The Joys Of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta

The Joys Of M otherhood, Buchi EmechetaDuring the colonization process, m each changes hurl occurred in Africa and the indigenous populations were laboured to adopt and adhere to the westerly values and careerstyle. The effects were felt on all levels of orderliness and in her bleak-sprung(prenominal)(a) The Joys of Motherhood Buchi Emecheta highlights the consequences of this confrontation on a tralatitiousistic Igbo adult female, Nnu self-importance. It is show at the very beginning of the clean that fertility is a causal concomitantor factor of a charwo military mans shoes and dis dapple. This banner accomplished by this patriarchal nightclub is anchored in Nnu egotism and she does non know how to be self-fulfilled other than the cult domesticity. However, with the changes that occurred in her society, the joys and final payments of motherhood that she want for a longtime sire been compromised.This extended essay thus investigates the collision of th e clash of market-gardenings on Nnu self-importance. To do so, I front tryd the pip of wo men during the pre- colonial Nigeria in order to underline the differences during the colonial time. Then, I analyzed the two primary(prenominal) conflicts of the novel which are the protagonists struggle for self-realization and her dilemma among larn the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her traditional values.After this investigation, I came to the conclusion that the calamity in the story of Nnu Ego is that her imprisonment in tradition prevented her to disclose and embrace the changes that occurred before her. Emechetas novel is thus both a brush up of colonization and the button-down nature of the Igbo tradition that prevents women to emancipate and build a better future day.IntroductionEuropean colonization in Africa has had both well-situated and unfavor qualified consequences as far as it has destabilized and controlled the indigenous ruling ashess time reading mode rnization to the continent. This nonion of modernity is however just as problematic because it represents an antagonism to the traditional African values which resulted in an fatal clash debate tradition to modernity. The confusions and struggles raised from this conflict are dealt in different ways and as regards African women they are confronted, until now, to hindrances in the cultural, scotch as well as the political side. Indeed, in most of African cultures, women are victims of mastery within their society because the opposite gender overpowers and retrains them in their development by dictating their thoughts, behavior and decisions.Buchi Emecheta is genius of the first African women novelists to spread over the issue of the conditions of women and their battle for self-realisation and emancipation. In her novel, The Joys of Motherhood, she explores the positive and detrimental effects of modernization on women as well as their imprisonment between tradition and cha nge. Through the story of Nnu Ego, the protagonist, she withal shows how the inflexible traditions discriminate women who are regarded as mens property, producers of electric razorren and are placed in atomic number 42 position on the social pyramid.In order to understand the impact of Nigerias confrontation with western world on women, the following essay go away first educate a look at the situation of women during the pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria. Then, it will examine the struggles of Nnu Ego for self-fulfillment and emancipation and finally, her dilemma between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her tradition.The clash of cultures in The joys of Motherhood and its impact on Nnu EgoThe downfall of African women from a position of power happened during the process of colonization. anterior that, societal roles were equal and there was a complementarity between the roles played by each gender. For instance, they even switched roles and women were allow ed to work in the agricultural field. In addition to that, women did not lone(prenominal) work in pairs with their male counterparts solely they were too respected and sometimes worshiped. Most men bid Agbadi, a noted chief and the stimulate of the protagonist, preferred a woman who was troublesome and impetuous, who had the brass to fight with her man before letting him have her (p.21). Ona, the mother of nongonococcal urethritis Ego represented that type of women and was interpret as a strong, uncompromising and highly respected character. She leaned as queen sister, a chief and was an extravagance to the novel women in her village because showed the men that she was just as herculean as them.However, during the colonial era, the traditional rules concerning women were rigidified, which led to the devaluation of female roles and stead. Indeed, by introducing capitalism as a new economic system and Christianity as a new spiritual doctrine, the English colonizers have indirectly modified the roles and status of the genders in Nigeria. In modern and capitalist societies, property is a determinant factor of ones status and women have gradually been excluded from trading or any paid work. This resulted in uplifting the status of men and diminishing the status of women whose only roles now were to maintain the household and carry babyren. As shown in the book, these changes have also affected the vision men had of women because in Agbadis young days, a woman who gave in to a man without first conflict for her honor was never respected. To regard a woman who is quiet and shy as desirable was something that came after his time, with Christianity and other changes (p.10). Thus, considering the fact that men conjoin women who could