The Moon also sets by Osi Ogbu

Brief Context

• Author & Publication: Written by Nigerian author Osita (Osi) Ogbu, the novel was published in 2002 (East African Educational Publishers, Kenya) and 2003 (Heinemann Nigeria) WikipediaAfrican books collective.
• Setting & Focus: It unfolds in a fictional postcolonial Nigerian village and university environment, centring on Oby—a first-year university student—and her widowed mother, Mama Oby African books collectiveStudocu.

Key Themes & Literary Elements

1. Tradition vs. Modernity

The story showcases the tension between entrenched cultural customs, religious morality, and the pull of modern influences. Oby’s entry into university exposes her to moral hypocrisies and changing values, showcasing how modern settings often replicate, if not intensify, societal contradictions ScribdStudocu.

2. Gender, Resilience & Widowhood

Mama Oby defies societal expectations—she resists forced remarriage, asserts her autonomy, and fights for her daughter’s education. Her strength highlights critiques of patriarchy, endemic gender inequality, and the resilience of women The Standard DigitalRSIS International.

3. Faith and Hypocrisy

The novel portrays conflicting moral landscapes: religious figures like Father Damian succumb to temptation, whereas Mama Oby remains steadfast, creating powerful irony and commentary on religious virtue Wyckats Notes.

4. Postcolonial Identity & Belonging

At a deeper level, the novel explores the struggle with cultural identity in the aftermath of colonialism. Characters are caught between oral traditions, Christian values, and Western-inspired modernity as they forge their paths in a rapidly changing world idr.kab.ac.ugScribd.

Characters to Know

• Mama Oby: Widow and pillar of strength; fiercely protective of her daughter’s future.
• Oby Onyia: University entrant; caught between cultural expectations and new freedoms.
• Pa Okolo / Uncle Ben: Represent tradition and familial pressure.
• Father Damian: Symbolises religious hypocrisy.
• Chike, Chris & Okoro: Campus figures; Chike’s destructive relationship with Oby and Chris’ redemptive care are central to Oby’s moral journey StudocuScribdinakitto.com.

How This Helps in Exams

• Thematic Essays: You can explore contrasts—tradition vs modernity, faith vs hypocrisy, or gender oppression vs resilience—by citing how Mama Oby and Oby navigate these pressures.
• Character Analysis: Contrast characters like Mama Oby and Father Damian to illustrate moral and cultural conflicts.
• Narrative Voice & Style: Note Ogbu’s use of vernacular expression, proverbs, and Igbo imagery—blending local storytelling with English prose—to enhance authenticity and cultural depth Wyckats NotesAmazonAfrican books collective.

Summary Table

Focus Area	Key Insight
Themes	Tradition vs modernity, gender resilience, moral conflict, identity search
Character Contrasts	Mama Oby vs Father Damian; Oby vs Chike; community vs outsider
Literary Techniques	Use of proverbs, vernacular, irony, symbolism, and cultural realism
Exam Utility	Strong material for essays, textual analysis, thematic discussions

Part I (Part-by-chapter breakdown)

Chapter One

Mama Oby, a widow raising five children after the Biafran War, is pressured by family to remarry. A postman arrives with the long-awaited news of her daughter Oby’s admission to university, prompting the community to organize a send-off party and journey to the bus station preparations.
Wyckats Notesinakitto.com

Chapter Two

Father Damian, the parish priest, attempts to sexually proposition Mama Oby at his residence—a shocking betrayal from a man of God. Despite his advances, she resists and escapes, reaffirming her dignity and faith.
Wyckats Notesinakitto.com

Chapter Three

A typical Sunday unfolds—Oby helps with chores and church. The community’s elaborate rituals replace traditional communal life. The dominating presence of Father Damian and the judgmental church wardens are notable, while the arrival of Uncle Ben heralds additional tension when he makes sexual advances at Mama Oby.
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Chapter Four (Implicit Summary from Part I continuity)

The family celebrates Oby’s admission with a significant gathering. Mama Oby and Oby prepare to depart for the university, symbolizing departure into a new phase of life.
Wyckats Notes

Early University Life – Chapters 8–11

Chapter Eight

Oby arrives at the girls’ hall on campus and navigates the mixed realities of university life. She meets Chike, who senses her newfound confidence. He invites her to a campus outing, offering insight into tribal tensions and campus politics.
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Chapter Nine

Oby’s roommates—Ada and Uche—are caught in romantic liaisons, and they introduce Oby to the pressures of “October rush.” Chike continues to pursue her, and the roommates advise her on university survival tactics.
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Chapter Eleven

Chike delivers a love poem for Oby via her roommates. This gesture softens her heart, and she suggests a beach outing with him the next Sunday—marking a turning point in their relationship.
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Chapter Seventeen

During the economics gala, Chike takes Oby’s photo album and recognizes Father Damian in a photo, prompting a revealing and scandalous story about the priest’s immoral behavior with nuns.
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Return to Village – Chapter 20

Oby returns home and engages in a candid conversation with her mother about modern challenges like relationships, pregnancy, and family planning—topics that clash with Mama Oby’s conservative views on abstinence. Back in the village, Father Damian excommunicates Mama Oby’s community and endorses Obeta—an accused murderer—over traditional justice, deepening the conflict between modern religion and custom. Obeta’s acceptance by the church causes communal resistance. Meanwhile, there is talk of an arranged marriage between Oby and the chief’s son, Ndubisi, which both women reject. Emotional discussions about gender rites and tradition conclude the chapter.

