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THE CONCUBINE
By Elechi Amadi
The Concubine is the debut
novel by Nigerian writer Elechi Amadi
originally published in 1966 as part of the Heinemann
African Writers Series.
Set in a remote village in Eastern Nigeria, an area
yet to be affected by European values and where society is orderly and
predictable.
The story concerns a woman "of great beauty and dignity"
who inadvertently brings suffering and death to all her lovers.
 |
| Elechi Amadi |
THE CONCUBINE
By Elechi Amadi
Setting: Nigeria
THE TITLE OF THE
NOVEL
The
Concubine by definition: is a woman who, in some societies, lives and has sex with a man she is
not married to, and has a lower social rank than his wife or wives. The book title (The concubine) is symbolic as its meaning is only
revealed to the reader in the closing chapters of the novel.
It becomes
clear that ‘the concubine’ is none other than Ihuoma – the beautiful lady and
main character in the novel who is believed to be the wife of the Sea-King who
is jealous and kills any man who falls in love with her. However it is revealed
that if some rites are performed and the Sea-King is persuaded, then he could
allow someone to live with her as his Concubine not his wife thus the name “The
Concubine”.
That is the
reason Emenike, Madume, and Ekwueme died since they tried to live with her as a
wife not as a concubine. The author says; “well she could be someone’s concubine. Her Sea-king husband can be
persuaded to put up with that after highly involved rites. But as a wife he is
completely ruled out” (p.196).
THE SETTING
The novel is set
in a pre-colonial rural Nigeria and the author mainly talks about African
traditional way of life in its totality bringing together all aspects that
constitute the life of a rural community including but not limited to its
religious, social, cultural and economic practices.
To sum up the
rural setting the following have been used to build the African authenticity and
put events in their relevant African setting.
Ø
A number of Nigerian villages have been mentioned; Omokachi, Chiolu, Aliji,
and Omigwe.
Ø
Traditional practices like belief in the witch doctors, the role of
supernatural spirits on human life, gathering for night dances at the village
arena, traditional marriages like early childhood betrothal, polygamy, spouse
beating, taboos, and dressing styles (wrappers), etc. constitute a rural
setting.
Ø
Economic activities like farming, hunting/trapping wild animals, and selling
their agricultural produce at seasonal markets.
Ø
Time telling is also done by looking at the length of the shadows or the
position of the sun during the day and at night they depend on the moon site or
the cock crow. They also tell time by counting a number of market days to come
or past market days.
Ø
Fetching water from the stream (well) and living in thatched houses also
tell more about rural setting.
THE PLOT
The plot is chronologically
divided into thirty chapters narrated in a straightforward narration with few
flashbacks. It shows how Madume’s fight with Emenike is attributed to the later
death of Emenike. This makes Ihuoma a widow and Madume wants to use that
opportunity to woo Ihuoma. As she refuses his advances one particular day he
tries to stop her from harvesting the plantain from the land that caused
argument between him and Emenike. In the process the cobra spits in his eyes
resulting to his blindness and death.
Ekwueme the young
man takes over wooing Ihuoma. After tirelessly trying to win Ihuoma’s approval
and the discouragements from Ihuoma, he finally marries Ahurole a girl
betrothed to him from childhood. The
marriage doesn’t work and in the process of mending it by applying a love
potion it breaks completely apart and Ihuoma find herself submissive to the
proposal of Ihuoma.
However divine
inquiry suggests that it would be a misfortune for Ekwueme to marry Ihuoma as
she was a wife of the Sea-king who was responsible for the death of Emenike and
Madume. Ekwueme and Ihuoma insist to go on with the wedding preparation
something that causes the death of Ekwueme.
THE STYLE
The Concubine is a unique novel written in such a way that we as readers see
ourselves in it. The language used to depict the struggles, pain, love, hate,
death and other issues treated therein are indeed a reflection of our
humanity. The author has
employed different techniques to deliver his message to the intended audience.
