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Genre
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Disgraceful Bribes:
No Longer at Ease is framed by a glaring instance of situational irony: though Obi initially detests the corruption he sees in Lagos and is adamant about not taking part in it, by the novel’s end he is disgraced and arrested for taking part in the exact same corruption.
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Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Income Tax:
In Chapter 7, Achebe foreshadows an event that will become one of the factors in Obi's eventual decision to accept bribes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+But six months might be long enough for things to improve a little. No one told him about income tax. That was to come, but not for another two months.
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Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Obi's Mother's Death:
Obi's reaction to the death of his mother in Chapter 18 includes an example of dramatic irony. In response to the news, the Umuofia Progressive Union concludes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“This boy that we are all talking about, what has he done? He was told that his mother died and he did not care. It is a strange and surprising thing, but I can tell you that I have seen it before. His father did it.”
But Obi feels differently:
Obi had been utterly prostrated by the shock of his mother’s death.
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