By Lambe Lamis 
The tale is a tale of a young lady, Ihuoma, who belongs to Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group. Her plight requires her past existence, when she was stated to be the spouse of the mythical Sea King deity. This offers her terrific status in the present, but portends doom for any mortal person who seeks to marry her. As the novel progresses, Ihuoma is wed and widowed three situations, as a final result of the wrath of the Sea King toward those who would usurp his bride. Though it seems a classic cautionary tale on the area, Dictionary of Literary Biography essay that “the strength of The Concubine rests on the point that it is not folklore but real looking-design fiction, in spite of its robust penetration by the super-organic.
From his 1st appearance as a novelist, with The Concubine in 1966, Elechi Amadi proven himself as a special figure in African fiction. He was not by yourself in making an attempt to convey the working day-to-working day texture of traditional, pre-colonial life in an African village: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Aside had currently finished this, at the very least to an extent. But he distinguished himself by not giving any express contrasts among that regular entire world and the one that changed it. While Issues Drop Apart and a lot of other African novels are involved, in portion at least, with the coming of the white gentleman and the influence of that function, Amadi’s novels have in no way emphasised alien influences at all. The motion of any of his 3 novels could have taken area possibly 5 a long time or a century just before the colonial intrusion on the space. Also the dilemmas that confront and ultimately demolish his heroes or heroines derive fully from the beliefs, practices, and occasions of their indigenous society.
In the novel, Ihuoma whose beauty appeals to all men and females in the village of Omokachi and Omigwe, maintains rational habits, intelligence and social decorum. her great reputation spans in the three villages which include Chiolu. As a female, she is a design of great beauty as the narrator attests by narrating that she was a really lady: potentially which is why she married so early… She was youthful it was quick to reckon her age. Ihuoma’s complexion was that of an ant-hill. Her capabilities were being efficiently rounded… Ihuoma’s smiles have been disarming. Most likely the narrow hole in the upper row of her white teeth did the trick. At that time a gap in the tooth was modern. Ihuoma’s hole was pure and other ladies envied her. Her elegance is the scale of all women of all ages who want to be considered attractive. Everybody envies her. Everyone likes to be her. Even further, in truth she preferred to gaze at herself. That she was wonderful she experienced no question, but that did not make her arrogant. She was sympathetic, gentle and reserved. It was her husband’s boast that in their six years of marriage she had under no circumstances had any critical quarrel with an additional woman. She was not very good at invectives and other ladies talked considerably quicker than she did. The reality that she would be outdone in a verbal trade possibly partly retrained her from coming into open up verbal conflict with her neighbors. Step by step she obtained the ability to bear neighbor’s stinging remarks without the need of a repartee. In this way her prestige among the the womenfolk grew until eventually even the most garrulous amongst them was unwilling to be uncomfortable to her. She located herself settling quarrels and supplying information to more mature women of all ages.
For the village men and women, these characteristics of Ihuoma area her on the pedestal of the tribal and communal heart of exemplary womanhood and motherhood. Unnecessary to say, all adult men in the village desire her. Most males envy her husband Emenike who married her at the youthful age of 20 two. The few behaves like a ideal household blessed by the gods with four young children. With a great feeling of balance, they have two sons and two daughters whom they definitely really like.
The concept of beauty and power for the males is calculated by his options or appears, his power in wrestling, his ability in looking, his willingness to go in a struggle with their matchet often prepared to protect the village from the enemies and his ability to keep and elevate his spouse or wives and young children perfectly. Actual physical deformities and incapacity or abnormality are thought of unpleasant. A guy who is not equipped to get a wrestling match is denigrated and labeled weak. The village has robust patriarchal method as husbands regulate and dominate the dwelling. Their wives are subservient and steadfast in attending to their wants.
Emenike, Ihuoma’s initial husband is praised and appreciated by the elders of the tribe. They think about him as an ideal younger person. He was excellent on the lookout and effectively shaped, a favorite with the women. He was just an normal wrestler but had the devil’s luck in throwing persons in amazing methods which onlookers usually remembered extended later on. He experienced gained the previous men’s self confidence and they always let him run errands that expected intelligence and comprehensive use of proverbs.