Ø
Dialogue – there is conversation
between and among characters to bring events and characters to life. E.g.: The
conversation between Nnadi and Ihuoma (p. 69)
“It is that wicked fellow,
Madume, She managed to say between sobs.
Who? Nnadi roared
Madume
Did he touch you?
Yes
Did he beat you?
He as good as did it
Where is he? …..
Ø Songs – to enrich his style he has
made frequent use of songs to engage the reader to visualize the life of this
traditional community. E.g. (p.80)
‘Aleruchi Oji,
She is a champion wrestler
A mighty leg twist
Sent her husband down
‘Aleruchi Oji,
She is a champion wrestler
Ø
Point of view – The story is told from a third person point of view.
In most cases it is the author who tells the story, in some more specific cases
he uses first person point of view to tell stories related to the supernatural
world in which case a character like Anyika tells what he knows about the
spiritual world.
CHARACTERIZATION
Ihuoma
v
She is the main character and
the wife of Emenike. Ihuoma is Emenike’s twenty-two-year-old wife,
married to him for six years. Before her marriage and move to Omokachi, she
lived in the nearby village of Omigwe, where her parents, Ogbuji and Okachi,
still reside.
v
She is a caring woman. She spends the majority of her time caring for her three children and
her husband. She showed great
devotion to her husband in every way she could think of. Even when he was sick
she prepared dish after dish and tempted him (p.7). She also took care of
Ekwueme until he fully recovered.
v
She is pretty and beautiful
but not arrogant. Ihuoma is a beautiful and attractive lady whose beauty calls for the attention and
admiration by all in her village. Despite her beauty she gracefully conducts
herself in her duties of housekeeping and shows no arrogance.
v
She is sympathetic,
supportive, gentle and reserved. Ihuoma was not hesitant to show her sympathy when it
was needed. She offered to help in any possible way to see to it that someone’s
life is restored to normal. She agrees to arrange a make-believe marriage with
Ekwueme if that was the only option available and it worked. Speaking to Wigwe,
she says in (p.184) “You don’t know how sorry I feel about the whole thing. I
wish I could help you even more.
v
She is very intelligent. She would assess any
situation before agreeing to take part in it. After her husband’s death she
refuses many men who woo her for marriage considering the distress and shame
she is going to cause to the village.
v
She is a good advisor and
peace maker. She offered to advise other women especially when they were in conflicts.
She herself avoided any serious quarrel with other women six years of her
marriage. The author says “She found herself settling quarrels and offering
advice to older women” (p 12)
v
She has a firm stand. After the death of her
husband there is a high pressure mounting from her mother and other men from
the village proposing her for marriage. She refuses to get married to any man
as a way of making her forget about her late husband. She tells her mother “If you mean that I should get a lover, then
let us discuss something else because I won’t.” (p. 40)
v
She is a widow. Ihuoma
is left a lonely widow with her husband Emenike. The final chapters of the book
reveal that her widowhood is predestined by the Sea King who becomes jealous
when any man loves her, killing the man and leaving her a widow forever alone
on Earth.
v
She is believed to be a
goddess. Ihuoma is
believed to be a goddess – the wife of a Sea-King, the ruling spirit of the sea
who sought the company of human beings against the advice of her husband and
was incarnated. That’s why she is quite right in everything almost perfect.(p.
196)
Emenike
v He is Ihuoma’s
first husband, well respected in Omokachi as the
“ideal young man” because of his striking appearance and intelligence.
v
He is a handsome young man. Apart from being an ideal
young man he was well-formed, a favourite with the girls.
v
He is an average but lucky
wrestler. While he was an
average wrestler he had a devil’s luck of throwing people in a spectacular ways
which onlooker remembered long afterwards.
v He is involved in a land
clash with Madume. During a journey
through the forest near the village, he encounters Madume, a man he had
recently quarreled with over rights to a piece of land.
v He dies of lock-chest. He wrestles, with Madume but Madume’s sheer bulk
overpowers Emenike, who is thrown against a tree stump and seriously injured.
