The two sisters in Ama Ata Aidoo’s story have two different attitudes toward men and marriage. Connie is the older sister who has the traditional marital values in her mind. She is aware of her husband, James, “is running after a new girl” (997). “New” means it’s not the first time, but she chooses to cry all the time and insists that she loves her husband and she “is not interested in any other man”.(997) It’s the traditional point of view that when a woman marry a man, she is subject to keep the lifelong monogamous relationship. So she is loyal and obedient to her husband. But her younger sister, Mercy, thinks men have affairs with other girls because the women like her older sister “allow them to behave the way they do instead of seizing some freedom themselves”, (997) and she criticizes her older sister that “it’s women like you who keep all of us down”. (997) Mercy is young and beautiful, and has many pursuers. She is trying to seize some freedoms herself. She tires of doing her work and also doesn’t intent to be tied with a random fine man. Her sister thinks she should just marry a normal good man, but she chooses to get benefits from those old big men. She is going out with Mensar-Arthur, who is the Member of Parliament, old and rich, and have many wives and girlfriends. After the coup, Mensar-Arthur is in jail, and Mercy has affair with another married, old and rich public man-Captain Ashey.
Surprisingly, there seems only Connie is the one who thinks Mercy has relationship with these old and depraved public man is ruining herself. She knows their departed parents will not like to see it. The two rich and old public man have many wives and girlfriends mean there are many girls like Mercy, decides not to have the traditional way of marriage and pursuit material needs. Additionally, Connie’s husband, James, also thinks Connie should encourage Mercy to get benefits from the rich guy and hope to take some advantages from it. I think these show the society thought changes at that time in Ghana.
I don’t think Mercy represent a modern female image and I don’t agree what she does. But she represents a kind of sexual liberation at that time. It’s a significant progress to realize the equality of women and men. Men can have different wives and girlfriends, women can also choose men and get benefits from them. Fidelity is based on man and woman both loyal and equal to each other. Women like Mercy are no longer bounded and restricted by lifelong monogamous relationship. And they can choose their own partners. The development and changes of a relationship is also not effected by other people.
I agree with your descriptions of both sisters, however I believe they are both exaggerated examples. The story covers how the cultural view of relationships is transitioning in an era of modernization, but it covers both fronts to an extreme degree. For one, Connie is very loyal but under unreasonable circumstances and accepts that her husband, even with children, is public about his affairs. On the other hand, Mercy desires a stable long-term relationship but cannot resist material temptations and the idea of flexible, short-term connections with powerful men.
Awesome post, I really like how you dissected the characters of both sisters and related them to the political and social changes that were occurring at this time in Ghana. And I agree with Holden’s comment about how they are exaggerated examples but I also think that this was a tactful way for Aidoo to clearly represent that shift in society’s way of thinking. I actually found Mercy’s character and her promiscuity to be quite refreshing. I liked the fact that in this book a woman was even able to take on actions that were limited to men. It’s not about the number of wives or girlfriends or husbands or boyfriend, it’s about the freedom of having a choice.