those perceptions is marrying an osu is not a correct decision for a freeborn like Obi Okonkwo. The only reason is that they still hold their rule of society firmly.
The value of the tradition makes the other characters have such ideas which is very different to Obi’s way of thinking.
2. Obi’s New Perceptions about Marriage
It can be seen that Obi’s society opposes his decision to marry Clara who is considered as an outcast. According to Agbasiere 96 Igbo marriage is
governed by the notion of birth. Therefore, it is forbidden for nwa or diala, freeborn, to marry an osu, a cut slave or ohu, a bought slave and their descendants.
The major conflict in Obi’s life is because there is a clash of ideas between Obi and other characters. The other characters such as Obi’s lover, Obi’s friends and
Obi’s parents opposed his decision to marry Clara because Clara is an osu, while Obi thinks that he can marry anybody since he loves the person he wants to marry.
Obi has new perceptions about marriage after his return from England because he has been influenced by western culture.
When Clara tells Obi that she cannot marry him because she is an osu, he tries to convince Clara by telling her that he has made a decision to marry her. He
also tells Clara that he can handle his parents. Even when Obi knows that he fails to convince Clara he still persuades her by telling her that everything will be all
right. What makes Obi do such a thing is because he has been influenced by western culture. He believes that he is free to decide with whom he will get
married. Crabtree states that romantic marriage is common in most western
countries. He states that it is an individual choice made by couples. There are at least two reasons which show that Obi’s perceptions about marriage has been
influenced by western culture so he has new perceptions about marriage. The first reason can be seen in Obi’s statements when he tells his decision
to marry Clara to one of his close friends, Joseph, and when he has a discussion about Clara with his father. Both of the discussions show that Obi wants to stand
by his own decision. He tries to convince Joseph and his father that his decision to marry Clara is the right decision for him. On this occasion it can be seen that Obi
wants to marry Clara because he thinks that he is free to choose his mate. According to Crabtree, couples are free to do what they want to do though their
family stand against them. It is so because in western countries, individual and freedom are placed above the family. Obi Okonkwo thinks that everybody has the
same level in this world. So it does not matter for him to marry Clara because Obi has a western view about equality. Nanda 312 states that “the open class system
of the United States society is part of their mythology and is based on the democratic principle of equality and opportunity for all.” That is why when Obi
discusses his decision to marry Clara to Joseph and Joseph opposes his idea, Obi insists firmly that he is going to marry Clara. Obi does not care what his
surrounding says because he thinks that he is broad minded and the people who oppose his decision are odd minded. “I am going to marry her,” Obi said.“What
Joseph sat up in bed.“I am going to marry her.” 82 Obi feels that he is right. He thinks that he can simply marry anyone he
wants. He thinks that it is not the era when people cannot stand in his own
decision. He feels that his decision to marry Clara is in his own hands. He says that there is no one who can stop his decision to marry Clara.
Obi felt better and more confident in his decision now that there was an opponent, the first of hundreds to come, no doubt. Perhaps it was not a
decision really, for him there could be only one choice. It was scandalous that in the middle of the twentieth century a man could be barred from
marrying a girl simply because her great-great-great-great-grandfather had been dedicated to serve a god, thereby setting himself apart and turning his
descendants into a forbidden caste to the end of Time. Quite unbelievable. And here was an educated man telling Obi he did not understand. “Not
even my mother can stop me,” he said as he lay down beside Joseph. 82
Another reason which shows that Obi has a western view about equality is his statements when he tries to convince his father. Since his father does not let
him marry Clara, he finds out ways to convince his father. Knowing that his father is a good Christian, Obi uses the idea of Christianity to defend his position. He
uses the idea of Christianity to show his father about the value of equality between human beings.
“I don’t think it matters. We are Christians.” This had some effect, nothing startling though. Only a little pause and a slightly softer tone.
“We are Christians,” he said. “But that is no reason to marry an osu.” “The Bible says that in Christ there are no bond or free.”
“My son,” said Okonkwo, “I understand what you say. But this thing is deeper than you think.” 151
He tries to explain to his father that Christianity teaches equality. Then, he tries to make his father believe that people have the same status with one another
in this world. Obi uses his understanding on equality to show that his decision to marry Clara is correct. He thinks that since people are equal they are free to marry
anybody. In his opinion, there is no reason not to marry Clara because he has the same status with Clara. When his father firmly says that Christianity is not the
reason to marry an osu, with his westernized way of thinking he tries to ensure his
father by giving more arguments about the idea of Christianity that is related to equality.
“What is this thing? Our father in their darkness and ignorance called an innocent man osu, a thing given to idols, and thereafter he became an
outcast, and his children, and his children’s children forever. But have we not seen the light of the Gospel?” Obi used the very words that his father
might have used in talking to his heathen kinsmen. 151
Obi’s westernized way of thinking makes him think broadly. When his father tells him about the consequences of marrying an osu, he tells his father that
everything will change in the future. Obi believes that in the future people will be more modern and broad minded. He believes that in the future people will be
different. Obi thinks that in the future he does not face such a complicated problem about the idea of marrying an osu.
