In the novel No Longer at Ease, it is shown that moving away from tradition can be difficult. The book opens with Obi, a young man, on trial for committing a crime. He then goes on to describe the difficult moments in Obi's life, his mother who had just died and his future wife, Clara, who had just ended the relationship. The novel continues with a flashback to where it all began in Obi's life. Obi had just returned to Nigeria from the British University, where he had been educated for the past four years, thanks to the granting of a scholarship by the Umuofia Progressive Union. Returning home Obi, overwhelmed by the anticipation of seeing familiar faces, met a young woman named Clara. Their relationship and the intersection between them grew pretty quickly. As he returned home, the Umuofia Progressive Union organized a party in honor of his homecoming. Obi then stays with his friend Joseph, hoping to find a home and a job. Obi runs into corruption early on, when a man offers Obi money so his little sister can get a scholarship or when the girl herself comes to Obi offering herself the favor. Obi who has always been against that world, rejects them both. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As soon as things started to get worse for Obi, Clara came to him and told him that because she is an outcast, they can't get married. Obi ignores her concerns, her customs and decides that they will continue with the wedding. To make matters worse, he is still in debt and then receives a letter from his father telling him it's time to go home. Upon his return he finds his mother ill and very irritated by his decision to marry Clara. His parents continually tell him that Clara is an osu and they shouldn't get married. His mother finally gives him a choice, marry Clara and, if she is still alive, he will kill himself or wait for death to go forward with the marriage. Obi tells Clara about the choices he has, Clara becomes angry and decides it is best to end the engagement altogether. Afterwards, Obi found out about Clara's pregnancy and scheduled an abortion. Clara is then admitted to hospital due to complications in the surgery and refuses to speak to or see Obi. Obi returns to his daily life and is informed that his mother has died. Obi sends the money he has for his funeral but does not return home for his mother's funeral. The Umuofia Progressive Union views the act as if he did not care about his mother's death. With the love of his life and his mother gone, Obi falls into a deep depression and realizes that it was Clara who kept him on track. Obi lets go of all the principles he has followed in his life and takes a bride, reassuring himself that it will be his last. Obi realizes he's been lying to himself and it starts to become commonplace. However, when Obi takes his latest bride, he is captured and found guilty, taking us back to the beginning of the novel. As I read this novel, the similarities didn't occur to me until I wrote this book report. Obi went to England for four years to continue his studies. He mentioned in the book that Umuofia Progressive Union offered him a scholarship to attend British University. I drew a parallel between myself and Obi. We have all been fortunate enough to be able to attend college, whether in the same state or a different one. We also have the opportunity to participate in a study program on board in different continents. In Harding they offer about seven different programs, which can further your education, maybe meet the love of your life.