Brent has a Ph.D. in American culture with a specialization in film studies from the University of Michigan. She is a freelance writer and teaches courses in the history of American cinema. In the following essay, Brent discusses folk proverbs in Aidoo's play Anowa .

Aidoo's play Anowa concerns a young woman, Anowa, who marries a young man, Kofi Ako, against her parents' wishes. The young couple leave their home village of Yebi in order to strike out on their own, making their own way in the world. At first, Anowa works along with her husband, but he soon purchases slaves to do their work for them, and the couple prospers. From the beginning, Anowa is against the purchase of slaves, but Kofi acts against her wishes. As the years go on, their material wealth increases with the increasing number of slaves Kofi buys, but their marriage...