In contrast, Madume, though deemed a prosperous gentleman at the age of early thirties, was not viewed as strong. He was not a very good wrestler (although he danced perfectly to the conquer of the drums) and several a youthful man experienced liked him.
Madume had a single fault most villagers disliked. He was “large eyed” that is to say, he was never ever satisfied with his share in anything at all that was fantastic. He would roar right up until he experienced some thing much more than his companion’s shares. Consequently he was usually quarreling over land, palm wine trees, plantain trees and other such points. That was how he came to quarrel with Emenike.
Ekwueme, Ihuoma’s most patient suitor is also viewed to be handsome, industrious and respectful of his mothers and fathers Adaku and Igwe.
On the other hand, his bestfriend and track-producing partner in quite a few activities of the villages like wrestling match, death of a member of the village, market place working day, planting, worship to the spirits and or gods is regarded as irregular mainly because of his deformed feet.
One of the most elaborate cultural traditions practiced in the novel is the customized of marriage. John Mbiti in the ebook African Religions and Philosophy relates that marriage is a complicated affair with financial and religios areas which generally overlap so firmly that they can’t be divided from just one one more… For Africans, marriage is the emphasis of existence. It is the place wherever all the users of a given local community fulfill: the departed, the dwelling and those people but to be born. Marriage is a obligation, a requirement… he who does not participate in it is a curse to the group, he is a rebel, and a law breaker, he is not only abnormal but “underhuman”. Failure to get married less than standard situations usually means that the human being involved has rejected society and society rejects him in return.
Consequently in the tale, we can see how the dad and mom are really worried about the relationship of their kids. They overtly focus on an early arranged or matched relationship, like what transpired to Ekwueme and Ahurole. Even if Ahurole is nevertheless in the womb of her mother, she is by now matched to Ekwueme. And when the time will come, the dad and mom of the man have to inform the mom and dad of the woman for the formal speak of the relationship. A 12 months is supplied for the formal chat with the 1st check out of the family of the guy bringing items and wine for the family members of the lady. The subsequent visits will contain the elders to discount for the bride cost or dowry. When the manual is ready to arrive at an arrangement, a day can be established for the ultimate day which is manifested and celebrated by vibrant dances and evenings of ingesting. This personalized is carried out to forge familiarity and friendship concerning the loved ones of the newlywed and of the villagers.
He reported his mother and father selected Ahurole as quickly as she was born. He could rarely pull a bow by then. He definitely had no choice’ Ekwe said to Ihuoma.. the times that followed observed the negotiation for Ekwe’s wedding day. Ahurole was engaged to Ekwe when she was 8 days even though Ekwe was about five years aged.
Mbiti claims that marriage is a prolonged procedure, the critical moments of which might be marked with rituals. When a kid has been born physically, it have to also be born ritually or or religiously in buy to make it a social member of the relatives. At a later age it goes by means of a collection of initiation rites… Only right after initiation, exactly where it is noticed, is a man or woman is socially and religiously born into entire manhood and womanhood with all tricks, duties and privileges and expectations. The full community participates in it.
There are several customs and of the wedding ceremony technique. In some societies the ceremony lasts for lots of days and is really total of rituals.
And so Ahurole’s mom and dad were being justly proud of their daughter’s engagement. For several years they had exercised further treatment and vigilance over her. The time experienced arrive at previous for official negotiations. Negotiations may possibly perfectly have started out two yrs back but Wagbara claimed he was not in a hurry, which implied two issues: for starters that he was not way too keen on his daughter’s bride selling price, which implied he was properly off secondly that he was absolutely sure of his superior impact more than his daughter.