“But all that is going to change. In ten years things will quite different to what they are now.”
The old man shook his head sadly but said no more. Obi repeated his point again. What made an osu different from other men and women? Nothing
but the ignorance of their forefathers. Why should they, who had seen the light of Gospel, remain in that ignorance? 152
The second reason that shows Obi has been influenced by western culture which makes he has new perceptions about marriage is his ideas of marriage
tradition. According to Onyemaechi, in Igbo’s marriage tradition, there is what is so called bride wealth or bride price. It is a form of appreciation for losing a
daughter. The bride price is given to the bride’s father or relatives. Bride price is not a form of buying a wife. However, it is as a means of agreement between the
couples. Obi knows that there is such a tradition in his society. However, when Joseph tells him about the idea of bride-price, Obi thinks that it is not necessary to
pay bride-price to the women’s parents.
“When you have paid a hundred and thirty pounds bride-price and you are only a second-class clerk, you find you haven’t got any more to spare on
other women.” “You mean you paid a hundred and thirty? What about the bride-price
law?” “It pushed up the price, that’s all.”
‘It’s a pity my three elder sister got married too early for us to make money on them. We’ll try and make up on the others.”
“It’s no laughing matter,” said Joseph. “Wait until you want to marry. They will probably ask you to pay five hundred seeing that you are in the
senior service.” 47-48
Obi, being influenced by western culture, tells Joseph that he will not pay the bride-price. Obi tells that he will not pay for a wife. The idea that Obi does not
want to pay bride-price shows that Obi has new perceptions about marriage. He states that if he wants to marry someone he does not need to pay the woman’s
parents. It is so because Obi’s way of thinking has been influenced by western culture. The statements give an impression that Obi wants to neglect his tradition
and follows western culture. “I’m not in the senior service. You have just been telling me that i won’t
get the job because I told that idiot what I thought of him. Anyway senior service or no senior service, I’m not paying five hundred pounds for a
wife. I shall not even pay one hundred, not even fifty.” 48
Obi’s new perceptions about marriage tradition is also shown when Joseph tells Obi to change his mind related to his decision about his decision to get
married with Clara. He tells Joseph that it is too late to change because Obi has been engaged to Clara, while Joseph tells Obi that it is not late to change because
in his opinion that ring does not mean anything. “It is not,” said Joseph. What is an engagement ring? Our fathers did not marry with rings. It is not too late to
change 86. Obi has given Clara an engagement ring that is why he thinks that it is too late to change. This engagement ring shows that Obi has followed western
culture. According to Sen, “wedding rings or vows symbolize the western wedding.” He states that wedding rings play an important function in western
marriage. Wedding rings symbolize love and affection of the couples. Joseph’s statements to convince Obi shows that in Ibo marriage tradition wedding rings are
not needed. It is clear that in this case Obi has a different view from people who still hold his tradition firmly like Joseph. Obi’s way of thinking about marriage
tradition is different and more western than Joseph’s way of thinking. The two reasons stated above show that Obi has a different view from the
people around him. In this discussion, it can be seen that since Obi’s return from England, he feels that he is an educated and broad-minded person. In this case, he
brings a new perception about marriage based on the idea of equality. The idea of equality makes Obi thinks that he can marry anybody so that he comes to the
decision of marrying an outcast which is clearly forbidden by his Ibo society. Even though in the end Obi does not marry Clara, this phenomena shows that Obi
has been influenced by western culture. The influence of Western culture makes Obi think more westernly. Hence, it makes him neglect his Ibo marriage tradition.
In this case, Obi states that he does not want to pay bride price and he considers that wedding ring is an important thing in a marriage. Obi’s new perceptions make
he feel like a stranger in his own society. The fact that he lives with European influence makes him neither an Ibo nor a European, and puts him in such a
complicated situation.
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
This chapter consists of two parts. The first part is the conclusions of this study as the answer to the problems formulated in the first chapter. These are
drawn from the analysis done in the previous chapter. The second part deals with the suggestions for future researchers of the same novel and to implement certain
parts of the novel as teaching-learning material.
A. Conclusions
Based on the analysis in chapter four, there are two conclusions that are drawn. The first is the description of Obi Okonkwo. By using some of the ways of
characterization proposed by Murphy, such as the author’s direct comments, character as seen by another, the character’s speeches, the character’s thoughts
and character’s reaction toward the various situations and events, Obi Okonkwo’s characteristics can be described. Obi Okonkwo is described as a smart, dishonest,
idealistic, responsible, educated, loving and caring person. Obi Okonkwo is a smart person. It can be seen from author’s direct
comments, which states that Obi is the only son of Umofia who gets the opportunity to be educated overseas. Another character’s opinion and Obi’s own
speeches also shows that Obi Okonkwo is a smart person. Obi is also described as a dishonest person. Obi tells a lie when his father asks him whether he reads Bible
or not when he was in England. He also tells a lie to his lover, Clara, when he was
