ABSTRACT
Anthropological or sociological studies of African married life seem to have been traditionally geared towards the erection and testing of systems and theories, some of which are either invalidated by time or at least continually revised as fresh data come to light. The African does not think of marriage as a union based on romantic love although beauty as well as character and health are sought in the choice of a wife. Love as a gut-feeling is certainly a central factor in the relationship between the African couple – traditional and otherwise – as portrayed in modern African literature. In primitive societies, whether they have matrilineal or patrilineal institutions, it is normally recognised that the closest of all kinship bonds is that between mother and child. The chapter shows how the subject of marriage in Africa has been handled first by sociologists and then by creative artists so as to assess how much room there is to hope for convergence.