The times that adopted were being complete of wine and items. Until the uncle of Ahurole grew to become the appointed information. Soon after 6 months, the bride price was agreed. The full family rejoiced and hurried to carry Ahurole household to Ekwe’s village. It is their concern that Ekwe may well insist on marrying Ihuoma. It is the parents’ obligation to guideline their little ones for the proper relationship. And Ekwe, hesitant to marry Ahurole, adopted his mothers and fathers suggestions for he in no way would like his moms and dads to have challenges with the villagers and he never ever wants to be ostracized by defying the custom even if his heart goes for Ihuoma.
Ekwe attempts his most effective to make his marriage get the job done but Ahurole is immatured and emotional, a great deal to his disappointment. His motivation for Ihuoma improves as it decreases to his lawful wife.
An additional custom made that is hugely elaborate is the observance and superstition of death of a member of a family members and the group. When Ihuoma’s to start with and lawful husband Emenike died for the reason that of lock chest, Wigme village mourned for eight days for his demise and Ihuoma’s lamentation. Folks confirmed considerably care for their neighbors. Considerably tunes were being sung and wines poured all through the wake until finally he is buried in his abundant compound, if possible his backyard. It is thought that his spirit will guideline his house and his spouse and children.
His arch enemy, the greedy Madume, who promises a piece of land settled by the elders to be Emenike’s proceeds to impose ownership. This materialism of Madume qualified prospects to his loss of life as 1 day, desiring Ihuoma, catches her harvesting plantains in the disputed land. He normally takes innovations and abuses Ihuoma. The widow runs for her daily life until finally his brother-in-legislation, Nnandi, arrives to a rescue. Folks operate following Madume right until he is caught and was spat by a cobra’s venom. His existence transformed immediately after the incident, for that delivers him swollen eyes and he gets to be blind. His spouse Wole escapes from her husband’s violent behavior. On her return, Madume is observed hanging in the door. The whole village could not consider Madume’s abominable act of suicide. As a result, his entire body is regarded as impure. No common man or girl can contact his body for his overall body is impure. A drugs guy is obliged to to perform the burial for he can cleanse himself. Madume’s human body is thrown in the forest with the eveil spirits.
The final and tragic demise of Ihuoma’s final suitor, Ekwueme is the most extraordinary. A night right before their barely fought marriage, which the village in the starting disapproves, is verified dark and portentous of Ekwu’s demise. Agwoturumbe, the drugs gentleman, who will accomplish sacrifices for their relationship, prepares all the herbs, animals and amulets so they can go to the river to meet the Sea King. The follwing day, as Ekwu is about to prepared himself, is shot by an barbed-arrow shot by Ihuoma’s son. The arrow is meant for the lizard vital for the sacrifice. The doom is finally established as the wrath of the spirits of the sea go against the fate of Ekwe even his mom and dad hired the products and services of the medicine person, Agwoturumbe.
The people today extremely spot their lives, their appreciate and concern on the spirits of the ancestors and their gods. Each and every part of the earth is ruled by a god. Generally stated and feared by the villagers is the god of thunder, Amadioha and Ojukwu, a god of the air and the forest, Ani, god of the earth. Every single man or woman is ruled by his personalized spirit, and one particular is certain to abide by. No just one can go from the spirit but the spirit can go towards the individual like what occurred in the wrestling between Emenike and Madume.
Polytheism-the worship of a lot of gods-was attribute of precolonial Igbo society. Even so, this did not preclude the perception in a supreme deity. As soon as shut to people, the supreme getting, Chukwu, was believed to have withdrawn from immediate intervention in their affairs.
Igbo mythology repletes with illustrations illustrating the point that this supreme currently being employed to be shut to people, and in fact applied to intervene in the affairs of men and women and communities, until finally it was annoyed by the aberrant behaviour of some persons, ladies specially, who transgressed a single overriding code or the other…. From all accounts, it seems that the supreme staying possessing decided to abscond from intervention in the working day to day routines of human beings determined to vest some of His powers on beings with lesser and localized powers.
