Materialism: Another thematic pre-occupation is about love and materialism. True love and material love are opposite ideals, but somehow Ananse manages to strike a balance between them in this play. Although motivated by personal economic benefits, Ananse succeeds at the same time in making true love the basis of his daughter’s marriage.
Motifs
(Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.)
Gifts: Throughout The Marriage of Anansewa, we see chiefs presenting gifts to Ananse. This is the result of Ananse’s intention in betrothing his daughter to four different suitors. Anansewa herself is a gift from God to him and he uses her to receive gifts from the chiefs. Admittedly, life is about giving. However, when a gift is received as a result of manipulations, intrigues and deceptions, it becomes a curse rather than a gift.