The Bride Price

Last updated

The Bride Price
A&B 1st edition Buchi Emecheta- Bride price hb (1976).jpg
First UK edition
Author Buchi Emecheta
Cover artist Taiwo Jegede
CountryNigeria
Genre Novel
Publisher Allison & Busby (UK)
George Braziller (US)
Publication date
1976
Pages168 pp.
ISBN 978-0-85031-165-5
OCLC 2912824
Preceded by Second Class Citizen  
Followed by The Slave Girl  

The Bride Price is a 1976 novel (first published in the UK by Allison & Busby and in the USA by George Braziller) by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. It concerns, in part, the problems of women in post-colonial Nigeria. The author dedicated this novel to her mother, Alice Ogbanje Emecheta. [1]

Contents

(The Bride Price is also the name of an unrelated novel by German novelist Grete Weil originally published in German as Der Brautpreis in 1988 and in English, translated by John Barrett, in 1991.)

Background

The Bride Price was the first novel Emecheta wrote, but its original version was lost when her husband threw the manuscript on the fire – which act of destruction proved to be the last straw in an abusive marriage that she subsequently left. [2] She later re-wrote the novel, and it was published in London in 1976 by Allison & Busby, following the company's publication of Second Class Citizen (1974). [3]

Plot summary

In the city of Lagos, the Ibo Aku-nna and her brother, Nna-nndo, bid farewell by their father Ezekiel, who says he is going to the hospital for a few hours – their mother, Ma Blackie, is back home in Ibuza, performing fertility rites. It becomes apparent that he is much sicker than he let his children know, and he dies three weeks later. They have the funeral the day before Ma Blackie arrives; she takes them back to Ibuza with her, as she now becomes the wife of Ezekiel's brother.

The family is problematic in Ibuza – Ma Blackie has some of her own money, and so her children receive much more schooling than other children in the village, particularly the children of her new husband's other wives. Aku-nna is blossoming, though she is thin and passive, and starts to attract the attention of young men in the neighborhood, though she has not yet started to menstruate. Her stepfather Okonkwo, who has ambitions of being made a chief, begins to anticipate a large bride price for her. Meanwhile, she has begun to fall for her teacher Chike, who in turn has developed a passion for her. Chike is the descendant of slaves – when colonization started, the Ibo often sent their slaves to the missionary schools so they could please the missionaries without disrupting Ibo life, and now the descendants of those slaves hold most of the privileged positions in the region.

Chike's inferior background means it is unlikely that Okonkwo will agree to let him marry Aku-nna, although his family is wealthy enough to offer a generous bride price. When Aku-nna begins menstruating – the sign that she is now old enough to get married – she at first conceals it in order to stave off the inevitable confrontation. When she finally reveals that she has her period, young men come to court her and Okonkwo receives several offers. One night, after she finds out that she has passed her school examination (meaning she might become a teacher, earning money by means other than the bride price) she and the other young women of her age-group are practicing a dance for the upcoming Christmas celebration when men burst in and kidnap her.

The family of an arrogant suitor with a limp, Okoboshi, has kidnapped her to be his bride in order to "save" her from the attentions of Chike. On her wedding night, she lies and tells Okoboshi that she is not a virgin and has slept with Chike; he refuses to touch her. The next day, word of her disgrace has already spread around the village when Chike rescues her and the two elope, fleeing to Ughelli where Chike has work. The two begin a happy life together, marred by her guilt over her unpaid bride price – Okonkwo, furious, refuses to accept any of the increasingly generous offers made by Chike's father, and has gone so far as to divorce Ma Blackie and torture a doll made in Aku-nna's image.

When Aku-nna feels sick, she goes home. There she is not sure if she will have a baby. Soon the doctor in Chike's oil company confirms that Aku-nna will have a baby. Later on when she feels sick and screams, Chike brings her to the hospital. There, Aku-nna dies in childbirth. Chike christens his baby Joy.

