Anowa Homework Post II

In our last class, we read Phase II of the Anowa. I thought that the second phase was interesting, and many of the key conflicts in the plot arose during this time. Anowa and her husband, Kofi Ako, are now somewhat prosperous. They have managed to accumulate wealth through some kind of trade. One of the main conflicts that has arisen in the story is how they deal with this new wealth in relation to the purchase of slaves. While Anowa is strongly opposed to human bondage, Kofi Ako sees it as a way to become more successful. As demonstrated by Anowa's parents and the old man and women, slavery was an accepted norm at the time, and it is Anowa who is acting in opposition to the standard of society. A second primary conflict emerges in Anowa's request to Kofi Ako that he marries more women. Here is where Kofi Ako differs form the social norm and Anowa maintains it. I found this to be an interesting contradiction that together they both embody social norms of modern society, yet oppose the other. They offer an interesting balance of both being for society in some ways, and against it in others. Oddly enough, they seem split on almost every issue, yet it is evident that Kofi Ako sincerely cares for Anowa. From the text, I can't help but feel that Anowa is somewhat more detatched in their relationship than Kofi Ako is. Compared to Okonkwo, Kofi Ako is a great husband to Anowa. I wonder how the two will continue to hold together in the future.