Marriage is a Private Affair

Consider the story’s cultural and historical context. How are the characters impacted by Britain’s colonization of Nigeria? How does Achebe capture the tension between Indigenous Igbo culture and British colonial influence?

How does the evolving relationship between Nnaemeka and Okeke develop the theme of generational conflict? Why does Achebe choose to end the story where he does rather than depicting a reconciliation between the father and son? How does this open-ended resolution impact the story’s overall meaning?

How does Achebe use setting to develop the tension between tradition and change? How do the cosmopolitan capital city of Lagos and the unnamed Igbo village shape Nene and Okeke, respectively? How does Nnaemeka’s knowledge of both settings influence his relationships with the other characters?