The title
is also ironic because it uses the word "affair," which can mean several different
things.
The word "affair" can refer to an incident or an
occurrence. As the other educators pointed out, it can also refer to a private matter or
concern. However, another meaning of the word is understood as, "an illicit relationship or
dalliance."
The title states that "marriage is a private
affair." Normally, no one would refer to a marriage as an illicit dalliance. In fact,
marriage is a public declaration of fidelity. As is the usual practice, "forbidden"
affairs are often conducted in secret, and the parties involved are usually not too keen on
their secret being discovered. Much is at stake in such an arrangement.
In
Achebe's story, the title indicates what is made clear in the story. The groom's father (Okeke)
makes his disgust with his son Nnaemeka's impending marriage to Nene public knowledge in his
community. The men from Okeke's community unequivocally sympathize with Okeke's
grief...
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