Snapshots of a Wedding (Style)

Style

Point of View

“Snapshots of a Wedding” features a third-person narration, told from the point of view of someone who is not a character in the story but who nevertheless knows of the circumstances surrounding Neo, Kegoletile, and Mathata and their situations. This point of view, often called “omniscient,” allows a narrator to be in more than one place at the same time, and to relate the feelings and inner conflicts of the characters presented. For instance, a reader can know not only Neo’s experiences, but the internal conflict of Kegoletile as well.

Symbolism and Imagery

Head employs a number of powerful images and symbols in “Snapshots of a Wedding.” The “ululating” relatives of Neo, with their “fluid, watery forms” symbolize the naturalness of the ceremony of which they are to be a part, while the ritual signifies the past from which Kegoletile and Neo are determined to emerge more prosperous. One may see the poor ox as a symbol for Kegoletile: just as the ox will be led to the slaughter, he will be led to the altar to wed, an event that will alter his life forever. Neo’s aunt symbolizes the voice of tradition, admonishing Neo for her arrogance while implicitly exhorting her not only to “Be a good wife,” but never to forget the tradition from which she has come. As the representative of history, she is “regal,” but as Neo and Kegoletile wed and their prosperous lives are about to begin, she can only offer advice, not influence events.

Structure

Head employs a complex narrative structure in “Snapshots of a Wedding.” While the title might lead one to expect the story to be about the events of a wedding, Head quickly turns to an exploration of circumstances and events surrounding and leading up to the wedding. In fact, most of the story recounts the individual stories of Kegoletile, Mathata, and Neo and their relationships with each other and with the community of which they are a part. This information is necessary, however, in order to understand the significance of the wedding event and the rituals, or lack of rituals, that accompany it. When the narrator returns to the wedding to close the story, the reader cannot help but understand the wedding in a new way, having been given access to the intrigue and conflict surrounding the wedding from day one.

Setting

The story is set in a small African village in Botswana, given the title of the collection in which it is published. The narrator never makes it clear when exactly the events of this story take place. One can assume, however, from hints such as Neo’s ability to become a “typist” or “secretary” that the events take place in the mid-twentieth century or later. The story’s theme of conflict between progress and tradition, future and past, however, is one that has been the subject of literature for centuries.

Topics for Further Study

• What motivates Kegoletile to marry Neo rather than Mathata? Are these motivations the same as or different from Neo’s motivations in marrying Kegoletile?
• What kind of woman is Neo’s aunt? Might there be more underlying her attitude toward Neo than simple annoyance with Neo’s arrogance? What does Neo represent that upsets her aunt so?
• Compare and contrast Neo and Mathata. Is either one happier than the other? Who is more confident and secure? What does each represent in the context of the culture of the village?
• Chinua Achebe’s short story “Vengeful Creditor” also explores differences between educated and uneducated, traditional and modern in contemporary Africa. Compare the character of Mrs. Emenike in Achebe’s story to that of Neo in “Snapshots of a Wedding.”
• Research the history of Botswana in the mid- to late twentieth century, particularly the large migration of the young people from the village to urban areas. How does Head’s story illustrate the anxieties this might cause among those left in the village?
• Research traditional Botswanan marriage rituals. Are the wedding rituals presented in “Snapshots of a Wedding” different in any way from these traditions? Why might that be?