“From that day Mrs. Emenike hated the words “free primary” which had suddenly become part of everyday language, especially in the villages where they called it free primadu.”
Mrs. Emenike’s repugnance for “free primary” is due to the adverse conditions that it brought about in her life. She faults the “free primary” because it is what instigated the mass departure of servants that she was reliant on. Perhaps, if she had been the one who had profited unequivocally from education, she would not harbor any antipathy towards it.
And she hated the Americans and embassies (but particularly the Americans) who threw their money around and enticed the few remaining servants away from Africans.”
Mrs. Emenike’s abhorrence for the American is grounded on the hypothesis that the money that they put in the primary education is disruptive. She discounts the unqualified import of education because she is privileged. She would rather that the Americans did not finance the free education as it would guarantee her reachable labor.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Ma. She will be treated just like one of our own children. My wife is a Social Welfare Officer and she knows what it means to acre for children. Your daughter will be happy in our home, I can tell you that. All she will be required to is carry the little baby and give it its milk while my wife is away at the office and the older children at school.”
Mr. Emenike conjures false piety to induce Martha. All he desires is a maid. Veronica’s standing is unmistakably demarcated so she will not get the identical treatment has her prospective boss’ children. A social Welfare Officer would have exercised prudence by avoiding child labor; instead, she would have advocated or supported Veronica to carry on her studies.
“One rather over-ripe young lady had presented herself and asked for seven pounds a month. But it wasn’t just the money. It was her general air- a kind of labour exchange attitude which knew all the rights in the labour code, including presumably the right to have abortions in your servants quarters and even have a go at your husband.”
Mrs. Emenike overruled the potential baby-nurse in favor of a young, uneducated girl. Veronica is not cognizant of the inferences of the Labour Theory of exchange, so she can be subjugated without difficulty. As a matter of fact, her contracting amounts to child exploitation which should not be sponsored by well-versed individuals like the Emenike’s.
“It is the work of the devil…I have always known that the craze for education in this country will one day ruin all of us. Now even children will commit murder in order to go to school.”
Mr. Emenike’s double standards are privy of confines. He denounces “the craze for education” for Veronica perverse deed of endeavoring to poison the baby so that she can boost the probability of joining school. Mr. Emenike does not relate his children’s attendance of school to craziness though.
“He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less-educated ones.”
Michael Obi embraces an anti-tradition mindset. Western education incentivizes him to regard the orthodox Nigerian opinions as moribund. He considers that renouncing the Nigerian traditions is tantamount with enlightenment.
"I was thinking what a grand opportunity we've got at last to show these people how a school should be run."
Nancy proclaims their pre-eminence which designates that she and her husband superior to administrators than all the other teachers who have been at Ndume Central School. The outlook of supremacy stems from her husband’s attainment of Western education.