Critical reception

The Bride Price was favourably reviewed on both sides of the Atlantic. Peter Tinniswood, writing in The Times , called the novel "highly impressive", concluding: "In the last decade or so there has been some exciting literature coming from Black Africa, and this book is in the very top rank of the movement. I recommend it warmly and without reservation." [4] Anthony Thwaite wrote in The Observer : "Buchi Emecheta is an unstrivingly poignant writer, who convinces through plain narrative authenticity and a feeling for character." [5] Hilary Bailey remarked in Tribune that the novel "manages to pull off the trick of bringing the reader through to the realities common to us all". [6] Susannah Clapp in The Times Literary Supplement noted that the quality of the novel "depends less on plot or characterization than on the information conveyed about a set of customs and the ideas which underlay them", while Valerie Cunningham in the New Statesman called it "a captivating Nigerian novel lovingly but unsentimentally written, about the survival of ancient marriage customs in modern Nigeria" adding that this book "proves Buchi Emecheta to be a considerable writer." [7]

The review in The New Yorker commented: "The clash of Christian and African cultures, of generations, of ancient and modern pieties, and of group custom and the individual will are all vividly portrayed in this pure, fluid novel.... The author has a plain, engaging style and manages to convey all the lushness, poverty, superstition, and casual cruelty of a still exotic (to Western readers) culture while keeping her tale as sharp as a folk ballad." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Things Fall Apart</i> 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart is the debut novel of Nigerian author Chinua Achebe first published in 1958. It depicts the events of pre-colonial life in Igboland and the subsequent appearance of European missionaries and colonial forces in the late 19th century. It is seen as an archetypal modern African novel in English, and one of the first novels to receive global critical acclaim. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and is widely studied in English-speaking countries around the world. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom in 1958 by William Heinemann Ltd and became the first work published in Heinemann's African Writers Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buchi Emecheta</span> Nigerian writer (1944–2017)

Florence Onyebuchi "Buchi" Emecheta was a Nigerian-born novelist, based in the UK from 1962, who also wrote plays and an autobiography, as well as works for children. She was the author of more than 20 books, including Second Class Citizen (1974), The Bride Price (1976), The Slave Girl (1977) and The Joys of Motherhood (1979). Most of her early novels were published by Allison and Busby, where her editor was Margaret Busby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian literature</span> Literature of Nigerians

Nigerian literature may be roughly defined as the literary writing by citizens of the nation of Nigeria for Nigerian readers, addressing Nigerian issues. This encompasses writers in a number of languages, including not only English but Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba, and in the northern part of the county Hausa and Nupe. More broadly, it includes British Nigerians, Nigerian Americans and other members of the African diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora Nwapa</span> Nigerian writer and publisher (1931–1993)

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa, was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother of modern African Literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and the first African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain. She achieved international recognition with her first novel Efuru, published in 1966 by Heinemann Educational Books. While never considering herself a feminist, she was best known for recreating life and traditions from an Igbo woman's viewpoint.

Rems Nnanyelugo Umeasiegbu, is Nigerian professor, scholar, novelist, poet and folklorist from south-eastern Nigeria.. He was also a Principal Lecturer at the Institute of Management Technology, Enugu (1978-1982), and Head of Department, Mass Communications, IMT, Nigeria (1982-1986) and professor of oral literature at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka as well as a consultant to Koruna Books Publications.

<i>The Joys of Motherhood</i> 1979 novel by Buchi Emecheta

The Joys of Motherhood is a novel written by Buchi Emecheta. It was first published in London, UK, by Allison & Busby in 1979 and was first published in Heinemann's African Writers Series in 1980 and reprinted in 1982, 2004, 2008. The basis of the novel is the "necessity for a woman to be fertile, and above all to give birth to sons". It tells the tragic story of Nnu-Ego, daughter of Nwokocha Agbadi and Ona, who had a bad fate with childbearing. This novel explores the life of a Nigerian woman, Nnu Ego. Nnu's life centres on her children and through them, she gains the respect of her community. Traditional tribal values and customs begin to shift with increasing colonial presence and influence, pushing Ego to challenge accepted notions of "mother", "wife", and "woman". Through Nnu Ego's journey, Emecheta forces her readers to consider the dilemmas associated with adopting new ideas and practices against the inclination to cleave to tradition. In this novel, Emecheta reveals and celebrates the pleasures derived from fulfilling responsibilities related to family matters in child-bearing, mothering, and nurturing activities among women. However, the author additionally highlights how the "joys of motherhood" also include anxiety, obligation, and pain.

Allison & Busby is a publishing house based in London established by Clive Allison and Margaret Busby in 1967. The company has built up a reputation as a leading independent publisher.