There was no equal of Satan, or the satan, in the precolonial religion. Even though the Igbo ascribed a person evil or another to many deities in the pantheon, no solitary spirit was imagined to embody all evil. Similarly, the precolonial faith did not include things like a concept of hell.
The regular Igbos show up to have preoccupied them selves most usually with their individual guardian spirit. The supreme currently being is nominally supposed to be in cost of all issues. At the individual degree, nonetheless, the chi, variously interpreted as the guardian angel or the personal religious guardian of just about every specific, appears to participate in a much more lively part in the affairs of any person. The belief was that a person’s chi had a immediate hand in his or her affairs. Igbo strategies of future and totally free will had been bound up with chi. “Every particular person,” taught the Igbo, “has a future ascribed to his lifestyle” and his own god controls his future.
The follow of the medicine adult men is accepted as holy, healthy and cure. The medicine male may perhaps pray for the gods on behalf of the men and women he functions as a village medical professional, he acts as a prophet who can see the potential. Equally Anyika and Agwoturumbe see the demise of Ekwueme. Both are fearful of the Sea King who legally own the Sea goddess Ihuoma who selected to be human. As a result, the medication person is as ubiquitous as the needs of the people today.
Simple to all his performs is the thought of daily life as an ongoing wrestle. There is a fairly ironic contradiction concerning Amadi’s philosophy about man’s insignificance and best impotence in the arms of the gods, and the reality that his figures battle to the quite stop, irrespective of obstructions and threats even from the gods, as demonstrated in The Concubine While Amadi never specifies that the people in the novel are Igbo (or Ibo), they are supposed by critics to belong to Igbo society. The Igbos reside mainly in southeastern Nigeria. Amadi’s fictional phrase for them is “Erekwi” a minor shuffling of the letters makes “Ikwere,” the ethnic team to which Amadi himself belongs. The Ikwere speak a distinctive language within the Igbo language cluster, and they are a riverine persons, which aids describe the overall look in their pantheon of a sea-king deity, who enters into the plot of The Concubine.
The regular Igbo lived in little self-governing villages, every comprised of kin who traced their origins to a mutual ancestor. They did not base their culture on a centralized government or supreme political authority, this kind of as a king or main. Relatively the Igbo vested ability in the individuals them selves or in a council of elders. These elders, drawing on the wisdom of the ancestors, settled land disputes and other fractious or important issues. There have been public community forums, far too, at which the weak, the prosperous, and the youthful, as nicely as the old could voice views just before choices impacting the total village were being designed.
In the novel the village of Omokachi corresponds closely to this model. It has no one chief as an alternative the villagers on their own govern their local community, giving individual weight to the judgment of the elders. At 1 stage, the protagonist Ihuoma reminds her greedy neighbor Madume that a land dispute amongst him and her late husband, Emenike, has been determined in Emenike’s favor by the village elders. At a further juncture, the domestic disputes of the unhappily married Ekwueme and Ahurole are arbitrated by the elders of Omokachi and of Ahurole’s household village, Omigwe. The proverb if 1 makes an attempt to operate in front of one’s chi, the person would run himself to demise alludes to the electrical power of future in get to succeed, one’s objectives for oneself have to be aligned with individuals of one’s possess chi. Other proverbs allude to cost-free will, and taken with each other the two varieties of proverbs (on future and on absolutely free will) replicate the duality in Igbo assumed. The perception was that everybody experienced concealed powers, supplied by his or her chi. A person had only to make use of these powers to score achievements in lifestyle. In other text, a person can influence one’s have destiny, or, as a proverb suggests, “if a man wills, his particular chi wills also.”
A person and his chi ended up not assumed of as perennially tied with each other. There are parts of existence in which just one will have to battle to attain one thing by oneself, with or without the need of the energetic assistance and collaboration of one’s chi. It was, even so, thought that a man ought to at all instances be on great phrases with his chi, so that when referred to as upon, it would appear to his assist. When an individual failed to mobilise his chi to guidance a particular endeavor, the spirit was typically said to be asleep or absent.