Resistance of Achebe’s ‘Heroes’ Okonkwo and Obi Okonkwo: Defeated in the Flux of Nigerian Society?

Abstract

This paper analyzes the resistance of Achebe’s two ‘heroes’ Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart, and Obi Okonkwo, the protagonist of No Longer at Ease. While Okonkwo takes up arms to preserve culture and tradition in a “things fall apart society”, Obi Okonkwo’s honesty and his love for Clara remain constant with him and he is “no longer at ease” in the flux of colonial Nigeria. In pre-colonial Nigeria, Okonkwo’s resistance to the white man’s religion, education and technology is defeated and Obi’s desire for a corrupt-free Nigeria fails during British colonial rule. In line with this development, we find Okonkwo’s son converting to Christianity. Eventually, Okonkwo commits suicide realizing that he is going to be defeated. However, the history of resistance does not end here and Okonkwo’s and Obi’s apparent defeats have far-reaching implications for Africa’s subsequent anti-colonial struggle.