Navigating Conundrums: Obi Okonkwo's Struggle with Identity, Corruption, and Tradition - Essay Sample

Obi Okonkwo was sent to study in England as he was well-educated. Before he leaves, he is tasked with the burden of bringing light to his people. He stays in England for close to four years, and during long winters, he longs for the warm weather of Umuofia. His homecoming turned out to be the contrast of what he had expected. He finds himself in a peculiar position where he is torn between his country and everything he learned in England (Anmol, 2013). The education he holds dear makes him feel guilty since it makes him a stranger in his country. Obi secured a position in the civil service, a car, and money. Aspects that earned him respect. However, Obi’s failure to inform Umuofia Progressive Union of his homecoming robbed the union of an opportunity to boast of their achievement of having taken him abroad. Obi gradually began to lose the awe that his exposure abroad should have given him. He robs himself of another opportunity that would have placed him on the pedestal after he arrives at his reception, informally dressed and speaks in informal English.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Obi’s financial and personal life began to spiral out of control. He falls in love and gets engaged with Clara, who is an Osu, thus an outcast. That means Obi is supposed to shun her at all costs. When his mum knew of his engagement, she swore that Obi would marry Clara over her dead body. He shoulders several responsibilities, including his parent's income, brother’s fees, repayment of his scholarship, and maintaining his lifestyle. The expenses overwhelmed him to the point he got into debt. Furthermore, he discovered that Clara was pregnant and opted for abortion, but he did not have the funds. His relationship ended, and his mum passed away. Obi began to take bribes without a second thought, actions that made him find himself in court charged with taking bribes and corruption.

How Obi Addresses the Challenges

Obi was nostalgic about Nigeria. He felt homesick, and whenever he met Nigerians in England, they conversed in Igbo. He was thrilled by the fact that he could finally speak in his local dialect in a foreign land. Obi may have felt uncomfortable among the British, but he put up a positive attitude and decided that education was vital in changing Nigeria's corrupt system. He was convinced that Nigeria needed young idealists like him who would change a system that asked for bribes to secure a job position. He returns to Nigeria as an honest man ready to fight corruption in the civil service (Godek, 2018). He was a determined young man prepared to change his country, although he could hardly reconnect with things as they were before his departure. Obi fell in love with Clara and decided that he would not leave her because of her identity. Instead, he convinces himself that he will be part of the group to halt the harmful cultural practice. Unfortunately, he had overestimated his ability to convince his family that it would be okay to marry a lady who was an outcast to the Igbo. Obi felt he had failed at the task of fighting corruption. The guilt was unbearable, and he decided never to take a bribe. However, it was too let, and he got caught.

The Lessons I have Learned from Obi’s Life

The first lesson I have learned is to never conform to the pressure of society. Obi felt obliged to take care of his parents, and a sibling’s school fees, repay his scholarship, and maintain his social class without an appropriate strategy. His well-paying job as a civil servant could no longer sustain him. He was not irresponsible with money. However, he failed to account for his funds. The people around him knew he was bright enough to handle such expenses, and they were unable to notice the financial distress he was facing. It did not take long before he fell victim to the one thing he had promised to eradicate; corruption.

The second lesson I have learned is to find the right balance in life, no matter how difficult it may seem. Learning in England is something to be proud of, but that cannot be said about Obi. He felt guilty that his education made him a stranger among his people. However, he could have taken the learning to his advantage and helped transform Nigeria using the skills and knowledge he had acquired. If Obi had found the right balance, he would have been aware that attending his reception while informally dressed would not be pleasing to his people. However, he was in an uneasy situation where he struggled between his tradition and the European ways.

References

Anmol, D. (2013, March 15). No Longer at Ease Summary. https://www.gradesaver.com/no-longer-at-ease/study-guide/summary

Godek, T. (2018, November 11). Obi Okonkwo in No Longer At Ease. https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/no-longer-at-ease/obi-okonkwo.