claim to be helpless without them (p.36), women were forced to comply with the new standards. smashed minded women like Ona gradually disappeared and women who used to be equally treated in her time were now considered as to a greater extent vulnerable and weaker than men. By introducing her novel with a short description of Onas life, Buchi Emechetas purpose was to show that the subordination of women is a result of a change in beliefs which gradually anchored in the Igbo tradition. It moreover helps the reader to understand the contrast between Ona and Nnu Ego and gives an cortical potential on Nnu Egos struggles.Buchi Emecheta evokes in her novel two elements which represent an obstacle to Nnu Egos self-fulfillment which are the relationship between men and women and children. The protagonist lives in a mans world in which women must prove that there are undecomposed missys and then good wives in order to gain respect. As an example, when her father arranged a second marriage for her, Nnu Ego did not sanction of her new preserve, Nnaife, because he was physically different to the men in her village, Ibuza. However, she precious to prove to herself, to Agbadi and to her society that she wa snt barren still a complete woman. She would have or else died in this town called Lagos than go back home and say Father, I just do not like the man you have chosen for me (p.44). She gradually learned to respect this man and piece up with his crude(a) ways and ugly appearance (p.44) because he fulfilled her aspiration which was to have a child. Yet, with the other pregnancies, their relationship degraded because Nnu Ego deep in thought(p) all respect for her save. She was not given plenteous housekeeping money because her husband, Nnaife, dog-tired most of the money on his drink and the children were starving. She then realized thatshe was a prisoner, imprisoned by her love for her children, imprisoned in her role as the superior wife. She was not even expected to demand more money for her family that was considered below the standard expected of a woman in her position. It was not fair, she felt the way men cleverly used a womans star of responsibility to actually ens lave her (p.137).It is shown trough this excerpt that in a partner off, the woman must be worthy and accept her fate without complaining. If she fails in doing so, not only will she be branded as a bad and not respectful wife but she would also bring the shame over her family. As Nnu Ego said it, she is imprisoned in a code of conduct established by her patriarchal society which preaches submission. As a result, the man takes all the decisions and as regards the protagonists husband, he is depicted as a selfish man who spends his money without taking into stipulation the needs of his family. She was consequently powerless and when Nnaife returned from war with a big event he gained the fear and respect of Nnu Ego. He could even afford to throw her up if she went beyond the limits he could stand (p117). This demonstrates on one come near that money and violence are the primary sources of power for men. On the other hand it testifies that the submissive image of women to which N nu Ego must comply represents an obstacle for her emancipation and self-fulfillment. This code of conduct oblige on women is also obligated for the fact that a womans voice was seldom taken into consideration as regards the important decisions. For an example, when her husband was at war, Nnu Ego gave birth to a child to whom she did not attribute a name before the return of her husband. She was panic-stricken of world regarded as overcivilised woman who chose the names her children by herself, just because her husband was fighting in the war(p.155). Stated differently, endemic sexism, patriarchal attitudes, and the force of fulgurous tradition bond African men in a hegemonic system that nourishes and protects their interest . This can also be bump inton through the two bigamous marriages undergone by Nnu Ego. In the first one, she was unable to produce a child and lost her position as a senior wife. Yet, the major function of a wife in her culture is to rotate children. Wom en just like men, grant much importance to the fertility of a woman because it is the only way to gain respect from the community. The marriage is only truly reinforced with the birth of a child, particularly a boy who will be the heir and the support of the family. The Igbo woman is thus subjected to a lot of jam during the first years of the marriage because her reputation is concerned. Childless marriages are rarely recognized because when a woman is virtuous, it is easy for her to conceive (p.31). Nnu Ego is a very emotional character and her barrenness only accentuated her unstable convey of mind which manifested through undying tears of frustration and hopelessness (p.32). This situation drove her husband to become polygamous which also undermined her self-confidence. Few had detect that it was bad for her morale to hear her husband give pleasure to other(prenominal) woman in the same courtyard where she slept (p. 21). In the end, the fact that she remained childless for two years led to the disintegration of her marriage.In the second marriage, she succeeded in having eight children but it did not prevent her husband from looking for a second woman. Nnu Ego and her co-wife were complete opposite and she hated this type of woman, who would caress a man, depend on him, need him (p.118). Nnu Ego was compared to a grabby cat because she could not understand why her husband bought a new wife especially when they were living in such terrible conditions. She move to control her notionings, to be sophisticated just like she had been taught but the injury of the situation revolted her. She