Obi’s Car Symbol Analysis

Obi’s car, which he receives as a perk upon starting his job at the Civil Service, represents the impossible situation Obi finds himself in as he struggles to uphold his morals in a system rampant with corruption. Obi’s flashy car presents a distinctly Western vision of success, one that modern, foreign-educated Nigerians Obi have internalized due to the influence of Western culture on Nigeria after decades under colonial rule. But Obi’s gradual decline over the course of the novel proceeds to undermine that understanding of success. Thrilled upon first receiving the fancy new car, Obi proudly drives around town in it, taking his friends for rides. The Umuofia Progressive Union, too, admires Obi’s car, which they see as proof of Obi’s success and as a harbinger of all the good he will do for Nigeria and its people. It’s not long, however, before Obi’s mounting financial obligations  and other hardships force him to confront the underlying hollowness of this vision of success, which rests upon a vision of 1950s Nigeria as a fundamentally just place where idealistic young Nigerians like Obi have a real (and realistic) opportunity to improve themselves and help create a better future for Nigeria. But this is not the reality of 1950s Nigeria, where rampant corruption is the norm and hopeful young people like Obi don’t cling to their ideals for long—not if they want to see success. When Obi is nearly killed in a car accident on his way back to Lagos from his home village one day, the incident ominously foreshadows Obi’s eventual fall as he is arrested and convicted on charges of corruption. Things come to a head when Obi receives the car’s unexpected—and unexpectedly large—insurance payment. Having run out of options, Obi accepts a bribe to pay off his debts, behavior that soon becomes the norm for Obi despite the strict morals he once held himself to.