Pieces such as “Marriage Is a Private Affair” and the Nectar in a Sieve excerpt demonstrate that cultures often struggle to reconcile the traditional notions that they maintain with the modern practices that globalization has brought them, often leading to conflict. Nnaemeka is affected by the modernization of his society because it prevents him from marrying the woman he loves and be accepted by his father and community. Rukmani is affected by the modernization of her society because it puts her in a precarious situation where she lacks economic stability and is constantly having to find new ways of surviving.