SECTION E - African Prose BAYO ADEBOWALE: Lonely Days Discuss Yaremi’s marriage in the novel.

Answer Details

Yaremi's marriage is at the heart of Bayo Adebowale's Lonely Days. Much of the novel is told through her memories of life with her late husband Ajumobi, so that her marriage becomes both a picture of traditional Yoruba wedded life and the measure of the loneliness she suffers as a widow.

A companionate and loving union. Yaremi's marriage to Ajumobi was, on the whole, a warm and fulfilling one. Through her recollections we see a partnership built on mutual affection, shared labour and understanding. Ajumobi was a farmer, and the couple worked and lived together in the daily rhythms of village life, sharing joys, difficulties and the raising of their children.

Not free of trials. Like any marriage, theirs had its quarrels and hard moments, and Yaremi remembers disagreements as well as tenderness. These realistic touches keep the marriage from being idealised and show a bond tested and strengthened over time. The union produced children, fulfilling the traditional expectation of the married woman.

The shadow of widowhood. The marriage gains its deepest meaning through its ending. Ajumobi's death leaves Yaremi a widow, plunging her into the "lonely days" of the title. The loss exposes her to the harsh widowhood rites of Kufi and to pressure to remarry or to be inherited by another man.

Loyalty beyond death. Out of respect and love for Ajumobi's memory, and in defence of her own dignity, Yaremi refuses to remarry. Her steadfastness reflects both the strength of her marriage and her determination to remain her own person, resisting the community's attempts to dispose of her.

Conclusion. Yaremi's marriage is portrayed as a loving, productive and largely happy traditional union whose loss defines the rest of her life. Through her fond memories and her loyal widowhood, Adebowale celebrates the bond of a good marriage while exposing the cruelty of the customs that a widow must endure.