central focus of the novel, there are many characters that attempt to halt his digression towards corruption. Firstly, his fiancé Clara quickly reveals a dark secret about herself: she is an osu, born into a cursed family line. She tries to cancel the wedding, but Obi doesn’t care: he lives in a modern world and obstinately refuses to believe that old cultures and traditions should still be upheld.
His childhood friend Joseph understands the world a little better, he struggles to live in the changing Nigerian world, but he warns Obi that long held traditions will not die so easily. Obi’s friends, family and workmates all try to steer him in the right direction, but ultimately it is Obi’s careless choices and naïveté that lead to his eventual destruction.
Conclusion
At one point in the novel, Obi discusses the book The Heart of the Matter with one of his colleagues. He states that the book was “nearly ruined by the ‘happy ending,’” when the protagonist commits suicide to escape his troubles. Obi understands that real tragedy isn’t so simple, “real tragedy is never resolved,” he claims.
Sadly, Obi’s description of tragedy eventually mirrors his own life, with the final pages sure to leave readers with a bitter taste, as Obi’s tragic fall is never truly resolved. Achebe leaves a lasting impression that serves to remain readers that tragedy is never pretty and, in life, there are not always happy endings.
Publication Information
Publisher: Anchor Books
Publication Date: October 1994
ISBN: 0-385-47455-5
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