He survives only to die of “lock-chest” days later.
Madume
v
He is a husband of Wolu and a father of four daughters.
v
He is gender stereotypical. He fathered four girls with
Wolu but he used to call then Wolu’s children because they were girls. He even
thought of using his daughters’ dowry to marry another wife who would bear him
baby boys. (p.4, 56)
v
He is big-eyed (unsatisfied). One of the things the
villagers didn’t like about Madume was that he was never satisfied with his
share in anything that was good. (p 4)
v
He is a dishonest land grabber. He first quarreled with
Emenike over a piece of land which belonged to Emenike. After Emenike’s death
he also quarreled with Ihuoma over the same piece of land.
v
He is quarrelsome. Madume was constantly
quarreling with villagers over land, palm wine trees, plantain trees and other
such things. (p. 5)
v
He is jealous. He hated Emenike just
because he managed to marry Ihuoma the most desirable girl from Omigwe that he
loved. Also he hated Emenike since old men cited Emenike as an ideal young man.
(p. 5)
v
He is hot-temped and cruel to
his family. He is very cruel
to his children and harasses both his wife and children. Even after losing his
sight he was still harsh to his wife.
v
He is lazy and unsuccessful. By the time he reaches his
early thirties he had no any notable achievements to brag about. He had a small
compound with only two houses because he hated thatching then in rainy seasons.
v
His actions become his
downfall. Soon after his confrontation with Ihuoma, on the land he wrongly
considers his own. He is blinded by a spitting cobra and shamed in the eyes of
the villagers. In response to loss of his vision, he hangs himself.
Ekwueme
v
He is a son of Wigwe and Adaku. He was an only child for
almost twelve years. Being the only chid he waswell taken care of and given the
required attention of the only child until Wigwe accused Adaku of trying to
make a woman out of a man (p. 131)
v
He is shy of girls. Ekwueme was shy of girls and
he had hard time to express his feeling to Ihuoma.
v
He is a singer. He is a reputed singer who
sings along with Wakiri, Adiele the drum beater, Mmam the drummer.
v
He is a very hardworking young
man. Ekwueme was a
hardworking, dutiful and a sensible young man which is why among other reasons
his father Wigwe loved and respected him. (p. 106)
v
He has true love and a firm
stand. Ekwueme showed strong
conviction of love to Ihuoma and was not easily moved. Although he forcibly
married Ahurole – a girl he was betrothed to since childhood his love for
Ihuoma grew day by day and he died for it.
v
He was betrothed to Ahurole at
the age of 5. Ekwueme was engaged to Ahurole, when she was 8 days
old and he was about five years old. Ahurole later turned out to be an overly
emotional and often irrational mate making him unhappy in his marriage until Ahurole
administers a love potion that drives him to passivity and then to the brink of
insanity.
v
He is an animal trapper and
hunter. He is an accomplished trapper and is well-liked in Omokachi. He traps
animals and supplies the meat in his family and his friends.
Ahurole
v
She is a young woman
from Omigwe, the daughter of Wagbara and Wonuma.
v
She is Ekwueme’s wife
betrothed to him since childhood. She was engaged to
Ekwueme, when she was 8 days old and he was about five years old.
v
She is a pampered wife. She would cry without any
apparent reason something that gave hard time to her husband trying to
understand her and brought a family quarrel most of the time.
v
She is superstitious. Advised by her mother she
used a love potion to win her husband’s heart something that broke her marriage
completely apart.
v
She is a fugitive. When the potion fails to
elicit the expected results, and instead endangers her husband’s mental state,
she flees Omokachi, returning to her parents’ home at Omigwe.
