Explaining the Theme of the Story the Collector of Treasures

¶ … Collector of Treasures" by Bessie Head

Marital relations and women repression in "Collector of Treasures" by Bessie Head

In the short story, "Collector of Treasures," author Bessie Head showed her readers a glimpse of the marital relations and life among females in African culture. Centering her story on the character of Dikeledi, Head illustrated how women, in most African societies, are still oppressed and not given equal opportunities as their husbands. Moreover, apart from the apparent oppression of women, the story showed that there is generally an open-minded view about committing adultery or having extra-marital relations, with or without consent of one's partner.

The peculiarity of marital relations shown in "Collector of Treasures" reflect the fact that Dikeledi and other women characters live in a society where polygamy is generally accepted. This is mainly because it is men who dominate African societies, thereby making adultery 'valid' and giving them the authority to do whatever they want. Of course, Head makes an exception in the case of Paul, as proof of her argument that 'there are two kinds of man,' an assertion that men, despite their power and control in their society, can become devoted husbands to their wives and fathers to their children, of which Paul was an example in the story.