Unit 2: Marriage is a Private Affair by Chinua Achebe

1. Biography of Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) is widely regarded as the "Father of Modern African Literature." Born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe in Ogidi, Nigeria, he was raised at a cultural crossroads between traditional Igbo customs and the British colonial Christianity instilled by his parents.

• Key Biographical Points:
  • Education: He attended the University College, Ibadan, where he studied English, History, and Theology. He dropped his English name "Albert" in favor of his indigenous name "Chinua" during his university years as a mark of African pride.
  • Literary Impact: His debut novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), is the most widely read book in modern African literature. It challenged European depictions of Africans as savages and provided a view of African society from the inside.
  • Context: Achebe wrote during the transition of Nigeria from a British colony to an independent nation. His works often grapple with the post-colonial identity crisis, the clash of cultures, and the corruption of post-independence politics.
  • Style: He famously chose to write in English rather than Igbo to speak to a global audience and to unite the diverse ethnic groups of Nigeria, though he infused the language with Igbo proverbs and rhythms.

2. Plot Analysis

The story follows a linear narrative structure, moving from the cosmopolitan city to the rural village, and spanning several years.

Exposition

The story opens in Lagos, a modern, cosmopolitan Nigerian city. Nnaemeka and Nene are discussing their engagement. Nene, who has lived in the city all her life, is excited and naive about how the news will be received. She urges Nnaemeka to write a letter to his father. Nnaemeka, knowing the strict traditions of his Ibo village, refuses, insisting he must tell his father, Okeke, in person. The central conflict is established: Nnaemeka wishes to marry for love (a modern concept) to a woman of a different tribe, while his father expects an arranged marriage within their ethnic group.

Rising Action

1. The Journey Home: Nnaemeka travels from Lagos to his rural village on leave.
2. The Revelation: Nnaemeka informs his father that he cannot marry Ugoye Nweke, the girl his father has chosen (described as a "good Christian" with "Amazonian" physical traits suitable for farm work).
3. The Confrontation: Nnaemeka reveals he is engaged to Nene Atang. Okeke is horrified for two reasons: she is a teacher (Okeke believes women should not teach) and, more critically, she is Ibibio, not Ibo. Okeke falls into a stunned silence, viewing this as a satanic delusion.
4. The Shunning: Okeke refuses to accept the marriage. He vows never to meet Nene. Back in Lagos, friends and villagers from Nnaemeka's hometown urge Okeke to use a native doctor (witch doctor) to "cure" his son, but Okeke refuses, relying instead on his rigid interpretation of Christianity to justify cutting his son off.

Climax

The climax occurs over a sustained period rather than a single moment. Okeke receives a wedding photo from the couple and, in a fit of rage, cuts Nene out of the picture and sends it back to Nnaemeka. This physical act of mutilation symbolizes the total severance of their relationship. For eight years, Okeke obstinately ignores his son's existence, despite the couple’s happy marriage and success in Lagos.

Falling Action

Years pass. Nene writes a letter to Okeke. She informs him that he has two grandsons who have learned about him and are pestering her to visit their grandfather. Nene offers a compromise: she will stay in Lagos while Nnaemeka brings the children to the village to meet him. This letter cracks Okeke's resolve. The mention of "grandsons" penetrates his defense mechanism of pride and anger.

Resolution

The story ends on a note of psychological turmoil. A storm rages outside, mirroring the internal storm within Okeke. He tries to hum a hymn to distract himself, but he cannot stop thinking about the grandchildren standing in the rain, shut out of his house. The story concludes with Okeke fearing that he might die before he has the chance to make amends, signifying the collapse of his stubborn traditionalism in the face of familial love.

3. Character Analysis

Nnaemeka

• Role: The Protagonist. He serves as the bridge between the old world (Village/Father) and the new world (Lagos/Nene).
• Traits: Respectful, patient, but firm.
• Motivation: He seeks to honor his father without sacrificing his own happiness. He attempts to modernize the definition of marriage from a communal contract to a private bond of love.
• Development: He defies the specific instruction of his father but maintains his filial piety by not fighting back with anger.

Okeke

• Role: The Antagonist (and father).
• Traits: Traditional, obstinate, religious, prejudiced.
• Psychology: Okeke represents the rigidity of the older generation. He conflates "Christianity" with "Tribal Tradition." He believes his rejection of his son is a moral stance.
• Transformation: He is a dynamic character. For most of the story, he is immovable. However, at the very end, his humanity and natural role as a grandfather override his pride. The fear of death and lost time catalyzes his change.