Wigwe
v
The father of Ekwueme and Adaku’s husband living at Omokachi village.
v
He is a traditionalist. He betrothed his son to Ahurole when he was only 5
years old and worked hard to make the marriage negotiations that were to take a
year to last in six months. He did so partly because he was suspicious Ekwueme
would marry Ihuoma instead and it was an abomination to break the childhood
engagement.
v
He is superstitious. He believes in the power of
the witchdoctors like Anyika and Agwoturumbe and he consulted them whenever he
had issues to be sorted out.
v
He is remorseful and
apologetic. After Ihuoma had
given a hand of cooperation to ensure that Ekwueme’s mental health fully
recovers, he apologised for his recent rudeness and felt full of remorse.
(p.188)
v
He has a thanksgiving heart. He
appreciated the service rendered by Ihuoma and thought of how to reward her but
he ended up saying “Thank you my
daughter. The gods will reward you” (p.184)
Anyika.
v He is a medicine man (the dibia) who said he came from Eluanyim and is believed to be the
mediator between the villagers and the spirit world.
v He is superstitious. He believes in the power of the spirits and their influence on human
life. For example he tells Madume that his injury at Ihuoma’s compound was a
result of the sea spirits that had sworn to kill him there and said Emenike’s
father was among them.
v He knows the ways of the
village gods, and villagers consult him for rituals of healing or appeasement.
v He recognizes Ihuoma’s spiritual origins and predicts the fates of the
young men who love her.
v In a way he is an honest and sympathetic witchdoctor. He for instance
rejected Ahurole’s proposal to administer a love potion to her husband because
he knew it has side effects to men. He says; “I am sure you have seen active and intelligent men suddenly become
passive, stupid and dependent. That is what a love potion can do. So go and
settle your differences with your husband peacefully. If you insist, then you
must go somewhere else”
Also sympathising with the Wigwes he offered to pay for them the two
manillas required for his divination to work since they had paid so much in the
past.
Wakiri
v Wakiri the Omokachi village singer who provides comic relief for Ihuoma,
Ekwueme, and other villagers by telling jokes. A gentle character accompanies
his wit. He helps Ihuoma take care of affairs after Emenike’s death; he also
provides Ekwueme with advice and support.
Nnadi
v He is Emenike’s brother and protector of Ihuoma after her husband’s
death. He defends her honour and aids in maintenance of her home and lands.
Wagbara
v
He is
the father of Ihuoma and Wonuma’s husband who live in Omigwe village. He is a
traditionalist as he betrothed her daughter to Ekwueme when she was only 8 days
old. He is also a polygamist with two wives Wonuma (Ahurole’s mother) and Aleruchi
and he has kept a timetable for his wives to feed him.
Wonuma.
v She is Ahurole’s mother and Wagbara’s senior wife. She is superstitious
as she believes that a love potion would make Ahurole win her husband’s heart.
She ends up breaking her daughter’s marriage with her witchcraft sending it to
a devastating end.
THEMES
AFRICAN TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
Superstition and witchcraft
ü Superstition is one of the themes in the novel. In the
traditional African life, superstition and witchcraft surround the people and
creates a state of fear and uncertainty. Superstition is discussed in the
following scenarios.
ü Small pox is considered extremely ominous. The disease is so
dreaded that people dared not call it small pox. Instead, they call it “the
good thing” when referring to it. Also, when a person dies of small pox, people
are forbidden to mourn him.
ü That is not all, even some animals are attached to some
superstitious belief. For instance, it is believed that a vulture does not perch
on anyone’s roof except that it brings a divine message to the household. And
after this, people go to consult the oracle on the import of the message and
the befitting sacrifices must follow.
ü It is believed that Ihuoma is a sea-goddess of the Sea-King.
To marry women like her an expert in sorcery must be consulted if her husband’s
spirit was behind her but if it was the sea King it was impossible since he is
so powerful.
ü It is believed that in any case people did not just die
without reason. They died because they had done something wrong or because they
had neglected to minister to the gods or to the spirits of their ancestors.
