"My thoughts on Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe

Essay by Kunal2212High School, 12th gradeA+, September 2006

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When I first read the story I found it relatively uninteresting because there were no huge plot developments of dramatic twist I expected from this short story. After I read it again I realized the prejudice and narrow-mindedness that the father of Nnaemeka demonstrate. It showed me that even close family members can break up your relationship with them just because of a life choice that you made. I was also surprised that the Grandfather never accepted Nnaemeka's wife also he never saw his grandchildren which in my mind is ludicrous.

I was also surprised that Nnaemeka and Nene's marriage lasted so long in a community that didn't accepted their marriage and being ignored from that community for so many years just because they were from two different tribes. That gives you an idea of how strong of a bond Nene and Nnaemeka had and that any pressure on their relationship only made it tougher to break.

I was amazed at how sexist close-minded the Grandfather was. His strong faith in the Christian religion convinced him that women should not teach and keep their silence which I believe is completely wrong. Also the Grandfather had arranged a marriage for Nnaemeka which told the me that the he was very traditional person and wanted to keep the long-established customs of his culture alive for generations to come. So in the end I did enjoy this story because there are many similarities between my culture and the culture of Nnaemeka and his wife.