Summary of Efua Sutherland’s “The Marriage of Anansewa” is a play that employs traditional African storytelling techniques to recount the story of George Kweku Ananse, a cunning and mischievous man who uses his daughter’s beauty as a means or an “object of interest” to improve his social standing and gain wealth.
As the play reaches its climax, all four chiefs make their intention to marry Anansewaa on the same day. Unable to handle this predicament, Ananse fakes the death of his daughter with his immediate family to ascertain the best choice among the four wealthy chiefs. All but Chief Who-Is-Chief win, as he still makes plans to bury and hold all the rituals for “dead Anansewa,” just as he would have done if he had gotten the chance to marry Anansewa. He still considers the dead as a bride and Ananse as the father-in-law.
Contrary to the other three chiefs, i.e., the Chief of Mines, the Chief of Sapaase, and Togbe Klu, they send their messengers to bid her farewell and send gifts. The play ends happily as Anansewa resurrects, claiming she heard Chief Who-Is-Chief calling her back to life, thus winning the bridal contest. The play explores themes such as marriage, deception, family, and social obligations.