ü To sort out things dealing with the spiritual world they
consult witch-doctors like Anyika and Agwoturumbe (the dibia) to help them.
These use that opportunity to exploit their clients by demanding a lot of items
to complete the sacrifices.
ü With all these scenes of superstition in the novel Amadi
seems to be concerned with how much harm people must have brought upon
themselves due to ignorance. Due to ignorance in the form of beliefs, lives
have been lost, property and resources wasted and bright hope and future
dashed.
Bride price
Rooted in most
African societies is the theme of Bride price which has to be paid before the
girl is sent off to her husband. In this novel or rather society bride price is
taken as a source of income. Speaking of Madume the author says “but there was
time enough to marry another wife and the problem did not bother him unduly.
Moreover his daughter’s marriages would provide him with the money for another
wife.
Ekwueme also paid
the bride price for Ahurole and it was refunded when she fled back home and it
was to be paid to Ihuoma’s brother in law (Nnadi) before he got harried to her
but he died before being able to fulfil this traditional requirement.
Wrestling.
Wrestling is part
and parcel of recreation in this traditional society. They hold wrestling
matches as part of amusement and enjoyment. However there is a certain honour
attached to those best wrestlers which earns them the societal respect.
Traditional dances
Traditional dances
(oduma) are also part of the recreation of this society. During the moonlight
nights they hold the dances at the village arena for refreshment and enjoyment.
Mmam, and Adiele beat the drums while Wodu Wakiri and Ekwueme are singers.
Shaving after death
There is a
traditional custom of shaving after death. To fulfil the requirement Ihuoma
also had her hair closely shaven according to the tradition. (p28)
Second burial ritual
There is a ritual
called second burial ceremony. A responsible man like Emenike was to be given
the second burial in honour of his contribution during his lifetime. They
believed that his spirit rejoiced when the second burial was performed. But
again it was done to officially terminate the days of mourning so that the
family members of the deceased may go on with normal life.
However, people
who hanged themselves like Madume did not deserve the second burial because
their bodies were considered an abomination to the society.
Polygamy
Polygamy is one of
the strongest and reputed African traditions practised in almost all
traditional societies. There are many cases of polygamy in this novel.
The father of
Mgbachi (Nnadi’s) wife had had four wives when he died. She says “I remember
when my father died, six no seven, years ago. My mother and the three other
wives nearly collapsed under the strain of the rites” (p.31)
Wagbara (Ahurole’s
father) had two wives- Wonuma and Aleruchi.
Madume was also
thinking of having a second wife who would bear him baby boys since his wife
had born him four daughters something that was most annoying to him.
Eating etiquette.
Children ought to
observe table manners when eating. One day as Ihuoma visited her parents they
were eating with her children and Ogbuji his father commented when Nwonna was
talking “Stop talking Nwonna, you are eating. Ihuoma is this how you are
bringing them up?
Taboos.
Most traditional
societies have a series of restrictions that the forbid the members of the
society from doing certain things. There are several taboos portrayed in this
society.
ü
No ordinary man was allowed to take down the body of a person who committed
suicide except the dibia (medicine man) (p.76)
ü
The bodies of people who committed suicide like Madume are not buried nor
given a second burial rite. They are thrown in the Minita forest since they are
considered to be an abomination. (p.76)
ü
Food taboo: Women are forbidden to eat neither the meat of a kite nor the
gizzard of a bird.
ü
A girl is not allowed to go to the farm during her four days of stay at her
husband’s compound before official marriage. (p. 124)
ü
No woman is allowed to enter the room of divination 7 days before the
dibia’s occupation. (p 207)
ü
It is an abomination to break early childhood engagement. (p 107)
Sex preference. (Gender stereotype)
In African context
a girl is not expected to inherit the properties of her father when he dies. As
a result getting baby girls only becomes a distress to the father. Madume is
annoyed because his wife has born four daughters.
