Clara Okeke is a young trained nurse who is presented in the novel as a character who struggles to adapt to the Nigerian society of before independence. She is the fiancée of the protagonist, Obi Okonkwo, whom she first meets at a ball in England. Although she is called Ibo, Clara was educated abroad and lives a very modern lifestyle, just like that of the protagonist. From the beginning of the story, we see his relationship with Obi as very unstable, with many disagreements and quarrels. As the story progresses, it is revealed that she is an Osu and belongs to a group of people known to be outcasts in the 1960s Nigerian society where the story takes place. From the beginning of the story, readers are led to see Clara is a very educated and strong-minded young woman, although she is not described as very intellectual. Unlike Obi, Clara is closely tied to her tradition. Achebe depicts Clara's strong attachment to her tradition, to offer a clue to the culture of class society in Nigeria. As the story progresses, Obi notices Clara's unhappiness as they drive through town and asks her what's wrong. After several attempts to get him to respond, Clara responds by saying, "I can't marry you." And explains by saying: “I am an osu”. Clara's saying that she "can't marry" Obi because of his ancestry shows not only her deep respect for his culture, but also her strong attachment to its tradition. Hearing this, Obi shouts "Nonsense!". The exclamation point suggests Obi's strong disapproval of Clara's point and also emphasizes his resentment. Here, Obi is described as "very" angry to highlight the fact that he has fallen in love with a woman who can never be part of the social class he belongs to...... middle of paper. .. ...I'm not going to watch it just because Obi says so. From this small disagreement, readers understand that Obi and Clara have different interests although they love each other. This disagreement also symbolizes the start of all the problems in their relationship, which will come to light as the story progresses. Clara is portrayed as a very important character in the novel. Through his actions and character, Achebe is able to project to readers the degree of stability in the relationship between Clara and Obi and, more importantly, the character of the protagonist, Obi Okonkwo. Achebe makes the character of Clara one that contributes greatly to the plot of the story. Through Clara's actions and thoughts, readers learn about Obi's thoughts on Nigerian society and also help readers understand the class system in an African society..