Summary Table

Chapter(s)	Key Developments
Part I (1-4)	Introduction to Mama Oby’s struggles, community pressures, attempted moral transgression, and Oby’s university admission
Chapter 8–11	Oby’s acclimation to campus life, social insights, romantic beginnings, and deeper disillusionment
Chapter 17	Revelations of religious hypocrisy and moral decay through Father Damian’s actions
Chapter 20	Clashing generational, moral, and cultural perspectives; Oby’s return home forces confrontation with tradition and modern values

Detailed exploration

The story is a work of modern African fiction that deals with contemporary social challenges in the African society. It is the story of a widow Mama Oby, who lives under the rude shadow of tradition and male chauvinism, and who skates along the unfriendly waters of tradition to bring up her children. It is equally the story of a young woman Oby, who balances between the expectations of her rural home environment and those of the academic environment of the University of Embakassi. In general, it is a story set at the backdrop of a deadly civil war – the Biafran war of secession between 1967 – 70, which claimed the lives of 5 million people and starved over 20 million others. The impact of the war on family sustainability is shown through Mama Oby’s struggles to achieve success in a society where women suffer huge restrictions from all corners of their existence. Without a man, she becomes the man himself.

The novel has been structured into five different parts. Each of the parts bears a sub-title that highlights the key events of that particular part of the general story. The general story ends with the union between Oby and Chris – a university student in his fourth year and a friend of her former boyfriend Chike, who has been arrested for procuring an illegal abortion.

Part I
A Widow’s Might

This Part is named after Mama Oby’s struggles to support herself and a family of five children after the death of her husband, eight years ago. Her husband is killed in the Nigerian civil war, 1967-1970. The civil war is a real-life historical experience that Nigeria went through in the second half of the twentieth century when the Igbo attempted to break away from mainland Nigeria. The attempt was unsuccessful and untold sufferings and death took place during the emergency. It was also called the Biafran war. Because of the war, there is a clear exodus of townsfolk to the countryside who attempt to adjust to the bucolic life of Isiakpu.

SETTING

• Part I is set in the village of Isiakpu. There are a number of physical places refered to; such as Mama Oby’s home, the bus station, the church, the home of Pa Okolo. A small part of the story is set in Onitsha where Uncle Amechi lives.
• The novel makes reference to the historical setting of Nigeria, i.e. the Nigerian civil war (Biafra War). The events of the war are shown in the novel; the killing of Papa Oby, massive exodus of people from towns to the countryside like Mama Oby and Mama Ijeoma; the state made measures to deal with the effects of war like taking up buildings whose owners could not be found. Mama Oby fails to recover a two-floored flat belonging to her late husband.

PLOT:
The Part has the following key events.
(a) The family of the late Papa Oby resolves that Mama Oby get married again, as per custom in order that she might not stay single. This is brought through a flashback in chapter one (pages 7 – 15) Chapter one
(b) The parish priest, Father Damian has attempted to lure Mama Oby into bed at the parish residence. She has fiercely warded off his threat. Chapter two
(c) Uncle Ben visits Mama Oby to fulfill her customary duties as the new man in the house.
(d) A postman finally brings news about Oby’s admission to the University of Embakassi.
(e) A party has been organized by the family of Mama Oby to send her daughter off to university.
(f) Mama Oby travels with her daughter to the bus station to see her off to university.

THEMES

EDUCATION
• Formal education is a modern practice. In the novel, education is a fundamental motif that addresses the challenges women suffer in a world of cultural restrictions.
• Oby thinks of university education as the key to her future. To her, no university means no future.
• She despises Eze, a fellow auxiliary teacher for lack of ambition for further studies beyond his school certificate.
• But her mother informs her that life’s problems are too many to be entirely solved by university education; “Do you think going to University solves all problems? We have problems at every stage of our lives.” P3. Here are two opposing lessons on the contribution of education towards total success.
• Mama Oby on her part believes that education is one of the means of empowering young women against the traditional biases in their society of Isiakpu such as the practice of relegating them to second class members of society. P6. It is one way of emancipating them against such biases.
She says: “. . . we want you, our daughters, to have as much education as we can give you. Maybe things will begin to change. We have been chained for far too long.” [p17]
(The idea of women emancipation)
• However, girl education is looked at with contempt and criticism. Pa Okolo thinks such education does not improve the value of a woman in marriage, p31. Uncle Amechi observes that there is a tendency for education to discourage men from marrying educated women.

RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY
• Fr. Damian, the head of the Catholic Church in the area offers a bad example. He attempts to force Mama Oby into sex at the parish residence. The build up to this act is equally irreligious and embarrassing for a man of God; romantic music, lewd dressing and an enticing bedroom ambience and the picture album. It is an atmosphere of temptation and sin. However, she aggressively wards off the threat of temptation. Ch 2
• The theme is also developed through agents of the church called church wardens. The church wardens are presented in a critical manner p28-9 — crude, ignorant, arrogant, corrupt.
• Mama Ijeoma equally offers another ad example of religious hypocrisy. She gives contraceptives to her daughter, Ijeoma as she goes to university. She believes that fath alone cannot save her daughter. P57. She thus advises Mama Oby to follow the same example so as not to regret later. This is contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church.
• But a devout Christian places all her faith in God and not in contraceptives. Mama Oby never doubts the power of God in fighting her battles. Her victory over Father Damian, the pressure of her relatives, the admission of Oby to university etc all display the power of faith in a God that works. She is the living example of religious commitment.

TRADITION AND CULTURE
• There are communal agricultural practices in society. The women usually weed gardens together for no fees and help one another to cover great mileage.
• Children have a high social value, P5. Life is meaningless without a child, and society has no sympathy for a barren woman. It looks as if bareness is attributed to womanhood and not to men. Besides, producing children out of wedlock was equally contemptible.
• It is a society of unequal status for men and women, for boys and girls. As children, boys have higher social status than girls. Ikechukwu is more respected in society than his eldest sister, Oby [p36]. As adults, men enjoy a higher rank in the social hierarchy than women, regardless [male chauvinism]. Uncle Ben with all his deficiencies commands more respect and protection from society than Mama Oby. [P33] As a widow, a woman’s position in the family of her late husband is strengthened only by the presence of a son – the heir apparent. Without a son, a widow has no status, [p6]. Besides, women are commercial property with which men settle debts among themselves. Pa Okolo marries his third wife in settlement of a debt with his wife’s father, [p8] Thus, the social position of women in Isiakpu is contemptible.
• Marriage makes major changes in the identity of men and women such as the change of names. Upon the coming of the first child, a parent is known by the names of the first child. e.g. Mama Oby, Mama Ijeoma, Pa Okolo, Papa Oby. Prior to the coming of the first child, Mama Oby was called Mrs. Abigail Onyia, the wife of Mr. Oby Onyia. This appears a European-inspired amendment in the previous social practice in which partners carried their traditional names into marriage. However, it also reflects the unequal social position carried over from European civilisation into Africa.
• The practice of nkuchi or wife-inheritance is a traditional practice in Isiakpu society. Mama Oby is required by custom to take up a new man in the clan called Uncle Ben because this is what custom demands. Custom is in fact not what general society wishes but what male society wishes as shown by Pa Okolo.
“This is what custom demands. It is also what I demand. After all, I am the custodian of custom in this family. . . If you don’t choose one among us, we shall choose for you.”[p8]