withdrew in herself but was forced to behave properly. She had to be wakeful if she did not want her sons future wives to say but your mother was incessantly jealous whenever her husband brought a young wife (p.185). Polygamy is in the book other mean for men to control women. Nnu Ego had the feeling she was given more power as a senior wife but in fact, she was im prisoned in her role and her love for her children forbad her from reacting indecently. Moreover, as a senior wife, Nnu Ego was force to follow some standards which restrain her in self-expression. Indeed, when her husband was enlisted against his will to fight with the English during the Second World War, she and her co-wife were terrified. Howeverher culture did not permit her to give in to her fears. She was supposed to be strong, organism the senior wife, to behave more like a man than a woman. As men were not permitted open grief, she had to learn to hide hers as well. She heard Adaku crying, and she envied her freedom (p.140).The effect achieve by Emecheta was to show that a traditional woman like Nnu Ego is forced to abide to traditional customs, values or beliefs in order to feel fulfilled. If she doesnt she runs the risk of being denied by her husband, classified among bad women and at the same time, compromising her childrens reputation and future.Children thus play an imp ortant role in the sense of womens acquisition and represent another element which empowers Nnu Ego. Her only goal throughout the novel was to have children and raise them properly since she had been brought up to believe that children do a woman. (p.219) A child is part of a womans identity and the only sign of hope, success and self-fulfillment for women. This vision of femininity and motherhood established by her culture was the main cause of Nnu Egos failed suicide attempt. When her first child died, Nnu Ego was desperate, in grief and fell into depression. on the whole women agreed that a woman without a child for her husband was a failed woman (p.62). She was brought to grok herself as a failure and even her closest associates where comforting her husband quite an than her. They said to Nnaife who felt guilty you are to give her children and food, she is to cook and bear the children and look them. A woman may be ugly and kindle old, but a man is never ugly and never o ld. He matures with age and is dignified (p.71). This disparaging declaration clearly illustrates the image of women and men in the Igbo society. In all cases, the woman is to blame and this has a negative impact on emotional and unstable characters such as Nnu Ego. It could have been fatal but she was determined to refute the fact that she was a failed woman. She ultimately gave birth to several children and it is from this moment that she drastically evolved. The financial situation of the couple did not allow them to feed correctly the children and her vision of motherhood began to change. She compared her life to her colleagues who worked and had few children and she regretted having so many children. Her children suffered from malnutrition yet all because she was the mother of threesome sons, she was supposed to be happy in her poverty, in her cramped means (p.167). She became self-aware that being a mother did not only tramp around having many children but also close to r aising them properly. She wasnt able to put all the eight of them in good conditions so she put all her hope into her eldest son. Before, her refrain used to be All will be well when Nnaife returns from war. Now it was All will be well when Oshia returns from college(p.190). She believed that with rewards of motherhood, she will acquire a higher social status and that he will feed her in her old age and will wipe the tears of shame.In addition to struggling for self-fulfillment, Nnu Ego also struggled between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and sticking to her tradition when she made the transition from a rural world to a modern life. This constitutes another major external conflict of the novel because Nnu Ego was living in a society whose mode of thought and behavior were evolving age she remained hard attached in traditions. For example, Buchi Emecheta painted a vivid picture of the strict gender division among the Igbo society in her novel. The father instructs his son ab out how to manage a house, protect the women and introduces him to the rites and traditional meetings. In contrast, the young girls occupation is only to help in the house holding. She is firmly taught that her life stringently concentrates on the marriage, having children and cook for her husband. Through this informal education, the young boys are influenced to perceive themselves as higher, better and more important than women whereas the young girls are educated to see themselves as a complement of men. They are also taught to be submissive by bending to the mens requests and desires. As a result, men on with women accept their gender roles as a matter of fact. However, since Lagos is rapidly evolving and lean towards modernization, the daughter of Nnu Ego, Kehinde doesnt understand why she and her sisters have to stay home while her brothers get the chance to study. But you are girls They are boys. You have to care to put them in a good position in life, so that they will be able to look after the family. When you husbands are smashed to you, they will defend you (p.176) is the answer given to Kehinde from her mother. This shows that Nnu Ego is still hampered in her tradition while her daughters mentality is changing. This difference of opinion between Nnu Ego and her daughter foreshadowed another major conflict at the novel opposing Kehinde to her parents.However, Nnu Ego eventually rebelled and