"Marriage is a Private Affair" depicts the conflicts between modernity and tradition in Nigeria. In the story, Okeke arranges a marriage for his son, Nnaemeka, as is customary in their Ibo village. Nnaemeka, however, is living in the city and is already engaged to Nene, a non-Ibo woman. When Nnaemeka admits that not only is he marrying for love, but that his fianée is also not from their ethnic group, Okeke refuses to have anything to do with his son. It isn't until Okeke learns that he has two grandsons who want to meet him that his resolve begins to fall away. At the end of the story, Okeke worries he will die before he can make amends for his mistakes.
The story highlights the...
