Imagine your parents choosing the person you were supposed to marry. Many years ago, arranged marriages were an important part of African and Chinese culture. This caused a lot of tension between parents and children. The practice of arranged marriages has been lost over time. This made parents feel betrayed by their children when they married whoever they wanted. In the two stories "Marriage is a Private Affair" and "Love Must Not Be Forgotten", the main characters face challenges involving their arranged marriages. In "Marriage is a Private Affair", Nnaemeka, Okeke's son, falls in love with a woman named Nene, who was not his suitor. (The person his father chose for him) Okeke felt betrayed because of his son's decision to marry Nene. Nnaemeka tried to explain all Nene's qualities to her father, but Okeke wouldn't listen. Throughout the story Okeke refused to have a relationship with Nnaemeka due to her decision to marry whoever she wanted. Okeke described her son's actions by saying, “I will not be another Mrs. Ochuba. If my son wants to kill himself, let him do it with his own hands. It's not up to me to help him." Since Nnaemeka had no communication with her father, she sent him a photo of her and Nene's wedding day. Okeke sent back a letter telling Nnaemeka how disrespectful it was to send him a photo of himself and Nene together. He cut the image in two, sending back the part with Nene. The relationship between Okeke and her son was non-existent for eight years. Okeke has not changed her mind about her son's marriage. He still found it shameful, even as others began to accept unarranged marriages. One day Nene... middle of the paper... and end. Okeke accepts that he was too harsh on his son's decisions and regrets that he was unable to be a part of his son's life. Shanshan also understands the meaning of love and what it means to her. He decides to stay single until he falls in love. As Shanshan says, “Perhaps because law and morality would bind us together. But how tragic it is to simply conform to law and morality! Wasn't there a stronger bond that united us?” What Shanshan says definitely makes sense that marriage should be based on love and not just certain qualifications. The characters end up challenging their societies by recognizing the true meaning of marriage. This is love. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Marriage is a private affair. Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc, 2002. Textbook. Jie, Zhang. Love must not be forgotten. Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc, 2002. Textbook.