But the narrator shows selfishness and opportunism at the heart of such prejudiced customary dictates. For instance, Pa Okolo’s motivations are selfish. He wishes to keep Mama Oby in the family line because of her late husband’s wealth in her hands. He wants to lessen Uncle Ben’s reliance on the brothers and thus save their endless expenditure on him.
• There is also an underlying motive. Male society intends to control the masculine spirit in her so as to bring her to submission like a real woman. It is a conflict between the anima and the animus.
“Under the surface of Mama Oby’s placidity lay an indefatigable spirit. Her in-laws knew this. but they had to try and kill that inner spirit. They were not expected to give up. It was their social obligation not to give up.”[p12]. At this point, it is a psychological struggle for control. It is society that fights the masculine spirit in its women to bring them to masculine submission.
• Underneath this project of wife-inheritance lies a discreet and concealed goal; financial considerations. The narrator leads us to the core of a traditional scheme in which young wives are publically humiliated for the early death of their husbands. [P12] In this society, premature death was not acceptable. There was always a justification for the death of a man – either it was witchcraft or a jealous relative or wife. Thus, in the absence of witchcraft and relatives, wives became the scapegoats for the death of their husbands. The sisters of the dead brother, the umuada would treat the widow as a prima facie murderer. The irony is that society used women to humiliate fellow women both in private and in public.
Observe the narrator’s commentary:
“… She was accused of letting her husband die. For seven local weeks (28 days) after his death, she was kept in isolation. Clean-shaven and dressed in ugly black. She sat on a mat less than two square feet, on a bare floor with female relatives in attendance. They took turns sleeping and keeping vigil. For seven weeks, she had no bath and would only sneak out through a back door to relieve herself . . . After seven weeks, smelly and all,[she] was led to the market place on a market day, carrying imaginary wares on her head. . . . At the market square she displayed the imaginary wares as market women poured scorn on her . . . The entire charade was designed as a deterrent to those who might be inclined to eliminate their husbands in order to enjoy their wealth.” [P14-15]
• But what is the basis of this concern for the dead family member? The narrator resolves the real puzzle of widow-humiliation.
“A man’s brothers and uncles had first claim to a man’s assets, whether or not he had a wife and children. After all, it was his wife who prevented him, when he was alive, from helping them. The theft of a dead man’s property often took place when the widow was mourning. Since the mourning lasted up to a year, she was trapped in a destitute cloth. [P16]
It is the relatives of the deceased that use tradition to punish the widow and incarcerate her while they steal the house clean. Mama Oby would have lost the property in Nsukka to Pa Okolo if a defiant friend of hers, Mr Okoye had not threatened the old man with dire consequences, [P17].
• Modernity has been at the heart of so many changes to this project but the humiliation of women still continues even in our present society.
• It is abominable for a woman in mourning to conceive for another man, [23]. Society does not harm the man who makes her pregnant but the woman who allows the conception to happen. In the absence of paternity tests such as DNA-pairing, society prima facie concludes by the evidence of their eyes. The offense is a serious abomination against the clan of the deceased husband. It is alu. The writer shows a negative and censorious society that possesses the liberty to enter a marital bed to seek for answers to their doubts.
• The writer presents the passing of fundamental traditional practices such as the otobo, with nostalgia. The social cohesion that was derived from such practices has been lost with the advent of Christianity and its new dictates, [P26 -27] There is a clear contrast between the uniting force of the traditional game and the new form of social unity that comes with Christianity.
• Society is protective and defensive of men. Every man, regardless of his inferior worth is so valued and protected that his security is more material than the value of any woman in society. When Oby confronts Uncle Ben for begging money from her every time she is paid her salary. But society punishes Oby’s mother for not bringing up her daughter well. Society never condemns Uncle Ben for her assault on a young woman, [p33].
• Besides, even in circumstances where Oby feels obliged to help her mother in times of adversity, the limit placed on her in this society by her gender curtails her ability to help. She is aware of the strength of her youngest brother Ikechukwu in such a society. “She had always felt . . . that she should join hands with her mother to fight for their rights. She knew that if she had been a boy, the situation would have been significantly different. She knew that her youngest brother had more rights in the family than she did.”p36
• The village of Isiakpu possesses certain behavioral habits that look out of sync with modern living. The mothers and children who beg for rice every Sunday at Mama Oby’s home, the mothers who come to help in the preparation of the ceremony for Oby’s send-off party to university with the hope of taking some food back home, etc. Regardless of how inconveniencing these practices are, one is expected to handle them carefully so as not to offend the intruders. [P28] In similar manner, the custom of greeting as one travels along the way is another show of social decorum. However, this implies that one must inconvenience oneself for the happiness of society. Mama Oby attends church late when she has to greet everyone along the way to church in order not to “offend people” , [p25].

MODERNITY
• Corruption and social injustice are prevalent in society and life depends on who you know. P5. There are those who own society and those who are their messengers. It is a society of inequality. The church is not alien to this evil too. [p22] When a young man insults the church by walking out during a long sermon, he uses money to buy his name back. The generous donation he makes elevates his star as well as his parents’ reputation.
• Money has become the means by which things can work. P5 A man acquires respect and title not because of his contribution to society but because of his money. Due to his wealth, Uncle Amechi has been named as Ochendu – protector-of-life. The title is a flattery because it is only God who protects life and not a man’s wealth.
• Life has become difficult in a world of new social dimensions and challenges such as poverty. The postman has not bought himself a beer for more than two months because life is difficult nowadays.
• The corruption of the church wardens is also an important feature of modern life.
• The social injustice of the modern state of Nigeria has also come with modern and post-colonial political practice. Mama Oby laments about the loss of her husband’s building in Kano state. The modern state declared it abandoned and only gave a little compensation to her. The train of thought is obviously not Mama Oby’s but the writer’s, hidden behind an apolitical character: “. . . the failure to address such injustices after the war [] had led to the apparent lack of moral authority on the part of the government to keep Nigeria as one stable nation. It appeared the Nigerian moral fibre was so decayed that the sins of the past were never treated seriously. . . justice was an act of understanding. . .” p44
• Christianity is a western and modern form of worship which came in the era of European colonialism. The religious impact is visible in the weakening of sublime practices such as the otobo. P26. The Christian religion has divided people along Catholic – Anglican religions lines and ceremonies and informal gatherings are regarded as anti-Christian.
• Formal education has slowly become an acceptable practice. Women too have enrolled for this form of education, although the conservative men still regard such a move with contempt. See Pa Okolo p31, Eze p31.
• Besides, society carries a fear that education of women affects their ability to form lasting marital relationships. The fact that many of them remain unmarried after university suggests that they probably teach them something that makes men afraid if marrying them. P46

