Read the excerpt from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. Nnaemeka, for his own part, was very deeply affected by his father’s grief. But he kept hoping that it would pass away. If it had occurred to him that never in the history of his people had a man married a woman who spoke a different tongue, he might have been less optimistic. "It has never been heard,” was the verdict of an old man speaking a few weeks later. In that short sentence he spoke for all of his people. This man had come with others to commiserate with Okeke when news went round about his son’s behaviour. By that time the son had gone back to Lagos. "It has never been heard,” said the old man again with a sad shake of his head. "What did Our Lord say?” asked another gentleman. "Sons shall rise against their fathers; it is there in the Holy Book.” "It is the beginning of the end,” said another. What cultural value does this excerpt of the text best reveal?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe. "Have you written to your dad yet?” asked Nene one afternoon as she sat with Nnaemeka in her room at 16 Kasanga Street, Lagos. "No. I’ve been thinking about it. I think it’s better to tell him when I get home on leave!” "But why? Your leave is such a long way off yet—six whole weeks. He should be let into our happiness now.” Nnaemeka was silent for a while, and then began very slowly as if he groped for his words: "I wish I were sure it would be happiness to him.” "Of course it must,” replied Nene, a little surprised. "Why shouldn’t it?” "You have lived in Lagos all your life, and you know very little about people in remote parts of the country.” "That’s what you always say. But I don’t believe anybody will be so unlike other people that they will be unhappy when their sons are engaged to marry.” "Yes. They are most unhappy if the engagement is not arranged by them. In our case it’s worse—you are not even an Ibo.” This was said so seriously and so bluntly that Nene could not find speech immediately. In the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city it had always seemed to her something of a joke that a person’s tribe could determine whom he married. Which statement about this passage best explains that the village culture is patriarchal?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. In this conversation, Nnaemeka speaks first, and Nene speaks second. "You have lived in Lagos all your life, and you know very little about people in remote parts of the country.” "That’s what you always say. But I don’t believe anybody will be so unlike other people that they will be unhappy when their sons are engaged to marry.” "Yes. They are most unhappy if the engagement is not arranged by them. In our case it’s worse—you are not even an Ibo.” This was said so seriously and so bluntly that Nene could not find speech immediately. In the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city it had always seemed to her something of a joke that a person’s tribe could determine whom he married. At last she said, "You don’t really mean that he will object to your marrying me simply on that account? I had always thought you Ibos were kindly disposed to other people.” "So we are. But when it comes to marriage, well, it’s not quite so simple. And this,” he added, "is not peculiar to the Ibos. If your father were alive and lived in the heart of Ibibio-land he would be exactly like my father.” Which statement about historical context is most relevant to the passage?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe. It is a conversation between a woman named Nene and her fiancé, Nnaemeka. In this excerpt, Nnaemeka is the first to speak. "You have lived in Lagos all your life, and you know very little about people in remote parts of the country.” "That’s what you always say. But I don’t believe anybody will be so unlike other people that they will be unhappy when their sons are engaged to marry.” "Yes. They are most unhappy if the engagement is not arranged by them. In our case it’s worse—you are not even an Ibo.” This was said so seriously and so bluntly that Nene could not find speech immediately. In the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city it had always seemed to her something of a joke that a person’s tribe could determine whom he married. At last she said, "You don’t really mean that he will object to your marrying me simply on that account? I had always thought you Ibos were kindly disposed to other people.” "So we are. But when it comes to marriage, well, it’s not quite so simple. And this,” he added, "is not peculiar to the Ibos. If your father were alive and lived in the heart of Ibibio-land he would be exactly like my father.” How does this passage define the role of the patriarchy in Nigerian traditional rural society?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. In this excerpt, Nnaemeka is the first to speak, and Okeke speaks after him. "I can’t—we must—I mean it is impossible for me to marry Nweke’s daughter.” "Impossible? Why?” asked his father. "I don’t love her.” "Nobody said you did. Why should you?” he asked. "Marriage today is different . . .” "Look here, my son,” interrupted his father, "nothing is different. What one looks for in a wife are a good character and a Christian background.” Nnaemeka saw there was no hope along the present line of argument. How could the characters’ differing views of arranged marriage be analyzed from a historical perspective and from a feminist perspective?