Read the passage from "Marriage Is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe. "Father,” began Nnaemeka suddenly, "I have come to ask for forgiveness.”

"Forgiveness? For what, my son?” he asked in amazement.

"It’s about this marriage question.”

"Which marriage question.”

"I can’t—we must—I mean it is impossible for me to marry Nweke’s daughter.”

"Impossible? Why?” asked his father.

"I don’t love her.”

"Nobody said you did. Why should you?” he asked.

"Marriage today is different . . .”

"Look here, my son,” interrupted his father, "nothing is different. What one looks for in a wife are a good character and a Christian background.”

Nnaemeka saw there was no hope along the present line of argument.

"Moreover,” he said, "I am engaged to marry another girl who has all of Ugoye’s good qualities, and who . . .”

His father did not believe his ears. "What did you say?” he asked slowly and disconcertingly.

"She is a good Christian,” his son went on, "and a teacher in a Girls’ School in Lagos.”

"Teacher, did you say? If you consider that a qualification for a good wife, I should like to point out to you, Emeka, that no Christian woman should teach. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that women should keep silence.”

How does this passage define the traditional roles of men and women?

Men should marry for love, but whether women marry for love is unimportant.

It is not that important for men to be religious, but it is essential for women to be.

Men make decisions, and women accept those decisions.

Men may pursue many careers, while women are restricted to homemaking and teaching.