Nene

• Role: The Catalyst.
• Traits: Modern, cosmopolitan, naive (initially), resilient.
• Significance: As an Ibibio woman living in Lagos, she represents the "detribalized" future of Nigeria. She initially underestimates the power of tradition (thinking Okeke would be happy just because she is a "good match").
• Agency: It is her letter that ultimately resolves the conflict. She is willing to exclude herself (staying in Lagos) to allow the grandfather and grandsons to connect, showing selflessness.

The Villagers (Madubogwu and others)

• Role: The Chorus/Social Pressure.
• Function: They reinforce Okeke's behavior. They represent the "Village Mindset." They suggest superstitious remedies (herbal medicines) to cure Nnaemeka, highlighting the blend of Christianity and Animism in the village.

4. Thematic Analysis

1. Tradition vs. Modernity

This is the central theme.

• Tradition: Represented by the village, arranged marriages, ethnic purity, and patriarchal authority. Marriage is viewed as a joining of families and a tool for procreation/labor (Okeke wants a girl who can fetch water and chop wood).
• Modernity: Represented by Lagos, love matches, inter-tribal mingling, and women having careers (Nene as a teacher).
• Achebe’s Stance: Achebe critiques the rigidity of tradition when it destroys human connection, but he does not fully condemn the father, portraying his struggle as genuine.

2. Tribalism and Prejudice

The conflict is not just about disobedience; it is about ethnicity. Okeke can almost forgive the marriage, but he cannot forgive that Nene is Ibibio and not Ibo.

• The story highlights the internal fractures within Nigeria.
• It challenges the "insider/outsider" mentality that dictates social interactions in the village.

3. Marriage: Private vs. Communal

• In the village context, marriage is a public affair involving the extended family and community consensus.
• Nnaemeka attempts to redefine marriage as a "private affair" between two individuals.
• The title highlights the irony: The village refuses to let the marriage be private, gossiping and judging for years.

4. Generational Conflict

The story depicts the inevitable friction between parents who adhere to the customs of the past and children who navigate a changing world. Okeke expects total obedience; Nnaemeka offers respect but demands autonomy.

5. Christianity as a Weapon vs. Christianity as Love

• Okeke uses his faith to justify his cruelty. He reads the Bible to find support for shunning his son.
• Achebe critiques this dogmatic, legalistic version of religion that ignores the core Christian tenet of forgiveness and love.

5. Significance of the Title

The title "Marriage is a Private Affair" is highly ironic.

1. The Ideal: It represents Nnaemeka and Nene's belief. They believe their love is their own business and should not be dictated by fathers or neighbors.
2. The Reality: throughout the story, the marriage is treated as anything but a private affair. The father, the neighbors, and the village women all insert themselves into the couple's business.
3. The Resolution: By the end, the "private" nature of the immediate family (grandchildren) defeats the "public" pressure of the village. The title becomes a declaration of the modern triumph over traditional communal control.

6. Stylistic Devices

1. Juxtaposition (Contrast)

Achebe constantly contrasts two settings to highlight the thematic conflict:

• Lagos: City, noise, mixture of tribes, modern, English-speaking, forward-looking.
• The Village: Rural, silent, ethnically homogeneous, traditional, backward-looking.

2. Symbolism

• The Wedding Photo: Represents the family unit. When Okeke cuts Nene out of it, he creates a visual symbol of his denial.
• Rain/The Storm: Appearing at the end of the story, the physical storm mirrors Okeke’s psychological turmoil. The rain represents a cleansing force—washing away his pride—but also the melancholy of regret.
• Herbal Medicine: Represents the villagers' superstition and their inability to understand love as anything other than a sickness or a spell.

3. Irony

• Religious Irony: Okeke is a devout Christian, yet he behaves with less compassion than the "heathens" he looks down upon. He uses the Bible to justify hate rather than love.
• Situational Irony: Nene, the person Okeke hates most, is the one who facilitates his redemption by writing the letter and offering to stay behind.

4. Foreshadowing

• At the beginning, Nnaemeka tells Nene that she doesn't understand his father or the village. This foreshadows the eight-year estrangement.
• The discussion about the herbalist foreshadows the immense social pressure Okeke will face to "fix" his son.

5. Epiphany

• The story concludes with an epiphany for Okeke. After reading the letter, he suddenly realizes the absurdity of his pride and the extent of what he has lost. The realization that he is punishing innocent grandchildren breaks his resolve.