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Achebe, Chinua. No Longer at Ease. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1994.
Written by renowned African Writer Achebe Chinua, No Longer at Ease carries a message on the effects of westernization on Africans. This he does by showing the effects of education on the already existing African traditions that Obi Okonkwo, the main character, learnt before going to England for further education. We feel the impact of his trip when he returns to Nigeria but fails to meet the expectations of his people. Achebe, a Nigerian, uses very simple English and known proverbs to reach out to his audience, a feat only a native can achieve.
In his works, Achebe Chinua seeks to identify the conflicts faced by native Africans upon the arrival of the colonial power in Nigeria (Indiana University Press). While doing this, he sheds light on the silent war waged between two cultures and in turn tries to offer a solution. Finding basis on the importance ofthe family and the elderly, the latter considered wise among many African communities, Achebe takes readers through different events that see the characters have conflicting interests then later learn different lessons.
Ever since the colonial times, Western countries have either modified or eradicated completely most of the African traditions. This is especially so in the nineteen sixties where African countries were struggling for independence. Nigeria gained its independence in nineteen sixty but by then the United Kingdom, its colonial power, had a major impact on the country’s customs. Different works try to grasp the outcomes of the Westerners’ presence in Africa while at the same time remind the people their origin and cultural norms. Achebe Chinua’s novel is no different. From the time setting to the emerging problems faced by the characters, the novel can easily be an actual occurrence in real life Nigeria.
No Longer at Ease implements actual events, such as the coming of the white man to Africa, and uses a typical Nigerian community to show the conflicts natives faced upon the arrival of the new comers (Irele). In addition, Achebe employs local vernacular in the narration, a factor that represents the African roots that are vital in the major themes of the novel. The narrative serves the roles of a critic and an educator to his audience as a whole. In addition, a lot of prominence is on the fact that foreigners introduce different ways of life that see the African customs and values deteriorate drastically (Irele). Since Achebe was born in the Igbo community, he captures readers with the story easily and maintains a good tempo throughout the story.
According toAchebe, the whites’ presence among the Nigerian people brought undesirable changes to the locals. The said changes led to disregard of cultural beliefs and practices that in turn saw the locals land in trouble. In “No Longer at Ease: Traditional and Western Values in the Fiction of Chinua Achebe”, Singh attests to this when he states that, “For Achebe’s characters, the tragic choice between imposing values inevitably turns out to be a conflict between the folklore and the written word” (159). Folklore according to Singh, are the traditions and cultural norms among the Igbo people while the written word is the white man’s literature, to which Okonkwo is exposed (Singh 160).
With regard to the introduction of a new culture, Okonkwo Obi is indecisive, because he is unable to choose between the two. Achebe again shows how the young African man fails to heed the advice of his elders and instead opts to rely on the education acquired from his time in England. This is clear when he accepts bribery despite his upbringing that forbade the action. The English men however have no problem with the same and end up teaching Obi the art of taking bribes. Such is the case when Christopher, Obi’s acquaintance, supports bribery stating that even if one person says no another person will still take the bribe. In short, Obi should take a bribe when offered and not dwell so much on the action (Achebe 17).
Obi’s story represents many factors that took place during the writing and publishing of the book. It is evident that Obi is unable to make a choice on what to do when faced with different situations. The biggest mistake he makes is failing to listen to his elders who turn out to be right all along. The new culture he desperately tries to embrace fails him and the Igbo society has to help with his legal fees. Nigeria, like most other African countries, was on the verge of gaining its independence and the whites were finally leaving the African soil. However, with their departure there rose confusion, as the once colonized people were free to govern themselves.
Obi was under the villagers’ guidance while in Igbo; his trip to England for further studies saw him become a master to his own thoughts and in turn saw him attain individualism. A factor that allowed him to make his own decisions and do as he desired as in the case where he decides to pursue a degree in English instead of Law. Thislater saw him lose his way as he finds himself in a lot of trouble for taking bribery. It is safe to argue that Achebe supports the views of the community rather than that of an individual while at the same time, he supports self-realization as long as it lies within the roots of a person’s upbringing. In addition, we can view an ironic twist of fate as Obi finds himself in court, for taking bribery to pay his debts, and is unable to pay his legal fees. If he had taken law, he would not be in need of lawyer and with the large sum of money lawyers seem to be earning, he might have avoided the debts.
In conclusion, the story carries sound advice for all people, young and old. The humor it carries is an added benefit to all who read it and at a personal level; Achebe makes a sound point in emphasizing the importance of family. At the same time, his harsh attitude towards the Western culture loses its merit as he fails to see the advantages Africa has had from its relations with the West. Education is for instance one of the said advantages and to this day, an educated person is highly respected in all societies. Besides, the Whites were not only in Nigeria but also in the whole of Africa and despite the colonial era, most countries benefited from the knowledge imparted by their visitors.
Work Cited
Achebe, Chinua. No Longer at Ease. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1994.
Indiana University Press. "Chinua Achebe and the birth of African literature." Indiana University Press Journals (2011).
Irele, Abiola. "The Crisis of Cultural Memory in Chinua Achebe's Works." African Studies Quarterly (2011).
Singh, Raman. "No Longer at Ease:Traditional and Western Values in the Fiction of Chunua Achebe." Neohelicon,Volume 16, Issue 2 (2000): 159-167.
