Question

nnaemeka, for his own part, was very deeply affected by his father’s grief. but he kept hoping that it would pass away. if it had occurred to him that never in the history of his people had a man married a woman who spoke a different tongue, he might have been less optimistic. \it has never been heard,\ was the verdict of an old man speaking a few weeks later. in that short sentence he spoke for all of his people. this man had come with others to commiserate with okeke when news went round about his son’s behaviour.
—\marriage is a private affair,\ chinua achebe
which details from the passage best demonstrate the reliance on tribal traditions in nigerian society? check all that apply.

naemeka... was very deeply affected by his father’s grief.\
\but he kept hoping that it would pass away.\

ever in the history of his people had a man married a woman who spoke a different tongue.\
\‘it has never been heard,’ was the verdict of an old man speaking a few weeks later.\
\this man had come with others to commiserate with okeke.\

Explanation:

• The detail about no man in the group ever marrying a woman with a different tongue shows a long-standing tribal tradition of marrying within linguistic/cultural groups.
• The old man's verdict that this event "has never been heard" reflects the collective adherence to this tribal tradition, as his statement represents the group's shared norms.
• The group coming to commiserate with Okeke shows the community upholding the traditional view that Nnaemeka's action is a grievous break from tribal customs, reinforcing reliance on these traditions.
• The first two details focus on Nnaemeka's personal feelings and hope, not the society's reliance on tribal traditions.

Answer:

• "Never in the history of his people had a man married a woman who spoke a different tongue."
• "‘It has never been heard,’ was the verdict of an old man speaking a few weeks later."
• "This man had come with others to commiserate with Okeke."