Diffusion of English Culture and Identity Crisis in Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease

Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease (1960), a sequel to Things Fall Apart, explores the dilemmas faced by postcolonial subjects navigating between indigenous values and imposed colonial culture. Set in the transitional period of Nigeria’s journey toward independence, the novel foregrounds the psychological and cultural conflicts experienced by Obi Okonkwo, a Western-educated Nigerian civil servant. Achebe’s narrative highlights the consequences of cultural dislocation and hybridization, reflecting the broader struggle of African societies negotiating between colonial modernity and traditional heritage. Through a postcolonial lens, this article analyses how the imposition and internalization of English values, education, and bureaucratic systems disrupt indigenous identities, resulting in a fractured sense of self.