If you are eager to check out the growing list of African writers, I would recommend looking up one of the most influential writers of this genre – Chinua Achebe. This 78 year old Nigerian writer is well-known for this insightful novels and short stories about the African continent. Thus, it is no surprise that he has won numerous awards for his books including the Campion Medal (1996) and German Booksellers Peace Prize (2002). This particular review is about one of the most popular novels about his homeland – No Longer at Ease.

No Longer at Ease tells the tale of an idealist young graduate who comes back to Nigeria after completing his studies in England. The story itself is set in the colonial time period when Nigeria was still functioning as a British protectorate. This important fact also sets the stage for one or more of the underlying themes that drive the plot – clash of cultures and corruption.   The main protagonist, Obi Okonkwo, exemplifies the conflict between African way of life and European ideals. As a matter of fact, all the events that flesh out the plot are a direct result of his inability to reconcile these two worlds. Finally, events lead to one dramatic event that shatters the image and life he was trying to build for himself as a smart educated Nigerian of the new era.

Due to the aforementioned conflict, he ends up making a lot of decisions that makes him unhappy. Firstly, he can't be with the woman he loves due to traditional taboos. Admittedly, he can't quite accommodate these thoughts given his European-based 'caste and class should not matter' ideals. On the other hand, he is wrought with guilt at betraying the decade-old (nay, century-old) beliefs of his roots. Secondly, he fights in vain for a sense of individuality, a concept that he picked up during his student years. It is hard to say you are the creator of your own future and destiny when, according to tradition, your life is tied in to that of your tribe and community. Thus, everyone has a say in his love life. Furthermore, his major for his studies was decided by the community whereby the sole idea was for him to come back and contribute to the village. The fact that a council set up by the village paid for his studies certainly added to the feeling of guilt and losing control. Thirdly, Obi has a tough time applying what he learnt – be it abstract lessons or moral values – to a society that molded people to suit its way of life. And so, refusing a bribe was turning into an irresistible move especially when debt was building up on one side.

Chinua Achebe delves deep into Nigerian way of life and explores the issues from a human perspective. You can tell that he wanted to address the common stereotypes people had about Africa – the idea of a corrupt African officer. It was not that he was apologetic about it or defending it. Rather, he was attempting to show that society shaped everyone and change was going to be hard unless all the socializing forces were properly confronted and altered at the most basic level. To this effect, European encroachment on African identity and autonomy is described or, at least, hinted throughout this novel.