CHARACTERIZATION

MAMA OBY (P4, 5, 10, 11)
• Religious / faithful / God-fearing
She has an unchallengeable and unwavering belief in God. She never falters in this belief. She is a strong lesson in faith. She believes in the God who drives away flies for a cow without a tail. Her belief in God is so profound that it takes a form of jealous protection for God. She is averse to the title given to her brother Amechi as Ochendu – giver-of-life, because in her understanding it is only God who gives life. She remains faithful to the spirit of her dead husband by choosing not to marry but rather opting to bring up the children. Although death discharges her of the marital attachment to Papa Oby, it does not kill the love that had kindled for him; thus the boy Ikechukwu is the living compensation of that endless love. Her faith in God helps her to reject Father Damian’s persuasions and Uncle Ben’s madness. She rejects the advice of giving contraceptives to her daughter as she goes to university, because it is against the catholic doctrine that preaches against premarital sex. Moreover, she never loses hope that her daughter will get university admission.
• Enduring / persevering and strong-minded
The pressures of society
The rivalry of Mama Ijeoma
• Intelligent and cautious
She avoids a conflict with the relatives whenever she can. She learns to control her emotions although the relatives provoke her. She adopted a condescending tone throughout the meeting, even when she has to withstand humiliation and allegations by Pa Okolo. She is not the one woman who tells her troubles to the public.
How she reacts to the pressure of the relatives in the meeting with self-control
• Self possessed and well-measured
• Hardworking and determined
She has a shop at Eke market from which she earns the children’s livelihood as well as support the family. Besides, she goes with her daughter to their one-acre garden where they have planted yams.
• Bold
Chases Uncle Ben away from her home when he comes at night
• Principled
She rejects the advances and assault by Fr. Damian, chases away Uncle Ben from her home when he comes at night.

Mama Oby’s challenges in Part I

• The problem of being single and lonely
• The pressures of the clan; particularly the hatred of Pa Okolo and contempt of Uncle Ben
• The rivalry of Mama Ijeoma
• The delayed admission of her daughter Oby to university

PA OKOLO (P9,11)

Exercise I
You have been given sample description of Mama Oby’s character above. Describe the character of Pa Okolo, choosing any three traits stated and illustrate them elaborately. Where possible, identify other character traits which you may need to add to this list of traits of Pa Okolo.

• Cunning
• Malicious / Jealous
• Manipulative / Calculative
• Intelligent
• Conservative
[Contempt for women education – He thought that the value of a woman depreciated over time, irrespective of her education]
• Selfish / self-centered
He intends to offload Uncle Ben from the shoulders of his brothers and loads him onto Mama Oby’s shoulders. He feels that Uncle Ben is becoming a deadweight but he cannot be thrown away.
• Sadistic
He loves surprise and throwing the winning punch. He levels allegations against Mama Oby just to blackmail and tarnish her.

MAMA IJEOMA
• Jealous / malicious
The character and class of Mama Oby challenges her emotions. Her jealousy creates a kind of competitiveness. Jealousy makes her develop an inner malice for Mama Oby, who has learnt how to deal with her malicious soul by flattering it. She reports Mama Oby to Pa Okolo and alleges the existence of a relationship. It could be a sign of jealousy.
• Hypocrite
Mama Ijeoma’s faith is crooked and occasionally mixed with her traditional superstitions. For her, placing all one’s hope on faith is as fragile and putting all your water in the pot so that when it breaks, you lose everything. By implication, she is influencing Mama Oby to encourage her daughter to carry contraceptives to university as opposed to total reliance on God. By and large, she represents a crooked sense of modern values which emphasize personal security for herself and her loved ones like Ijeoma through all means.
• Disrespectful
It is surprising how she discusses her antipathy towards her husband to Mama Oby. “There are so many boneless spines, including my husband, who aspire to be chiefs simply because they have worthless balls between their legs.”p56. One wonders whether she is a good example of feminine independence. Her contempt towards her retired shows how deep an early feminine independence can affect social reputation and marital happiness.
• Weak-minded and crude-natured
She makes a proposal to Mama Oby to use her daughter’s beauty to get a place at university. This proposal demonstrates the extent to which she would go to achieve her ambition. In the eyes of morally-upright people, it might appear crude and a sign of a weak-mind.
• Vain / proud / conceited
She has a high sense of herself in dress and appearance. The narrator sardonically describes her as always dressed to kill – often in very loud discordant colours. P29
• Overbearing and supercilious
She produces only two children for her husband saying that she wants to maintain her beauty. But for whom does she have to keep her beauty, if not external spouses? She directs the life of her husband and has a great role in society’s perception of their relationship. She attempts to direct Mama Oby’s relationship too with her advice but she fails.
• Intriguing
She plays a part in the conflict between Mama Oby and her relatives. She tells Pa Okolo news that dents her reputation in the meeting.

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Flashbacks

• There are two flashbacks in Part I is shown in chapter One.
• One is the meeting between Mama Oby and her relatives who demand that she marries one of the dead husbands’ brothers, Uncle Ben. It is significant in previewing an important theme – the complexity of African traditions. The flashback also relays Mama Ijeoma’s role in the intrigue against Mama Oby. Out of stupid jealousy, she makes reckless and naïve allegations of a relationship between Mama Oby and the young catholic priest.
• Another incident is the meeting between Mama Oby and Fr. Damian at the parish residence. This takes place two weeks after the first meeting. This incident raises the issue of Fr. Damian’s hypocrisy as a man of God. But, by contrast, it also reveals Mama Oby’s God-fearing and religious spirit which resists against temptation.