<i>Gwendolen</i> (novel) 1989 novel by Buchi Emecheta

Gwendolen a 1989 novel by Nigerian-born writer Buchi Emecheta, also known by its United States title The Family. It is her tenth novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifeoma Okoye</span> Nigerian novelist

Ifeoma Okoye is a Nigerian novelist. She has been referred to by fans as "the most important female novelist from Nigeria after Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta," according to Oyekan Owomoyela. She was born in Anambra State in Eastern Region, Nigeria. She went to school at St. Monica's College in Ogbunike to receive a teaching certificate in 1959. She then graduated from the University of Nigeria in Nsukka to earn a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in English in 1977. She wrote novels including Behind the Clouds, children's novels and short stories, such as The Village Boy and Eme Goes to School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede</span> Nigerian poet and sculptor (born 1943)

Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede is a Nigerian poet, storyteller and artist, best known as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Ehikhamenor</span> Nigerian visual artist

Victor Ehikhamenor is a Nigerian visual artist, writer, and photographer known for his expansive works that engage with multinational cultural heritage and postcolonial socioeconomics of contemporary black lives. In 2017, he was selected to represent Nigeria at the Venice Biennale, the first time Nigeria would be represented in the event. His work has been described as representing "a symbol of resistance" to colonialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Nwokoye</span> Nigerian actress (born 1982)

Queen Nwokoye is a Nigerian actress. She is best known for starring as the lead character in a 2014 film titled Chetanna which earned her a "Best Actress" nomination at the 11th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

<i>The Slave Girl</i> (1977 novel) 1977 novel by Buchi Emecheta

The Slave Girl is a 1977 novel by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta that was published in the UK by Allison and Busby and in the US by George Braziller. It won the Jock Campbell Award from the New Statesman in 1978. The novel was Emecheta's fourth book; it was dedicated to her editor Margaret Busby.

<i>Second Class Citizen</i> (novel) 1974 novel by Buchi Emecheta

Second Class Citizen is a 1974 novel by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta, first published in London by Allison and Busby, where her editor was Margaret Busby. It was subsequently published in the US by George Braziller in 1975. A poignant story of a resourceful Nigerian woman Adah who was belittled by everyone.While growing up her parents especially her father did not really want to send her off to school he thinks a woman's education is going to end up in her husband's kitchen Unlike her junior brother boy who was sent to school at an early age, after an incident she was allowed to go to school well what did you know she was a bright student after all after her primary school education she then proceeded to go to her secondary school ,she graduated from her secondary school she got married without a ring but she loved her husband Francis dearly she thinks she's going to be treated well by her husband Francis. He did treat her right ,but as soon as they got to London he changed towards her and her children Adah being a strong woman did not rely on her husband she overcomes strict tribal domination of women and countless setbacks to achieve an independent life for herself and her children, the novel is often described as semi-autobiographical. The protagonist Adah's journey from Nigeria to London – where despite atrocious living conditions and a violent marriage, she "finds refuge in her dream of becoming a writer" – follows closely Emecheta's own trajectory as an author.

Pauline Ada Uwakweh is a Nigerian writer and academic. Writing as Pauline Onwubiko, she published Running for Cover (1988), a children's novel giving a child's-eye view of the Nigerian civil war. She is a Professor of Literature in the English Department at North Carolina A&T State University. Her specialism is African writing and literature from the African diaspora, particularly women's writing.

<i>Double Yoke</i> 1982 novel by Buchi Emecheta

Double Yoke is a 1982 novel written by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. It was published in the United States on September 2, 1982, by George Braziller.

In the Ditch is a 1972 novel written by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. It was first published on New Statesman as a regular column then published in 1972 by Allison & Busby in London, where her editor was Margaret Busby.

<i>The Son of the House</i> 2019 novel by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe

The Son of the House is a family saga novel written by the Nigerian author Cheluchi Onyemelukwe. Her debut novel, it was first published by Parrésia Publishers and Penguin Random House South Africa in 2019.

<i>Destination Biafra</i> 1982 novel by Buchi Emecheta

Destination Biafra is a 1982 novel by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta, first published in London by Allison & Busby. It is considered to be Emecheta's personal account of the Biafra War. Destination Biafra was republished in paperback on 1 March 1994 by Heinemann Educational Books as part of the African Writers Series.

References

  1. Margaret Busby, "Buchi Emecheta obituary", The Guardian , 3 February 2017.
  2. Lucy Scholes, "Re-Covered: In the Ditch", The Paris Review , 28 February 2019.
  3. Angela Cobbinah, "How African writer gave women and girls a voice", Camden New Journal , 16 February 2018.
  4. Peter Tinniswood, Fiction, The Times, 24 June 1976.
  5. Anthony Thwaite, "Fiction: Faded truths", The Observer, 20 June 1976.
  6. Hilary Bailey, "The distraction of foreignness", Tribune, 18 September 1976.
  7. "Emecheta, (Florence Onye) Buchi 1944–", Encyclopedia.com.
  8. "Briefly Noted - Fiction", The New Yorker, 17 May 1976.