There's also the influence education has had on Obi. Obi is faced with many dilemmas and unfortunately doesn't handle them very well. Obi has a lot of people to please, but at the same time, his new Western lifestyle comes with a costly price tag. Being educated abroad Obi was given a "European post", but this prestigious job comes with a lot of responsibilities. Just as in Things Fall Apart I did find a number of themes. After spending four years in England, Obi now struggles with tradition, the expectations of his village, the UPU and his family to not forget his tradition, and a modern lifestyle in Lagos. The novel begins with Obi on trial for taking a bribe, and then we go back in time to find out how this honest man (who detests corruption), with a UK education, working for the civil service, with a very good salary, could take a bribe. This was made possible by the Umuofia Progressive Union (the villagers pooled their money to create a scholarship), which he has to pay back within four years of his return to Nigeria. Published in 1960, this was Chinua Achebe's second novel and tells the story of Obi Okonkwo, the grandson of Okonkwo from Things Fall Apart. It is 1950s Nigeria and Obi has just returned to Nigeria after 4 years in England studying English. No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe is my third novel for my personal Iconic African Authors Challenge.
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