Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Migration of different types and for various reasons has been part of human history and existence. Marriage disintegration has become a common phenomenon in contemporary world. Most united and close-knit families have greatly given in to dislocation and movements of the principal family heads. Migration as an integral cultural and societal activity has been identified as a catalyst to breakdown of marriages. In most cases, family unity and continued existence are susceptible to intrusion by extraneous elements leading to eventual breakdown. Literary artists have captured incidences and situations of marriage breakdown occasioned by various issues other than migration such as; childlessness, neglect, abandonment and others. Thus Flora Nwapa ‘s Efuru and Ifeoma Okoye’s Behind the Clouds present perceived happy marriages that fall to the challenges of shift in business and job locations by the male spouses. Using the sociological framework of Max Weber’s ‘Social Action’ which studies aspects of human behaviour, this paper makes a literary analysis of the incidences and disruptive effects of migration in marriages in the texts under study. The essay specifically identifies relationships and social interactions as causative factors of eventual marriage disintegration. It further identifies male protagonists as easy victims of extraneous influences and relationships.

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