Reading the Forms of Hybridization in Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease

The paper attempts to study No Longer at Ease from the standpoint of hybridization of values by the Ibo society, especially by the protagonist, Obi Okonkwo, within the colonial framework of Nigeria. The protagonist does not find this so-called hybridization—which is mentioned throughout the paper—as a particularly empowering situation because he must constantly balance the demands and expectations of his Ibo clan in his village, Umuofia, on one hand with the British expectations of change and reform among the Nigerians, on the other. This struggle makes him feel very uneasy about his position and ultimately leads to his final tragedy. The theoretical concept of ‘hybridity,’ which is appropriate for the analysis and argument, provides the underlying premise of the work.