The Marriage Is A Private Affair By Chinua Achebe

Nwoye’s new culture allows him to find a new sense of selfhood. The narrator explains, “And he was already beginning to know some of the simple stories they told”(Achebe 150). The adaptation of Nwoye to the western culture allows him to let go of his past and form a new identity. Likewise, Nwoye’s former culture does not prevent him from finding a place in the new culture. The narrator explains, “But Nwoye resembled his grandfather, Unoka, who was Okonkwo’s father”(Achebe 153). Nwoye is shunned by Okonkwo for being too effeminate like Unoka, but his identity with the European culture allows him to grow as an individual. Nwoye’s new identity goes from being labelled by Okonkwo as effeminate to Nwoye finding a better life with a new

Nwoye, Okonkwo’s oldest son, causes him great concern because Okonkwo sees him as lazy. He sees Nwoye as inadequate to his standards of how a son should be and Achebe illustrates this early on in the novel, “At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct that by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth,” (10). Okonkwo is so critical of his son’s behavior that he even beats and criticizes Nwoye because he does not like his father’s masculine stories of violence and gore as much as he likes the stories his mother tells him, stories that are more “female-oriented” in Okonkwo’s eyes. Nwoye seeks his father’s approval so much that he pretends to like the stories his father tells him. As Achebe states, “...he knew that his father wanted him to be a man. And so he feigned that he no longer cared for women’s stories. And when he did this he saw that his father was pleased, and no longer rebuked him or beat him,” (38).

Nwoye Struggles with his identity and it has led him to embrace a new culture, which has Basically saved him, and shows the good effects colonialism can have on people.

As a child Chinua Achebe was brought up in a Christian family in the village of Ogidi during the 1930’s. Ogidi was an early center of Anglican Missionary work in Eastern Nigeria (TFA, 1996). Although Mr. Achebe’s early life was heavily influenced by the Christian missionary, brought on by British colonialism Mr. Achebe did not let the outside influence of British Colonialism affect his work at school and the loyalty to his native culture.

These consequences include long periods of time without relations with his father and his tribe. His father and tribe, in a sense, disown Nnaemeka as he chooses to leave the narrow path of tradition and follow the broad path of the switch to modernization. This leaves both parties distressed as both hit an emotional low point. Both wish to portray parts of their individual lifestyles and share it, only to find that the beliefs contrast greatly. Change occurs when Nnaemeka’s father, Okeke, decides that the views should not block his relation with his son and grandchildren and reveals that he takes back Nnaemeka after an eight year period of reproach.

Nnaemeka explained to Nene in their room about the marriage tradition of Ibo’s and how they tend to take priority of arranging the marriage,”Yes. They are most unhappy if the engagement is not arranged by them… you are not even an Ibo.” (Achebe 986) This shows that Nnaemeka is afraid to confess to his father about the marriage, because he knows that his father will disapprove of anything that is not arranged by him. His father in turn is a figure with power that influences Nnaemeka’s actions by fear. Therefore, he is uncertain whether or not to keep the marriage secret from Okeke. Nnaemeka reluctantly told his father but unfortunately received numerous signs of disapproval that he was frightened of,”It amazes me that you could be so unfeeling to send me your wedding picture… But on further thought I decided just to cut off your wife and send it back to you because I have nothing to do with her…” (Achebe 990) This shows an example of what Nnaemeka feared would happen between his father and his marriage with Nene. Nene was brought to tears by this action of Okeke and had in mind that he would never come to accept her as his son’s wife. Okeke played a major role in disheartening Nnaemeka to make the decision of telling his father of Nene. Nnaemeka knew that Okeke would go against his choice of marrying Nene and

Nwoye was unsure and dubious of himself around his father, and when his father was exiled to Mbanta, when the white men came, he allowed himself to be true to who he was and no one else. Nwoye found himself through Christianity, which allowed him to become a strong, independent man. Achebe created Nwoye’s character to show the reader that you should be true to your natural and unperfected being, otherwise you will waste a large part of your life away, until you notice it. In some cases, things will fall apart, and others will come together, it is your decision on which will

Nene – fiancée and later the wife of Naemeka; she is from the Ibibio tribe. She has been educated at the university and is a school teacher. She is a modern young Nigerian woman who wants to be accepted by her husband’s father.

Chinua Achebe shows how cultures can change over time using different perspectives, such as Nwoye, Okonkwo, and the missionaries. Nwoye’s view of the Ibo culture changed a lot over the course of the book. When he was a kid, he didn't like some of the Ibo culture’s practices, such as leaving twins in the woods. Another example of this was

Chinua Achebe wrote the book Things Fall Apart in the year 1958, a time when Africa was undergoing drastic changes, and experiencing new things. Achebe wrote his first book, Things Fall Apart in a way that reflected what he had experienced and what he believed in. This is evident in the many parts of the book, Including Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity, Igbo storytelling and folklore, and with the tribal leaders of Umofia and their thoughts on the missionaries.

In the book it says that “ ”Where have you been?” he stammered. Nwoye struggled to free himself from the choking grip. “Answer me!” he roared again. Nwoye stood looking at him and did not say a word.” Which shows how Okonkwo reacted to finding out that his son had an interested in the new culture. This greatly affected the way Nwoye saw his father, Okonkwo. After that it says that “He went back to the church and told Mr. Kiaga that he had decided to go to Umuofia where the white missionary had set up a school to teach young Christians to read and write.” Nwoye did this mostly to get away from his father he also disowned him from being his father. Finally Chinua Achebe uses Nwoye to show how hard it was for some people to share their acceptance with the new culture and the consequences it could

Chinua Achebe shows the reader the change of Africa as seen by the main character of the novel, Okonkwo. Okonkwo has the hardship of living in an ever-changing society. It is thru Okonkwo that the reader is able to visualize a society of immense cultural standing, and not as European colonizers would say, a society of savages. The main theme of culture is present in all areas of the novel, which helps to show to the reader all of its underlying themes, themes of tradition and themes of religion. Achebe sees the themes of culture, tradition, and religion in one bright light and European colonizers see those same themes in a totally different, somewhat snobbish dim light. However these themes are viewed, one thing is certain, change is on the horizon.

Nwoye’s identity is changed when he discovers the westerner’s ideas because he had felt abused until he found Christianity, Achebe is telling the audience that there is always hope because Nwoye found his. Nwoye felt unwanted, out of place,

Nnaemeka decides to tell his father about Nene when he gets home, after having spent 6 whole weeks with her in Lagos. Nene suggested him to write his father a letter, in which he could tell him about their relationship, but Nnaemeka respects his father too much to tell him by letter. (p.1 l.25).

This paper reflects the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe in 1958. Achebe gives an overview of pre-colonialism and post-colonialism on Igbo, detailing how local traditions and cultural practices can “fall apart” in some scenarios through some introduced, externally created hassles elevated because of colonization. The protagonist named Okonkwo mentioned in the story is a proof showing the lifestyle of the tribe. My main objective and focus is to lay emphasis on Africa specifically the Igbo society, before and after the arrival of the Europeans in Umuofia community; the results of their arrival concerning Igbo culture, thus leading to the clash of cultures between the two categories. I will also draw on post-colonialism with respect to globalization.