Marriage is a Private Affair

Marriage Is A Private Affair

Literal Comprehension:

Nnaemeka is a young man of Ibotribe whois engaged to marry a teacher Nene. Nene is from another tribe. According to Nnaemeka’s Ibo culture marriage is usually arranged within the tribal group of senior or elders but Nene is unknown about the rality of Ibo culture because she is grown  up in cosmopolitan environment.However she request Nnaemeka to inform his parents.When Nnaemeka informs his father Okeke is shocked and even worried about such inter tribal engagement.Okeke tries his son not to marry her but Nnaemeka is determined to marry Nene.Then Okeke is ready to give up his son forever as lost and isno more concern in him.Even many people from Ibo society dislikes this marriage.But later all people except his father realize that Nnaemeka and Nene have very good marital life.Like this they are living happily out Okeke doesn’t like to talk about his son by a great effort for eight years he has been able to forget his son. The father how ever at last softens his heart when Nene writes a letter in which she mentions that his grandsons wants to meet him.Even this time he tries to harden his heart but he cannot and this time the sky is covered with black clouds and the wind started blowing the dust and dried leaves.It starts to rain heavily it seems that nature is talking part in his struggle heimagines that they are outside and he realizes his weakness and at last he opens his door for his grandsons.

Interpretationa:

                        Through this story chinua Achee is tryingto tell us about the culture conflict between two culturesin terms of marriage.Acording to the story writer marriage is completely private affair.One has to get right to think about his own life. No one should interfere anyones private affair.On the another level lof interpretation of this story is that wider  understanding makes us happy but narrowindedness and limited thought lead to sadness and misunderstandings. So, the story teller might be trying to advise us that we shouldn’t stick to single culture and traditionally blind.It is not good way of living another interpretation of the story is that there might be the victory of new idea over old idea and the search of origin or root. Grandson’s search for their grandfather in the story might reflect the same theme.

Critical Thinking:

                        It seems realistic story in which there is  beautiful story plot.Taking very common issue for the underdeveloped country the writer is very successful to make the story very intresting there are some points in the story which are not agreeale to modern compolitan readers.In the story the role of the father figure Okeke is contradictory.Being a good christion one cannot be such an unkind person like Okeke.One side he regards Christianity is his life style but another side he doesn’t follow pure Christian teaching. Aren’t all human beings equal interms of humanity? Didn’t Okeke learn anything about humanity? Another point in the story about the reaction of nature. It is also disagreeable to the readers. Does nature understand human mind and behaviour?

Assimilationa:

                        After reading this story I can getthe real social picture of underdeveloped country. We have many blind prejudices and unsicientific system of lour society which in fact do not let our society develop and civilized. When I see many blind traditional people I remember theis story . We have both Okeke and Nnaemeka like people in oru society.But I encourage and inspire Nnaemeka like person.This story also teaches me to lsee that marriage isabsolutely private affair. We shouldn’t interfere on the matter of private affair in the name of blind faith of culture and I also recommend theis story to read to those people who are extremely blind on their culture.

 
4. Apply the four levels of regarding with texts to “Marriage is a Private Affair”
Ans: - It is one of the best short stories by ‘Chinua Achbe’. He is an Anglo-African writer, and he has very fine understanding of the African culture. Basically, Africa is a continent of numerous tribes. They all have their distinct cultures. It is the story of one such tribe, the Ibo tribe.
Nnaemeka is an LBO boy from Iboboland, who has come to Laos. And has also married nane attended from this marriage. He had wanted his son to marry in his own tribe, and had even chosen a girl. So he breaks all relation with Nneameka and his wife. Nnaemeka stays back in Laos. People of his own tribe appreciated his wife. The news used to reach Okeke, but he would not melt. After some years through, when there is letter from Nene to Okeke, he has to melt. Nene had requested that he allow his grandsons, who were grown up children then, and who deeply wanted. Tough, she herself would not come due to his feelings.
This whole story revolves around the conflict between Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke. After coming to Laos, Nnaemeka got a new world. This world was a cosmopolitan life of the capital. This life was very different from the life in Iboboland, the tribal life in a secluded corner of the country. This life changed his personality also. He become more opens minded and less traditional. He thought that ‘Marriage was a private affair’ between the only two people involved in it. But Okeke was not convinced with this new generation thought. He was still traditional and he had deep with his roots. His thinking was that the final decision about the marriage of the son or daughter should be in the hands of the parents. This was the main reason for the conflict between them. It is a conflict of the principles. But, after all, Okeke was grandsons. Besides, it was also the patience that of Nnaemeka and more of Nene, which paid at the last. But as far as marriage in Nigeria is concerned, it is not a private affair, it seems from the story. This is truer for the rural and tribal area.
As per my own views, I would say that marriages should be let to be a private affair, as long as children keep the sentiments of parents. The parents should also try to understand their children. But if they try to interface on the question of religious and caste, I would perhaps agree with such parents.