30 pages • 1 hour read
Chinua AchebeMarriage is a Private Affair
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1952A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Herbalist and Native Medicine
The herbalist functions as a symbol of traditional Nigerian culture and the wisdom of the elders. The herbalist is mentioned only briefly in the story, but his character is significant in highlighting the clash between traditional and modern values.
When Okeke learns of Nnaemeka’s intention to marry Nene, his friends counsel him to consult the herbalist for advice. They suggest that Nnaemeka’s condition “calls for medicine” (27), the same medicine “that women supply with success to recapture their husbands’ straying affection” (27). This reliance on native medicine represents the voice of tradition and wisdom and serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting one’s cultural heritage and values.
Interestingly, Okeke refuses his peers’ advice, and is described as “obstinately ahead of his more superstitious neighbors in these matters” (27). This suggests that even Okeke has broken with tradition on some matters. Overall, the herbalist and native medicine serve as symbols of the generational divide between the traditional and modern ways of thinking.
The Wedding Picture
The wedding picture serves as a powerful symbol of the conflict between traditional and modern values, as well as the potential for reconciliation between them. The wedding picture represents Nnaemeka and Nene’s marriage, which is a product of their modern, individualistic values. The picture is a symbol of their new life together, which is based on their personal desires and choices, rather than traditional customs and obligations.
However, the picture also represents the conflict between Nnaemeka’s modern values and his father’s traditional values. Okeke initially rebuffs the picture, seeing it as a symbol of his son’s rejection of their cultural identity and traditions. For Okeke, the picture is a threat to their family’s honor and reputation, as it represents a break from the communal values and customs that have defined their tribe for generations.
Nnaemeka sends the picture to his father, hoping that it will help Okeke to understand and accept their new way of life. The picture represents Nnaemeka’s desire to bridge the gap between his personal choices and his familial and cultural obligations. Okeke, refusing this olive branch, sends the picture back to Nnaemeka with Nene’s image cut out of it. At this point in the story, he is obstinately clinging to his traditional values and writes, “I decided just to cut off your wife and send [the picture] back to you because I have nothing to do with her. How I wish I had nothing to do with you either” (27). Despite this, Nnaemeka remains hopeful that his father will “one day look more kindly on [their] marriage” (28). Although this takes several years, by the end of the story, Okeke appears to be softening.
The wedding picture symbolizes the conflict between traditional and modern values, as well as the potential for reconciliation between them. The picture represents Nnaemeka and Nene’s new life together, based on individual choice and desire, as well as the potential for cultural evolution and the blending of traditional and modern values.
The Storm
The storm reflects the tension between the traditional and modern values, as well as the emotional turmoil of the characters. The storm represents the internal conflict and turmoil of Nnaemeka and his father Okeke, whose relationship is caught between traditional values and modern desires.
The first mention of a storm comes when Nnaemeka initially breaks the news of his engagement to Nene to his father. Upon telling Okeke that Nene is “the only girl [he] can marry” (25), Nnaemeka “expect[s] the storm to burst” (25). In this instance, the “storm” refers to the flood of emotions that Nnaemeka expects from his father, but at the time, Okeke is silent and simply walks away. Nnaemeka notes that his “father’s silence [is] infinitely more menacing than a flood of threatening speech” (25). This is the calm before the storm. The figurative storm comes, and Okeke’s only communications with his son over the next several years are filled with invective and hostile language.
On the night that Okeke receives the letter from Nene about his grandsons, there is an actual storm that serves to help Okeke’s views begin to shift. The storm is described as violent and destructive, with lightning illuminating the sky and thunder rumbling in the distance. This represents the intensity of the emotions that Okeke feels, and the sounds of the storm distract Okeke from his efforts to push thoughts of his grandsons from his mind. His internal thought that “[i]t was one of those rare occasions when even Nature takes a hand in a human fight” (29) suggests that natural forces are at work to help Okeke see the error of his ways.
The storm serves as a catalyst for the reconciliation between Nnaemeka and his father. After the storm passes, Okeke realizes the potential for reconciliation and starts to accept Nnaemeka’s marriage to Nene. This represents the possibility for healing and growth, even in the face of intense conflict. The storm represents the potential for destruction and external pressures that threaten to break apart the family and their cultural identity. However, it also represents the possibility for healing and growth, as demonstrated by the hope of reconciliation between Nnaemeka and Okeke.
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By Chinua Achebe
