His Only Wife

In Chapters 4-6, Afi’s foray into Accra life develops the novel’s themes concerning the Dynamics of Arranged Marriage, the Intersection of Tradition and Personal Desire, and the Empowerment of Women. Afi’s new marriage to her absent husband threatens to change how she sees herself and her future. She knows that she is supposed to care for Eli and draw him away from his Liberian lover. She also knows that tradition and duty require her to repay Aunty Ganyo for helping her family and to make her mother proud. Afi genuinely wants to accept and fulfill these responsibilities to her family because she is a thoughtful, empathetic, and loving character. However, Afi’s more assertive behaviors throughout Chapters 4-6 also reveal her defiant, courageous, and independent qualities. Her decisions to vocalize her desires about fashion school to Richard and Eli, to take charge of her home and relationship, and to spend time with Richard’s secret girlfriend Evelyn convey her longing for empowerment. Afi understands what is expected of her in her arranged marriage. She also understands that her familial and cultural traditions do not always align with her personal desires. Despite these truths, Afi does not abandon her dreams and hopes. She retains her single-mindedness and self-possession despite the odds against her. Therefore, Afi’s bold and rebellious traits foreshadow coming conflicts in Afi’s interpersonal, familial, and communal spheres.

Sarah’s character, business, and school are symbolic of female empowerment. As soon as Afi meets Sarah and tours her school in Chapter 5, she feels inspired by her story. Rather than accepting Ghanaian gender norms that pressure women to stay at home and serve as wives and mothers, Sarah has gone “abroad to study fashion” and “begun to make a name for herself” in the industry in Accra (83). Furthermore, Sarah has designed and sewn clothing for “a host of famous people” (84). Afi is surprised by Sarah’s story, and it helps her to believe in herself and see a path to personal fulfillment despite the traditional pressures her family is exerting on her. If someone like Sarah has been able to take control of her life and exact her desires, Afi wonders if she might do the same. The first weeks in the program therefore encourage her to vocalize her dreams to her husband, although their marital connection is only just beginning. Articulating what she wants for her future makes Afi’s dreams seem more possible. In these ways, Afi is empowering herself by making decisions that align with her independent desires. She continues to worry about her marriage in the meantime, but fashion school proves that she is not letting these relationship dynamics entirely dictate who she is and what she is allowed to do with her life.

Afi and Eli’s communication throughout Chapters 4-6 complicate Afi’s understanding of arranged marriage and the duties it requires of her. In Chapter 4, she does her best to accommodate Eli and to present a desirable version of herself to him when he comes to King’s Court for the first time. She fulfills all the traditional expectations of a wife: She not only cooks his favorite foods but cleans the house and does her hair. Afi is trying to control the emotional aspects of her marriage by controlling the visual aspects of her reality. If she looks like the perfect wife, she hopes that Eli will treat her as his wife. Over time, she and Eli do get to know one another better. In Chapter 6, for example, Eli’s surprise visit to Afi’s school, their lunch outing, and their first sexual encounter feel like turning points in their relationship. These events give Afi’s character hope. At the same time, Afi remains caught between Aunty’s, Olivia’s, Eli’s, Richard’s, Yaya’s, and even Evelyn’s impressions of her life and relationship. The ways in which the other characters discuss Afi and Eli’s marriage effectively disempower Afi. She has no control over her own story and feels powerless to engage in her marriage authentically. The conflict between the private experiences Afi has with her husband and the way their relationship is interpreted publicly by others reveals another nuance to the Dynamics of Arranged Marriage. Because they married to fulfill family and social expectations rather than for their personal fulfillment, Afi and Eli’s marriage is, in many ways, more a public relationship than a private one. However, Afi longs for a relationship that is personally fulfilling to her more than one that looks perfect to her family and friends—yet another dimension of the Intersection of Tradition and Personal Desire that Afi will continue to struggle with.