“Wolu, Madume’s only wife, bore him four
daughters – a most annoying thing, despite the dowries he knew he would collect
when they got married. But who would bear his name when he died? The thought of
his elder bothers sons inheriting his houses and lands filled him with dismay”(p.4)
At times he referred
to them as Wolu’s children and not his. Which brought a family conflict. Wolu
complains “It is the way you keep talking
of my children as if they are not yours. If they were boys you would regard
them more as your children, I am sure. Well I am not Chineke; I do not create
children” (p. 56)
Time telling
ü
This traditional society has a traditional way of telling time. Since they
do not have clocks and calendars they rely heavily on natural ways of telling
time which is however not very accurate.
ü
One, they tell the time of the day by looking at the length of the shadows
and the position of the sun. as in page 84 Ekwueme says “I wonder how long the
shadows are, he went outside. He looked at his shadow and glanced at the sun”
ü
At night they rely on the moonrise and the cock crow.
ü
Two, the time of the week is determined by a number of market days.
Early childhood betrothal.
ü Ekwueme was engaged to Ahurole, when she was 8 days old and he was about
five years old. This brings conflicts to
the concerned parties because their marriage is not based on mutual love but
parents’ preferences. Ekwueme says “My parents selected Ahurole as soon as she
was born. I could hardly pull a bow by then. I really had no choice” (p.91)
ü
Ahurole later turned out
to be an overly emotional and often irrational mate making him unhappy in his
marriage until Ahurole administers a love potion that drives him to passivity
and then to the brink of insanity.
Wife beating
ü
Wife (spouse) beating has always been a method used by African men to
discipline their wives. It is illogical to treat your spouse like a child.
Speaking of Ekwueme the author says “Many
men beat their wives; he hadn’t done so yet” (p.140)
ü
Later when Ahurole’s behaviour did not change he also beat her. The author
says “Suddenly Ekwe got up and ordered her to get off in an awful voice. Before
she could move he gave her several slaps on the face and pushed her back
violently” (p .142)
LOVE
The theme of love seems to be central
to everything that is taking place in the events of the story. Love, being a
universal theme, often forms a major concern of most African novels. In this
novel the author takes a different view of the subject of love.
The question that we are often bound to
ask is whether the author is trying to show that love is blind to convention.
Truly, parties in love, especially for the first time, are usually blinded by
their own inclination so much that they tend to ignore everything else. This is
the case with Ekwueme in the story. Despite his awareness of the position of
custom and tradition of the land that a betrothal marriage must be sealed, he
goes ahead to propose to Ihuoma, the beautiful widow.
The question is, what does true love
imply? Must two people in love with each other necessarily get married? Does
love between two marriageable opposite sexes always end up in sexual
intercourse, in the form of boyfriend and girlfriend or in the form of married
couple? No doubt, Ekwueme’s relationship with Ahurole comes to a sad conclusion,
not because the young man does not enjoy sexual pleasure with her, but because
his heart longs for someone else, which is Ihuoma.
In a way the author shows that love has
to flow freely and unconditionally until it finds its own soul mate. The question
of love is further complicated in this novel when it comes to our attention
that the spiritual world also interferes human affairs deciding for them whom
to love and whom not to. The Sea-king for instance is not ready to let go of
Ihuoma to get married to any man but at the least he could allow someone to
live with her as his concubine not as a wife.
CONFLICT
There are various
conflicts discussed in the novel most of which are caused of the traditional
life of this society.
Intrapersonal
conflict.
Ekwueme suffered an intrapersonal conflict because of his love to Ihuoma. Both
Ihuoma and his own parents did not understand him. Ekwueme was betrothed to
Ahurole since childhood and Bothe Ihuoma and Ekwueme’s parents were not ready
to break this custom. It caused a great intrapersonal conflict to Ekwueme.
Personal conflict
Madume vs Emenike
Madume has a conflict with Emenike over the
question of land. Their conflict yielded to a serious fight that left Emenike
seriously injured. The conflict was resolved by the elders but Madume resumed
it even after Emenike’s death.
