Question

Read the excerpt below from the story “Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe and complete the instruciton that follows.

“[Nene] 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.”



Identify and explain the kind of dilemma (moral, cultural, or generational) illustrated by this passage.

Answer 1

This is a moral kind of dilemma illustrated by this passage because it says that "women should keep silence.”

Answer 2

Possible Answer:

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information:

This dialogue is an example of the generational differences between Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke. Nnaemeka is part of the young generation that has broader expectations for men and women. Women are no longer expected to remain silent, as Okeke would prefer. They have found their voice. Nene is a great example of a modern Nigerian woman: self-sufficient, intelligent, well-educated, and not afraid to speak her mind.