Summary

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s short story “The Arrangers of Marriage” begins with a married couple’s arrival from Lagos to their apartment in New York. The wife, Chinaza, is disappointed, as she thought that her new husband lived in an American house, but he actually lives in an old, dusty apartment.

Chinaza’s aunt and uncle, who arranged her marriage, believed that Ofodile is a respected doctor, however Chinaza soon finds out that he is just an intern. Ofodile corrects Chinaza’s speech, wanting her to be more American. They even eat American meals like pancakes for breakfast and tea with no milk. Ofodile announces that he has changed his first name to Dave and his last name from Udenwa to Bell. He insists that his wife should now go by her midd...