Marriage Is a Private Affair Essay Example
In Lagos, Nigeria present day, Nnaemeka and Nene discuss their marriage plans. Nene wants to let
Nnaemeka's father know that they want to get married and have a family. Nnaemeka tells her that his
father, Okeke that lives in a small village, is a men that lives by his culture. When Nnaemeka pays an
annual visit to his dad, he is surprised by the arranged marriage his dad has for him. This starts the
problem because Nnaemeka won't accept, and he talks to Okeke about Nene and their love. The
message in Marriage Is A Private by Chinua Achebe is that love overcomes hate.
The theme can be seen in the climax of the story. When Nnaemeka and Okeke argue over why the
marriage is a bad idea. Okeke shows that he hates Nene, when he cuts Nene's body out of a picture and
says ''I decided to cut off your wife and sent it back to you''.(Acheve 902) Okeke is blinded by his
beliefs, but when he finds out he has two grandsons his love for them makes him change. ''He hardly
slept with remorse-and a vague fear that he might die without making it up to them'' the story said.
(Acheve 903). This demonstrates that Okeke will forget the hate he has for Nene, to make it up to the
children.
We can also see that love overcomes hate in the setting. The story takes place in a village where all
marriages are arranged. The people are old fashioned and Okeke wants Nnaemeka to marry the girl he
picked for him. Nnaemeka doesn't accept because he already found love ''she is the only girl I can
marry” Nnaemeka said (Acheve 901).The people in the village didn't like the decision and they hated
Nene. They looked and talked about her in mean ways. At the end the love of Nene and Nnaemeka
survived the storm,and they got married and had kids.
In the way Okeke is being characterized the theme is also showed. Okeke at the beginning was a
men that wouldn't give in to anything he considered wrong, like Nnaemeka and
Nnaemeka's father know that they want to get married and have a family. Nnaemeka tells her that his
father, Okeke that lives in a small village, is a men that lives by his culture. When Nnaemeka pays an
annual visit to his dad, he is surprised by the arranged marriage his dad has for him. This starts the
problem because Nnaemeka won't accept, and he talks to Okeke about Nene and their love. The
message in Marriage Is A Private by Chinua Achebe is that love overcomes hate.
The theme can be seen in the climax of the story. When Nnaemeka and Okeke argue over why the
marriage is a bad idea. Okeke shows that he hates Nene, when he cuts Nene's body out of a picture and
says ''I decided to cut off your wife and sent it back to you''.(Acheve 902) Okeke is blinded by his
beliefs, but when he finds out he has two grandsons his love for them makes him change. ''He hardly
slept with remorse-and a vague fear that he might die without making it up to them'' the story said.
(Acheve 903). This demonstrates that Okeke will forget the hate he has for Nene, to make it up to the
children.
We can also see that love overcomes hate in the setting. The story takes place in a village where all
marriages are arranged. The people are old fashioned and Okeke wants Nnaemeka to marry the girl he
picked for him. Nnaemeka doesn't accept because he already found love ''she is the only girl I can
marry” Nnaemeka said (Acheve 901).The people in the village didn't like the decision and they hated
Nene. They looked and talked about her in mean ways. At the end the love of Nene and Nnaemeka
survived the storm,and they got married and had kids.
In the way Okeke is being characterized the theme is also showed. Okeke at the beginning was a
men that wouldn't give in to anything he considered wrong, like Nnaemeka and