At the time of Achebe's birth in 1930 Nigeria was experiencing tremendous unrest. The people of Nigeria were beginning to uprise against British rule. The Nigerians themselves were uncertain which direction their country should head. The British were reluctant to reduce their grip on the country. Nigeria eventually won independence in 1960.(World Book) The point being, that from his birth to the time of the writing of these novels Chineua was a first hand observer of the ways the N

e body of a suicide victim because it is crawling with evil. (Achebe 147). On the next page, the commissioner wonders if he might be able to write a whole paragraph about this savage. When we remember that Achebe wrote a whole novel about Okonkwo and the commissioner 'might write a paragraph' seems to be asking us "is what is small and petty to Europe is actually very important to a Nigerian?". These instances are examples of how the author honestly relates Ibo life, asks important questions between the lines of the text and relates the "culture shock" that led to Okonkwo's death.

In Things Fall Apart the issue of change and how it affects the lead character, Okonkwo is examined. Okonkwo is a man of the past. He cares not for the new religion brought by the British. He is an Ibo warrior, not an English citizen. Okonkwo had himself already cut off five human heads with his own axe. (Achebe 8). Although he was a great and respected warrior, his inability to accept the way the 'civilized' British function led to his demise. Through the text we can see Okonkwo's rage as the messenger who had deceived him previously returns to Umuofia. Okonkwo refuses to fear the power of the British orders and cuts off the messengers head. Had Okonkwo tried harder to accept the 'new ways' he might not have killed the messenger, thus preventing his suicide. The scene where the British, seeking revenge for the murdered messenger are led to Okonkwo's dead body is a good example of how Ibo customs are related through the text. We, the readers learn that Ibo cannot even touch th!

In this essay I have compared the stated goals of the Nigerian writer Chineua Achebe to scenes and examples in the texts of the two novels considered. I feel that his goal of presenting accurate pictures of Ibo lifestyle has been achieved through his work. When Compared to the simple minded savage working the boiler in Conrad's Heart of Darkness a much more satisfying image of African humanity emerges through Achebe's portrayal of two generations of the Okonkwo family. We have seen examples of conflicting cultures and ways in which Achebe weaves many questions into his work. In short, Achebe has satisfied himself and the reader, producing work representative of his own goals and the Nigerian people.

16) He has high status in the Ibo circle but is a relatively low peg on the pole in the English circle. Consider the fact that Obi has forever isolated himself from his people through the renouncing of the old ways his new education and his proposed marriage to Clara. He can never go back to the Ibo, but will still forever be an outsider in the culture of the white man. The text seems to ask us what has Obi Okonkwo gained in his education?

At the End of the novel, No Longer at Ease Obi

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Approximate Word count = 1861
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)