decided to break the chains of tradition because she could not see her children suffer anymore. In fact, there is an old and Igbo sacred facial expression which stipulates that women and money are incompatible and if you spent all your time qualification money and getting rich, the gods wouldnt give you any children if you wanted children, you had to forget about money, and be content to be poor. (p.80). nongonococcal urethritis Ego decided during her second pregnancy to abandon her trading works because she firmly believed that it was because she didn t follow the rules that she lost her first child. However, two years later, the family was very poor because Nnaifes incomes were not enough to satisfy their needs. Nnu Egos internal conflict plunged her during a long period of self-distrust and dilemma because she wanted to put her two children in better conditions but was afraid to lose the other child she was carrying. She eventually decided to grumpy the line which made her benefit from a true control over the household expenses. The effect achieve by Buchi Emecheta was to show that to be independent, women must initially have some financial freedom. Contrary to her counterparts in Ibuza, Ngu Ego did not completely depend on her husband anymore. It represented on one hand the first sign of revolt and rejection of traditional beliefs. On the other hand, it was a major step for her emancipation and self-fulfillment because she was able to raise her voice. She discovered her power as mother, a woman and a worker.Nevertheless, the fact that Nnu Ego was being more independent did not help her to reach her goal. On the opposite, even if she sacrificed all her money, time and animation on the education of her children, her love and duty for her children were like her chain of thraldom (p.186). Emecheta compares Nnu Egos life to a slave in order to emphasize the fact her success will be determined by the success of her children. She strove throughout the whole story to send her boys to school so that they will be member of the new Nigerian elite and tried to raise her daughter agree to the traditional model. Such devotion should have helped her to reach her goals but it was not the case because by the time her children grew up the values of her peck have changed considerably while she stood firm to her tradition. Nnu Ego refused to adapt to the new mentalities and beliefs and this resulted in a series of disagreements with her children and a series of failure. In the first place, when her eldest son won a sc holarship to study in Canada, her husband was firmly opposed to this idea. In the Igbo culture, when the father reaches a certain age, the eldest son must take over the whole family. However, Oshias dream was to get a higher level of education and this resulted in an irrevocable quarrel. In the end, Oshia was denied by his father and Nnu Ego was blamed for not transport well her children. From this moment, Nnaife started to refer to the children as Nnu Egos and she was becoming fed up of this two-party standard. When the children were good, the belonged to the father when they were bad, they belonged to the mother (p.206). It is the same with her daughter who married a man from another tribe. This is considered as the worst act of betrayal and Nnu Ego plunged into despair. She did not understand where she failed and Emechata thus symbolizes Nnu Ego as the danger of resisting change. The heroine was so hampered by tradition which make it looks like women must aspire for children o r die(p.187). The conservative side of tradition prevented her from seeing the change around her and its impact on her childrens education.This means that the title of the book, The Joys of Motherhood, is thus ironic and a double-edged sword. On one hand, Nnu Egos cup of happiness was almost full because she was pleased to see her children happy. She was very proud of the fact that she brought up her children even if the road was strewed with difficulties. Her reward was also in the fact that those same children might rub shoulders one day with the great men of Nigeria (p.202). On the other hand, she died alone with a husband who denied her, no child to hold her hand and no friend to talk to her(p.224). Throughout this journey, Nnu Ego has matured and realized that until women keep subscribing to the laws imposed by men, they will be powerless, dominated and unfulfilled. She finally understands that if she failed to live according to the standards expected of her it is because she w as a prisoner of traditional values and customs in a modern world.ConclusionAs shown in this essay, the patriarchal society in which Nnu Ego lived has established the standards for female valorization. A woman has no identity of her own as far as it is the status and the position of their husbands that defines them. Through the journey of Nnu Ego, Buchi Emecheta shows that the influence of the tradition is highly responsible of the Igbo womens situation because it has on one hand, determined the boundaries between the genders and one the other hand, established standards to which women must follow in order to gain respect and to feel fulfilled. However, colonization has eroded the Igbo traditions which made Nnu Egos life a journey of endless struggles.As a result, the novel is not only a reflection of tradition as regards womens emancipation and self-realization. It is also about a prototype of resisting change and it encourages women to fight for gender equality. Nnu Egos self-ex amination over her successes and failures conveys a omnipotent message. Indeed, women subscribe to the traditional customs and laws more than men and until they revolutionize this, they will not be able to build a better future for the upcoming generations.