Sara Sgubin - 3^ALS - Liceo Scientifico «Albert Einstein» Cervignano del Friuli - 2013/2014
 The
Bride Price
 Publication date
 Content
 Characters
 Setting
 Themes
 Message to be learn
 Ney vocabulary learnt
The title suggests that the central topic is the
life of a woman. This woman is going through
a crucial period of her life, marriage. The word
“price” before the word bride could mean
that the marriage is not the effect of love
between two people, but it is something
artificial wanted by an external authority.
Furthermore the word price underlines that
maybe the woman is going to be sold and
brings to mind the issue of women's
emancipation.
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.
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The Ibo Aku-nna and her brother, Nna-nndo live with their father Ezekiel in
Lagos, because their mother, Ma Blackie, is back home in Ibuza, performing
fertility rites.
Ezekiel dies a little mysteriously and the children are forced to go to live with
their mother, who now becomes the wife of Ezekiel’s brother Okonkwo.
Aku-nna has begun to fall for her teacher Chike, but Okonkwo will not 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 –Okonkwo receives several offers for her.
One night while she was dancing, the family of an arrogant suitor, Okoboshi,
kidnap the girl to “save” her from the attentions of Chike.
On her wedding night, Aku-nna lies and tells Okoboshi that she is not a virgin
and he refuses to touch her.
Chike managed to save her. The two begin a happy life together, marred by
her guilt over her unpaid bride price – Okonkwo, furious, refuses to accept
any offers made by Chike’s father.
Aku-nna feels sick and soon the doctor confirms that she will have a baby.
When it comes time to give birth, Chike brings her to the hospital.Here Akunna dies in childbirth. Chike christens his baby Joy.
Ekzekiel Odia: head of the family
Ma Blackie: his wife
Aku-nna: his doghter, her name means ‘Father’s
wellth’
Nna-nndo: his son, his name means ‘Father’s shelter’
Okonkwo Odia: elder brother of Ezekiel, uncle of Akunna and Nna-nndo, and second husband of Ma
Blackie
Chike Ofulue: the school teacher, Aku-nna’s husband
Ofulue: chike’s father
The main characters in this story
are Ibos, most of whom live to the
east of the great Niger River. Akunna, Nna-nndo and their parents
live at first in Lagos, which has
been the capital city of Nigeria
since colonial times, and which is in
a western area of the country
dominated by the Yoruba people.
Their ‘hometown’, Ibuza, on the
other hand is a small Ibo town near
the banks of the Niger.
 At the time of the story, in the late
1950s, Nigeria had been under
British rule for about 50 year.
Nigeria became independent in
1960.
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The writer addresses various issues in socioeconomic level as the empowerment of women,
education of children, sexual violence and the
importance of family in Nigeria. Aku-nna is still a
child and is forced to marry. Only thanks to the
money for the girl, Nna-nndo can continue his
studies. The mortality rate is very high, especially
for women who are raped easily and have the
only purpose of begetting children and work.
Pregnancies often don’t have a positive ending
and women, almost adolescents, die in childbirth
as result of malnutrition. Losing father means
losing everything, women isn’t considered able to
take care of a family.
This book is very sad and maintains all the stories as a
background melancholy. It suggests the problems of
the world related to the status of women. The
protagonist fight for love and she knows to go against
all. She dies without the price for her wedding has
been paid, but leaves her husband a new hope, Joy.
The little girl is the symbol of the courage of her
mother, who was able to escape from the violence to
find a better life. This story teaches us to fight for what
we want until death, and that there isn’t obstacle if
we want to overcome them.
to lower: abbassare
wordlessly: senza parole
to laugh: ridere
bitterly: amaramente
sharply: nettamente
yams: patate
chief: capo
to borrow: prendere in prestito
scholarship: borsa di studio
upset: sconvolto
aloud: a voce alta
although: nonostante
rush out: scappare via
waist: girovita
flow: portata
to bleed: sanguinare
to whisper: sussurrare
at once: subito
to lay down: stabilire
to light: illuminare
hut: capanna
to harm: nuocere
heat: riscaldamento
stream: ruscello
glad: contento
enemies: nemici
sharp pain: dolore acuto
gourd: zucca
shouting: gridando
duty: dovere
unkind: scortese
inherit: ereditare
to fetch: recuperare
to whistle: fischiare
cheerful: allegro
fighty: inaffidabile
firewood: legna da ardere
loneliness: solitudine
willing: disposto
bend: piegare
frightening: spaventoso
sudden: improvviso
choice: scelta