Things Fall Apart

In the event of marriage, in the Ibo society, women are married at a young age, soon after menstruation, because it was a time in which they are able to bearchildren. They would live in their parent's home and almost immediately move in to their husband's home, or obi. However, the women have to marry into adifferent village from the one in which they were born. Males are allowed to marry more than one wife, but most respect is given to the first wife. This isevident in Things Fall Apart in chapter three, "Anasi was the first wife and the others could not drink before her, and so they stood waiting." (Achebe 20). All ofthe wives share equal parenting of all of the children, as well as the responsibility of caring for their husbands.

The Umuofian follow a traditionalritual to determine a bride-price; the bride’s family presents the groom’s family with a sum (represented by broomsticks) and the other party adds or subtractssticks as they see fit. They exchange the bundle of broomsticks several times, until the two groups finally agree. That final number of broomsticks correspondsto the number of bags of cowries paid by the groom’s family for the bride’s hand in marriage. After Akueke’s bride-price is settled on some of the men discusshow the Umuofia way of coming to a bride price is really quite civilized. Overall, this silent form of back-and-forth to reach an agreement is more respectfulof women than just verbal haggling, which is how men agree on prices for livestock. Thus, the custom of settling a bride-price is intended to be respectful.