The Thing Around Your Neck

Taking place during the British colonization of Nigeria, the story begins with Nwambga remembering her late husband, Obierika, and how she told her father he was the only one she would marry. She remembers the early years of their marriage, Obierika’s kindness to his jealous cousins, and how he refused to take another wife even though he was well off. When Nwambga had three miscarriages, she decided to find another wife for Obierika herself. Nwambga went to her best friend, Ayaju, who is of slave descent, and asked for advice. Ayaju recommended having an affair, an idea that Nwambga rejected. After another miscarriage Obierika and Nwambga went to an oracle, who had them sacrifice a cow to Obierika’s ancestors. The next baby was a son, born alive, named Anikwenwa.

Okafo and Okoye, Obierika’s jealous cousins, began to come by more often. They eventually poisoned Obierika, killing him. Nwambga was consumed by grief and considered suicide but did not because of Anikwenwa. Okafo and Okoye continually took parts of Anikwenwa’s inheritance away. Word came from another village that when the village elders had refused to sign a paper given to them by white men, the white men came and razed the village. Missionaries arrived at Nwambga’s village the next day. The white men appeared to be around to stay. Ayaju advised Nwambga to send Anikwenwa to the English school, but she resisted the idea. Over the next few years, however, Nwambga heard stories that changed her mind, not wanting her son to be in danger because he didn’t know the ways of the white men. She also heard stories of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and became convinced that this was how Okafo and Okoye would try to get rid of Anikwenwa. She chose to take him to the Catholic missionaries, where they would teach him in English. They rebaptized Anikwenwa as Michael. Nwambga was unhappy with the physical discipline at the Catholic mission. She maintained her connection with Anikwenwa but felt him losing connection to their customs.

Though feeling her son had entered a world different to hers, Nwambga was proud, especially when Anikwenwa got his father’s ivory tusk back from his cousins. Anikwenwa eventually married another Christian convert, and though Nwambga thought the Catholic marriage ceremony silly, she took comfort in the fact that she would be dead soon and reunited with Obierika. Anikwenwa’s new wife, Mgbeke, was nice, but Nwambga was irritated by how they treated the non-Christians in the village as lesser. Mgbeke had miscarriages until Nwambga consulted the oracle. First they had a son, who Nwambga hoped would be Obierika returned, but she did not feel his spirit in her grandson. Next was a daughter, whom Anikwenwa called Grace but whom Nwambga named Afamefuna and whom she felt Obierika’s spirit in. Grace is sent to school, but when Nwambga is dying, she comes back to say goodbye. Grace feels connected to her ancestors and their traditions, maintaining a scorn for her father and how he has cast off his culture. Grace goes on to university, graduating in 1950, understanding the harm that had been done to her people. She would go on to at last legally change her name to Afamefuna.