Contrast
• The writer contrasts Mama Oby and Mama Ijeoma’s personalities. P13. Their values and beliefs in life are revealed. This arouses our admiration for one and contempt and dislike for another.
Mama Oby was a model woman who still clung to the memory of her husband’s love long after his death. Mama Ijeoma, on the other hand, cared little about her husband but needed the social prestige associated with being married.” P13
The contrast reveals Mama Ijeoma’s disrespect for her husband and her pride and conceit for others.
• There is a remarkable contrast between traditional institutions such as the otobo [p26] and the church tradition of Sundays. The writer’s nostalgia for the traditional practice is conspicuous. Its charm in uniting the people is uncontestable.
Allusions

• There are two forms of allusion in this Part of the novel: religious allusion and historical allusion.
• The reference to the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 explains the ravaging effects of the war on social life such as Mama Oby’s and family, i.e. death of a husband, loss of property in Kano State, evacuation to the village as well as adjusting to a life full of difficulty.
• Religious allusion manifests itself in form of religious practices such as church service, and acceptable religious conduct. Names such as Father Damian, reference to the name of God, biblical verses [Isaiah 40:31, Psalms 119: 133-136] inter alia are evidence of religion in the novel.
• It is only right to show religion a fundamental part of Isiakpu life; Mama Oby’s faithful and God-fearing character and Fr. Damian and Mama Ijeoma’s hypocrisy are also brought out in this short part of the story. Probably, the writer also develops a remarkable contrast of the two leading female characters through this technique as well as a basic irony through the conduct of Fr. Damian and Mama Ijeoma in their attitude towards God. It is thus right to say that these allusions arouse our great admiration and respect for Mama Oby.

Song
• Father Damian plays a romantic song by Louise Armstrong, What a Wonderful World in a parish house which act creates an atmosphere of looming temptation and sin. A wall hanging in his parish residence shows that it is human to be tempted but it is divine to overcome temptation.
• The religious piety of the young priest is thus dented by temptation. But Mama Oby’s extraordinary faith is shown prominently. She rejects the work of Satan. It is a great irony that the man of God fails where a follower succeeds. This incident vividly arouses our admiration for the Christian believer and disappointment for the priest.

Irony
• Uncle Ben changes his name from Nwokenta to run away from its meaning, i.e. a small man or a failure. But ironically, he remains a failure.
• The traditional practices of the society use women to suppress fellow women, for instance the nkuchi festival.
• Father Damian, a man of God falls at the hands of temptation and sin. Yet he is expected to be the image of piety against sin.

Language:
• Three key aspects are obvious about the language of the novel in Part I – Latin, vernacular and proverbial language.
• Latin, (kyrie eleson, christe-eleson) which is vital in bringing us closer to the presence of Catholicism and Christian philosophy in the novel;
• Vernacular (garri fufu, ochendu, umuada, okro soup, alu, otobo, nkuchi, ukpaka trees, piri-piri, amechi etc). Local language is important in bringing the reader closer to the traditional language and folklore of the Igbo through their linguistic expression.
• Traditional proverbs also feature of the novel as a vehicle of the traditional folklore, and showing the beauty of Igbo language in expressing the moral values of their society.

By Senfuma Charles and Katongole Wycliffe

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Searching for the Golden Fleece

The subtitle to this Part is obtained from Greek mythology. It refers to a fleece of the golden winged ram which was held by the king of Colchis and guarded in a sacred grove by a dragon. The hero Jason and his crew of the Argonauts set out on a search of the ram which they recover. In the novel, Oby is the Golden Fleece which is being hunted by Chike. It is also hunted by the Chief on behalf of his sin, Ndubisi.

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Oby has joined new life at the University of Embakkasi. She is the eye through which the writer reveals much of the complexity of the social life at university which Oby must adapt to. The university’s sociological setting is that of a generation of young students preparing for the professionals life after studies.

When she is delivered at campus, Oby first meets Chike, a young final year student of economics who helps her through the new campus life. He leads her to a university hall of residence and declares to his friends that Oby is the person he needs and he would take all that it requires to pursue her. Chike writes a powerful romantic poem which greatly influences a positive attitude of Oby towards him. One Saturday evening, they take a tour to the beach. Their love blossoms and takes a more public expression. At the beach, they are frightened by the apparition of a mad man; and former student at their university who gives them great insights into the life of Nigeria.

Back home, chief Ugwueze, the Agaba Idu I of Isiakpu has expressed interest in concluding a marriage between his son Ndubisi, who lives in the United States with Mama Oby’s daughter who is currently at university. The chief has approached Pa Okolo the head of the family to present his offer. There are benefits for Pa Okolo. He wishes to be an ichie, a member of the elders’ council and if he can persuasively convince Mama Oby to accept the proposal, Pa Okolo will realize his dream. Mama Oby declines the offer on account of her daughter’s independence as an adult and partly on account of the chief’s traditional status as an outcast. Oby herself feels satisfied with her blossoming attraction to Chike.

PLOT:
The Part has the following key events.

