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What do you know about Nnaemeka's father in "Marriage is a Private Affair"?

If we are discussing "what we know" about Nnaemeka's father, Okeke, then we are discussing aspects of his character. First, we know that Okeke values Ibo tradition more than anything else at the beginning of the story. Living in a rural Ibo village in Nigeria, there are many traditions to which Okeke adheres. For example, Okeke believes strongly that he should follow Ibo tradition and choose a wife for his son. According to Ibo tradition, wives...

If we are discussing "what we know" about Nnaemeka's father, Okeke, then we are discussing aspects of his character. First, we know that Okeke values Ibo tradition more than anything else at the beginning of the story. Living in a rural Ibo village in Nigeria, there are many traditions to which Okeke adheres. For example, Okeke believes strongly that he should follow Ibo tradition and choose a wife for his son. According to Ibo tradition, wives must be Christians, good homemakers, and (above all) be of the Ibo culture. Nnaemeka rejects these traditions by falling in love with Nene and choosing to marry her instead of the Ibo maiden that Okeke has chosen for his son. For eight years, Okeke stubbornly disowns his son, even to the point of ripping his son's new bride out of their wedding photo. However, it is important to note that Okeke changes over the course of the story. The impetus for the change is Nene's letter about Okeke's two grandsons and how they wish to interact with their grandfather. This causes Okeke to cling to family over tradition and agree to meet with his grandsons. By the end of the story, Okeke only hopes that he lives long enough to "make it up to" the family.

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