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. The old man at once felt the resolution he had built up over so many years falling in. He was telling himself that he must not give in. He tried to steel his heart against all emotional appeals. It was a re-enactment of that other struggle. He leaned against a window and looked out. The sky was overcast with heavy black clouds and a high wind began to blow filling the air with dust and dry leaves. It was one of those rare occasions when even Nature takes a hand in a human fight. Very soon it began to rain, the first rain in the year. It came down in large sharp drops and was accompanied by the lightning and thunder which mark a change of season. Okeke was trying hard not to think of his two grandsons. But he knew he was now fighting a losing battle. He tried to hum a favorite hymn but the pattering of large rain drops on the roof broke up the tune. His mind immediately returned to the children. How could he shut his door against them? By a curious mental process he imagined them standing, sad and forsaken, under the harsh angry weather—shut out from his house. That night he hardly slept, from remorse—and a vague fear that he might die without making it up to them. Which part of this passage would be most important from both a feminist perspective and a historical perspective?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe. "Father,” began Nnaemeka suddenly, "I have come to ask for forgiveness.” "Forgiveness? For what, my son?” he asked in amazement. "It’s about this marriage question.” "Which marriage question.” "I can’t—we must—I mean it is impossible for me to marry Nweke’s daughter.” "Impossible? Why?” asked his father. "I don’t love her.” "Nobody said you did. Why should you?” he asked. "Marriage today is different . . .” "Look here, my son,” interrupted his father, "nothing is different. What one looks for in a wife are a good character and a Christian background.” Nnaemeka saw there was no hope along the present line of argument. "Moreover,” he said, "I am engaged to marry another girl who has all of Ugoye’s good qualities, and who . . .” His father did not believe his ears. "What did you say?” he asked slowly and disconcertingly. "She is a good Christian,” his son went on, "and a teacher in a Girls’ School in Lagos.” "Teacher, did you say? If you consider that a qualification for a good wife, I should like to point out to you, Emeka, that no Christian woman should teach. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that women should keep silence.” How does this passage define the traditional roles of men and women?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. The first paragraph is a letter that Okeke sends to his son Nnaemeka. I have found a girl who will suit you admirably—Ugoye Nweke, the eldest daughter of our neighbour, Jacob Nweke. She has a proper Christian upbringing. When she stopped schooling some years ago, her father (a man of sound judgment) sent her to live in the house of a pastor where she has received all the training a wife could need. Her Sunday School teacher has told me that she reads her Bible very fluently. I hope we shall begin negotiations when you come home in December. On the second evening of his return from Lagos Nnaemeka sat with his father under a cassia tree. This was the old man’s retreat where he went to read his Bible when the parching December sun had set and a fresh, reviving wind blew on the leaves. Which idea from this passage can be analyzed from both feminist and historical perspectives?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. On the second evening of his return from Lagos Nnaemeka sat with his father under a cassia tree. This was the old man’s retreat where he went to read his Bible when the parching December sun had set and a fresh, reviving wind blew on the leaves. "Father,” began Nnaemeka suddenly, "I have come to ask for forgiveness.” "Forgiveness? For what, my son?” he asked in amazement. "It’s about this marriage question.” "Which marriage question.” "I can’t—we must—I mean it is impossible for me to marry Nweke’s daughter.” "Impossible? Why?” asked his father. "I don’t love her.” "Nobody said you did. Why should you?” he asked. "Marriage today is different . . .” "Look here, my son,” interrupted his father, "nothing is different. What one looks for in a wife are a good character and a Christian background.” Nnaemeka saw there was no hope along the present line of argument. What does this passage reveal about the cultural environment?
Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe. "Father,” began Nnaemeka suddenly, "I have come to ask for forgiveness.” "Forgiveness? For what, my son?” he asked in amazement. "It’s about this marriage question.” "Which marriage question.” "I can’t—we must—I mean it is impossible for me to marry Nweke’s daughter.” "Impossible? Why?” asked his father. "I don’t love her.” "Nobody said you did. Why should you?” he asked. "Marriage today is different . . .” "Look here, my son,” interrupted his father, "nothing is different. What one looks for in a wife are a good character and a Christian background.” Nnaemeka saw there was no hope along the present line of argument. "Moreover,” he said, "I am engaged to marry another girl who has all of Ugoye’s good qualities, and who . . .” His father did not believe his ears. "What did you say?” he asked slowly and disconcertingly. "She is a good Christian,” his son went on, "and a teacher in a Girls’ School in Lagos.” "Teacher, did you say? If you consider that a qualification for a good wife, I should like to point out to you, Emeka, that no Christian woman should teach. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that women should keep silence.” How does this passage define the traditional roles of men and women?
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