Custom and Traditions
The story of Anowa focuses a lot on traditions and what happens when someone goes against them. Anowa doesn’t follow the usual expectations of her society. Since she became a young woman, she refused to marry, even though many suitors came to ask for her hand. This confused her parents—her mother was worried, and her father didn’t understand her. People often called Anowa strange because she didn’t act like other women.
Things get more difficult when Anowa marries Kofi Ako. She helps him build a successful business selling animal skins, which was not something women were expected to do. In her culture, women were supposed to stay at home and take care of the household. At first, Kofi Ako likes her help, but later he wants a more traditional wife. He even suggests they buy slaves to make the business bigger. Anowa strongly disagrees because she believes owning people is wrong. But Kofi Ako goes ahead and buys slaves anyway. They become rich, own a big house, and have many slaves, but Anowa stays true to her values. She refuses to wear fancy clothes or use slaves. Her refusal to follow tradition causes problems in their marriage. In the end, their relationship becomes empty, and both Anowa and Kofi Ako die—Anowa by suicide. Even though she stays loyal to her beliefs, her decisions cause pain for herself and others.
Pride
Anowa’s pride shapes all her actions. Even when people think she’s acting strangely, she is simply following her own beliefs. She doesn’t care what others say—she believes in doing what feels right to her. She turns down all her suitors just because she doesn’t want to marry them. When she finally meets Kofi Ako, she chooses to marry him even though her parents don’t approve.
Anowa also feels proud of working hard. She wants her husband to succeed and does everything she can to help him. Kofi Ako doesn’t understand why she works so much, but for Anowa, work gives her a sense of purpose and self-respect.
Choices and Consequences
Anowa’s life is shaped by the choices she makes. She refuses to marry just anyone, and when she finally chooses Kofi Ako, she does it despite her parents’ wishes. She chooses to help with his business because she values hard work. But her decisions come with consequences. Her marriage suffers, she feels alone, and in the end, both she and her husband die. The story shows how every choice a person makes can deeply affect their life and the lives of others.