Madume vs Nnadi
Madume had a conflict with Nnadi. This resulting
from Madume’s behaviour of bulling Ihuoma over the land issue and preventing
her from harvesting the plantain from her husband’s plot of land. It is this
conflict that made Madume receive the spitting from the cobra.
Family conflict
Wolu vs Madume.
Madume has a conflict with his wife over the
question of gender stereotype. Because she bore four girls Madume was annoyed
and at times he referred to them as Wolu’s children and not his which brought a
family conflict. Wolu complains “It is
the way you keep talking of my children as if they are not yours. If they were
boys you would regard them more as your children, I am sure. Well I am not
Chineke; I do not create children” (p. 56)
Ekwueme vs his family
Ekwueme has a conflict with his parents over the
marriage question. On one side they wonder how a bachelor becomes interested in
marrying a widow and they object it with all their might causing a conflict
with their son. On the other side they wonder how they would dare to break the
early childhood engagement that had been already done between him and Ahurole.
It was considered and abomination to break such engagements. As a result Wigwe
rushed the marriage negotiations that were to take place for a year and they
lasted for only six months. However the marriage didn’t work out as it was
thought.
Ekwueme vs his wife (Ahurole)
Since
Ekueme’s marriage to Ahurole seemed to be a forced one, the two young couples
were never at peace. Ahurole later
turned out to be an overly emotional and often irrational mate making him
unhappy in his marriage. He even dared to lay a hand on her resulting into a
serious conflict until Ahurole administers a love potion that drives him to
passivity and then to insanity. It ended when Ahurole fled back to her parents
and Ekwueme recovered and was allowed to marry Ihuoma Ekwueme was certain
of his fate if he marries Ihuoma, but went on anyway, driven by love.
POSITION OF WOMEN
v Women are not allowed to inherit properties. Madume is annoyed of his daughters because they won’t
be able to inherit his properties when he dies. But who would bear his name when he died? The
thought of his elder bothers sons inheriting his houses and lands filled him
with dismay” (p.4)
v
Women are portrayed as good advisors. Ihuoma is a good
advisor and peace maker. She offered to advise other women especially when they
were in conflicts. She herself avoided any serious quarrel with other women six
years of her marriage. The author says “She found herself settling quarrels and
offering advice to older women” (p 12)
v Women are portrayed as parents and caretakers. Ihuoma takes the responsibility of bringing up her
children alone after her father’s death. Ahurole’s mother (Wonuma) and
Ekwueme’s mother (Adaku) took good care of their children.
v Women are portrayed as weak people. Ahurole complains that Ekwueme is fond of scolding her
(p 137). We are also told that many men beat their wives and Ekwueme ended up
beating Ahurole. Women also are required to address their husbands as “My Lord”
v Women are treated as children. Wigwe advices Ekwe to treat Ahurole as a child. He
says “Think of her as a baby needing constant correction. When a baby annoys
you, you don’t carry the anger with you all day, do you? Treat your wife the
same” (p. 139)
v Women are portrayed as superstitious. Wonuma (Ahurole’s
mother) is superstitious as she believes that a love potion would make Ahurole
win her husband’s heart. She teaches her daughter to be superstitious. She ends
up breaking her daughter’s marriage with her witchcraft sending it to a
devastating end.
v Women are portrayed as source of income. Men with daughters expect to earn some money when
their daughters get married. That is how Madume considers his daughters not as
his heirs.
FATE
v The indisputable fact that all human
beings are bound to their fate is also an important issue in The Concubine.
The freer we think we are from our fate the closer we get to it. Whether we
like it or not, what will be will be.
v This moral essence seems to be the
major thrust of the story. Ekwueme's determination to marry Ihuoma by all means
is also to no avail. Much as he tried to run away from what might have been his
downfall he ended up meeting his fate at his own door way.
v With this, Elechi Amadi appears to suggest
that nothing in life is done or undone except that there is a supernatural
touch to it.