(a) Oby arrives at university and a third year student of Economics, Chike Amaefuna coincidentally receives and guides her to a girls’ hostel.
(b) Chike writes a powerful poem to Oby – which unlocks romantic emotions in Oby. They make a tour of the beach one Saturday evening where their love unfolds.
(c) The Chief Ugwueze, the Agaba Idu I visits Pa Okolo early one morning. He proposes a marriage to Pa Okolo’s daughter Oby on behalf of his son Ndubisi who is in the USA.
(d) Pa Okolo informs Mama Oby about the news of an interest in Oby.

SETTING

[University < Mary Slessor Hall > Library > Beach > Oby’s room 146]
• It takes place in two general place settings; the university and Isiakpu.
• The university setting is an academic environment with mixed social life of reading, fun making, forming relationships among others. The university setting reveals clear cases of promiscuity.
• For instance, rich men from town occasionally drive to Mary Slessor Hall to hook young babes for sexual fun. The hall parking is always filled with cars like a commercial park. It is said that some university babes fight for accommodation in this hall to enjoy the benefits of being affiliated to it.
• Other implied settings like Lady Asuquo hall and New Bethel are contrasted greatly with Mary Slessor. New Bethel is a setting for students whose Christian principles do not conform to the conduct at Mary Slessor.
• The library, like Mary Slessor also offers an alternative spot for students. Campusers have made it a lovers’ garden of sorts.
• The beach setting is significant to our discussion in this part. It is remarkable for launching Oby’s passionate relationship with Chike. Unfortunately, the beach is conspicuously deserted due to bad publicity arising from fears of imminent pollution from oil extraction. However, it offers the two lovebirds an opportunity to consolidate their romantic passion for each other far away from the madding university crowd.
• Pa Okolo’s home is the scene of an early morning visit from the Chief. The matter of discussion is the marriage proposal of the chief’s son Ndubisi with Mama Oby’s daughter. The time setting is very telling – the Chief is highly secretive and intends to conceal this acquaintance from the public at the inception.
• Oby’s room 406 offers another interesting setting in Part B. it is the scene of interesting conversations between the roommates Ada, Fumi and Oby and various visitors, Ben, Uche, Chike. Chike’s visit to the room brings wonderful revelation to the readers that he is the popular Mr. B (Mr. Kubwa) and the readers’ conclusion that Oby might be the next victim of Mr. B. It is also the setting in which Oby’s reflections about the nature of her life as an independent adult begin taking various developmental dimensions. The dialogues with the girls greatly inspire the growth of these reflections.
• The impact of the Biafra – Nigeria crisis is still vivid in the way relationships are formed at university. The non-Igbo are averse to relationships with the Igbo. This is especially particular with the way romantic or sexual relationships are made. This explains why intending suitors like Chike ask girls where they come from so as to establish whether an intending relationship will not be offensive in light of the existing tension between the Igbo and the non-Igbo. Chris, it is shown lost a girlfriend Ekaete, because of this tension. Uche’s relationship with Fumi is only acceptable because Uche, having grown up among the Yoruba in Lagos, has become nearly as fluent in their language as they. By and large, the writer shows the effect of the scars of the Nigeria Civil war (1967-70) on social relationships even among the enlightened.

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THEMES
IMMORALITY / MORAL DEGENERATION
• There is a high level of immorality at university among the youth. The ‘October rush’ is a game of immorality. It is about a quick relationship with new and unsuspecting fresh students
• Mary Slessor hall is the capital city of sexual immorality. University students engage in relationships with working men. The hall parking is always filled with cars of working men from town. A lot more girls from other halls have a desire to join the Mary Slessor.
• Ada’s approach towards relationships is that of cash-and-carry.
• The female students on campus are vulnerable to incidents of rape.
• Chris and Okoro are having fun with trainee nurses. Okoro has made it a practice to have one every year.
• Libraries are not places of reading and concentration but places of derailment and immorality. This sense of freedom affects the noble goals of education in the eyes of a moralist.

LOVE
• Oby finds true love at university in the name of Chike.
• But her love might find problems blossoming in an environment of Okoro’s negative postulations: “my father told me that falling in love is a sign of foolishness and weakness on the part of a man and a clever way for a woman to milk a man dry.”
• The greatest irony is that despite achieving university education, the greatest lessons in life have come from his father. Many of them are negative lessons.

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CHANGE
• One of the greatest experiences in the life of Oby is adjustment from village to town, from a child dependent on a mother to a young woman dependent on herself.
• One of the challenges to that change is the university. The university is a very huge monster to womanhood. An open-eyed demon ready to eat up the dreams of many a girl. Advice from Ada and Fumi enables her to think of survival options as well as to grow strong in confidence and maturity. The role of the two girls in enabling her to attain maturity is so immense and immeasurable. There are two approaches – the Fumi approach and the Ada approach – should she be left to test the roughness of the world or should she be cautioned against it?
• The other challenge is the issue of freedom; to be free or not to be. To read or not to read. It is all about the student. A university without rules is far different from a high school with so much control. In a world without rules, every human must set a moral code that leads her to success.
• In the world of change, Oby chooses love and accepts it to be part of her world. But there are many things to come to terms with, [p79-80]
• Chike plays a great role in enabling Oby to adapt to the life of university and to go through the process of change. The protective approach might be selfish a bit but it keeps Oby under the control and watchful eye of Chike. One might conclude that Oby gets good orientation before she can get lost in a hall of residence which virtually every girl with lewd intentions fights to reside in. The narrator at one point felt that the choice of hall is the worst step that Oby made. But Chike is strong in his defence of the choice of Mary Slessor – “
• The university is thus a gradual step in this process of Oby’s change. And Chike is a great player in this initiation process of Oby.

