Personification is a literary device in which an author subscribes a human attribute to an inanimate object, animal, or idea. Authors utilize personification to convey their message more effectively and connect with their audiences. In Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair," Okeke reads a moving letter from Nene asking if she can send his grandchildren to visit him. Although Okeke disapproves of his son's decision to abandon their traditional Igbo customs by marrying Nene , he begins to change his outlook on the entire situation. While Okeke is experiencing this remarkable transformation, the sky becomes dark and Achebe writes,

Achebe personifies Nature by giving it the human attribute of influence and judgment. Nature is inanimate and cannot purposely intervene in human relationships. By personifying Nature, Achebe is connecting Okeke's internal conflict to the outside world, which enhances his emotional struggle.

An idiom is a common expression or phrase that is not interpreted literally and used in a figurative sense. Achebe uses the idiom to "take a hand" in the quote, which figuratively means to intervene in a conflict or influence something. He is essentially saying that Nature is intervening in Okeke's internal struggle. The storm parallels the emotional battle Okeke is experiencing as he decides to let his guard down and accept his grandchildren. By utilizing personification and an idiom, Achebe enhances his writing, which makes his narrative more interesting, vivid, and memorable.