MOTALITY (DEATH) AND WIDOWHOOD
v The theme of death and widowhood are
closely related and this novel is no exceptional. The maltreatment and
psychological trauma the widow goes through in the name of custom and tradition
is never left out. This practice is so rampart on many traditional African
cultures that one wonders if being a woman in some parts of Africa is a curse.
If not, why should there always be widow's rites and not widower's rites? Why
on earth must a woman go through pain and suffering because her husband died?
v Ekwueme’s love affair with Ahurole
then Ihuoma reflects these questions. In short, when we consider Ihuoma's
reluctance to accept Ekwueme's advances and Ekwueme's defilement of the
tradition of betrothal, we would realise that neither love nor sexual desire
precedes a successful marriage. What happens when two people are
"forcefully" made to enter into marital union is reflected in
Ekwueme's disappointment in himself a few days after marrying his betrothed
Ahurole.
v About this, the narrator observes:
"Ekwueme
was annoyed with himself. Before marriage he thought he knew all the answers to
domestic problems and vowed that when he got married he would never have to
call in a third party, not even his parents, to decide anything between him and
his wife. He used to despise men who had to beat their wives call in
arbitrators to settle disputes every other day. Now that he was one of them, he
felt confused." (p. 143)
v
There are traditional beliefs
attached to some cases of deaths; Madume’s case for instance, the tradition
dictates that he must neither be mourned nor be given a grand second burial.
This is because suicide is considered a taboo. In order to prevent his evil
corpse from affecting others, his body will have to be disposed of in the deep
forest, like an animal.
v Also noteworthy in
relation to death in the story is the idea that, there is no natural death;
that one way or another a man's death must have been caused by either man or a
supernatural force. For instance, both Emenike and Madume's deaths are linked
to the Sea-King who loves, and is jealous of, his mysterious wife Ihuoma, he
punishes anyone that threatens or loves her with death. Even the fine, admirable
character in the story, Ekwueme, is not spared the wrath of the fiery Sea-King.
THE ROLE OF THE SUPERNATURAL ON HUMAN LIVES.
Most
African traditional communities seem to believe in the power of Supernatural
forces and their supposed influence on their lives. Evidently, it is seen in
the novel, that the ‘Sea King’ has a hold on Ihuoma’s life and eliminates all
who try or succeed in winning her love.
In
line with the theme of the role of divinities in human lives, is the theme of
superstition. Superstitions were/are common in tradition African societies and
seen in the novel when community members consult mediums (mediators) like
Anyika and Agwoturumbe before undertaking various decisions.
Every
other event and situation that occurs in the society or to an individual is
carefully evaluated against the wishes of the gods and the ancestral spirits
upon which sacrifices and divinations are carried out to please the spirits so
that they may shower blessings on human endeavours.
MESSAGES
§
We should not believe in superstition and witchcraft as it creates
unnecessary fear.
§
Polygamy, wife beating, bride price and
early childhood betrothal are out-dated customs they should be discarded.
§
One cannot run away from fate. What is planned to happen will happen anyway
even if there are some efforts to prevent it.
§
Love is natural and it cannot be forced otherwise. However, love is a
journey should not be undertaken blindly ignoring the warning signs.
§
Family conflicts may result into total family separation.
§
We should cherish good African customs and practices like traditional
dances and wrestling contests as they bring people together and strengthen the
communal spirit.
§
We should avoid gender stereotype. All children (both boys and girls)
should be treated equally.
RELEVANCE
The novel is
relevant in a number of ways:
Polygamy, bride
price, superstitions, wife beating, and early marriages are still common
practices in African traditional set up.
True love still
exists and there are people who are ready to die for love.
In some societies
there is serious gender stereotype and women are just treated as source of
income.
This sight is full with good notes
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