In the short story, "Marriage Is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe the main character Nnaemeka must decide weather or not to fallow his fathers advice regarding marriage. In the short story, "Love Must Not Be Forgotten" by Zhang Jie, Shanshan is faced with a similar dilemma. She must decide weather or not she should take in the advice that her mother has given her. In the two stories the character's must decide what they want more.
             Nnaemeka is a character in, "Marriage Is a Private Affair". In the short story he is face with a life long decision. He was raised up believing the traditional ways of marriage and his father was raised in believing the modern ways of marriage. Nnaemeka must decide what is more important to him, going against his father's beliefs and being happy or going with his father's beliefs and being miserable. Nnaemeka thinks that marriage consists of loving each other, being happy and for the girl to be smart and educated. Okeke, which is Nnaemeka's dad, believes that marriage should contain the following, the woman must know how to be a wife, she needs to read the bible fluently, there must be an arranged marriage and she must have the same religion as them. Nnaemeka than decides that he must go with his heart there for this cause the father, okeke, to disown his son.
             Shanshan is a character in, "Love Must Not Be Forgotten". Her problem is that she is not sure if she should rush into marriage and be like her mother or is she should wait for the right person and hold off.
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