In "Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe What does Nnaemeka do/say related to the topic of following tradition? Write 2 bullet points to answer the question. Use in text citations.

Answer 1

1. Nnaemeka expresses his frustration with the idea of following traditional expectations regarding marriage when he tells his father, "I love Nene and I have asked her to marry me. We love each other and I want to marry her in the church. It is my wish to celebrate my wedding in the church. And to do that I need your permission" (Achebe, 12). This statement shows Nnaemeka's defiance against the tradition of arranged marriages and his desire to marry for love, rather than adhering to his father's expectations.

2. Nnaemeka goes against the traditional values and norms of his culture when he decides to marry Nene, a woman from a different tribe. He confronts his father by saying, "I am going to marry Nene; she is my choice, the girl I have fallen in love with and want to marry. I have not thought of her as from another tribe just as you, when you married mother, did not think of her as being of a different tribe" (Achebe, 13). In this statement, Nnaemeka challenges the traditional expectations of marrying within one's own tribe and asserts his belief in love being the defining factor in a marriage, rather than cultural background.