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MALE CHAUVINISM
• Women are valued like meat to be eaten by men. Names such as ‘bushmeat’ to refer to non-university spouses show this.

EDUCATION
• Open tribalism is a hallmark of university social relationships. The objectives of unity through education are marred and tarnished by sentiments of tribe. [p, 64, 70, 71-2] Oby expects the university to be “an island of inter-ethnic harmony. If people who are supposedly being prepared for future leadership cannot even accommodate each other when little is at stake, what would happen if they had to decide who gets what side of the national cake?”
• An education that grants too much amounts of freedom [p66] is bound to train manpower that lacks a sense of value. The writer uses Oby as the foreign eye that disapproves of the magnitude of this freedom. This evidence of freedom makes halls of residence noisy and libraries gardens of love. [p69] She thought of university “as an ideal community commensurate with its status as an ivory tower. . .”
• Certain policies relating to education are coming under the writer’s scrutiny and criticism. [p70]
• The problems of university education are exacerbated by the nature of the administration. There is little respect for the university vice chancellor – Prof. Oluwole. [p72]

CHARACTERIZATION

THE CHIEF
• He is an osu. He breaks the traditional belief in discriminating Osus using money and bribes. He attains the status of chief without fuss. His tagline is money can do everything. Titles and fame and popularity can be got using money.
• Corrupt
• Shrewd and crude
• Resolute and fearless
• Materialistic

CHIKE
• He is a final year student of Economics and at 23, he is the oldest member of the group. He took up a job as a secondary teacher before joining university. He has little parental influence.
• Furtive / surreptitious / secretive
• Cautious / calculative [p69] He wants university students to see him mapping out Oby so that no competitors can enter his territory. He decides not to quicken up publishing the news of his new catch.
• Loving and caring
• Selfish – wants a relationship which can redeem his university image after the circumstances of the previous girlfriend.
• Stable and faithful
• Supportive
• Patient [p82]
• Gullible and weak-brained

OKORO
• He is a final year student of Business management. He is being set up in business by the father. He is set to be the most highly educated son of his father.
• Most entertaining, humorous and charming member of the group, 20 years old
• Lacks a sense of seriousness in his approach to life (amoral and unprincipled) – the end justifies the means [p83]. His parental / family upbringing predominates the education of enlightenment he has got. He draws more of his experiences from home than from an enlightened world of university education.
• Unfaithful and promiscuous – many relationships
• Lacks a sense of self-esteem. Goes into sex for pleasure not for companionships. Wants trainee nurses; whom he takes advantage of by virtue of being a university student. Love might find problems blossoming in an environment that inhales Okoro’s negative postulations: “My father told me that falling in love is a sign of foolishness and weakness on the part of a man and a clever way for a woman to milk a man dry.” [p83]
The greatest irony is that despite achieving university education, the greatest lessons he has derived in life have come from his father. Many of them are negative lessons borne of the polygamous world which influences his father’s viewpoint.
• Sharp-witted

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CHRIS
• A young man of gentlemanly demeanour; an only son of a university professor and whose mother is a principal of a secondary school. They are a highly educated family of only three children.
• A kind of inner and outward pride – has a certain sense of himself; the birth accent elevates his birth status
• Contempt for village girls and inferior women – his earlier comments on Oby show his bias towards the low class
• Promiscuous – has a number of relationships – Ifeoma etc
• Ungentlemanly: shares his private bedroom experience with his girlfriend with the group members. This is an ironic depiction of his true appearance.
• Exotic: has a high sense of western values in forming relationships

OBY
• A 19 year old university student; born in Onitsha. She is the first born in a family of five children. Lost her father about eight years ago in the civil war
• Intelligent
• Respectful
• Naïve
• Innocent and vulnerable – what guarantee do I have that you will not hurt me?[p93] observe the writer’s message that our daughters are vulnerable in a world of great persuasions and temptations. The open-mouthed and greedy world of men. How does a girl skate and sail in such life? Refer to the advice of Ada and Fumi; [p78]
• Mature-brained and levelheaded
• Sophisticated and not easy
• Dilemma and perplexed – the choice between her personal aspirations and the new world around her. The new form of advice from Ada that contradicts the advice from her mother at home.
• Conservative and biased; probably, he looks at the university’s social life from her lopsided and conservative point of view and not from a liberal point of view. This makes her develop bias against the permissiveness of couples in the library and the noise of students in the hostel.

TECHNIQUES

Exercise II:

You will use the experience of Part I to illustrate and analyze the effectiveness of the narrative techniques mentioned here. Identify more techniques in this Part.

Irony
Contrast
Description
Symbolism

By Senfuma Charles and Wycliffe Katongole

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