49 pages • 1 hour read
Buchi EmechetaThe Joys of Motherhood
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1979A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Challenges and Rewards of Motherhood
Content Warning: The source text and this guide depict racism, sexism, enslavement, murder, child loss, domestic violence, and death by suicide.
The Joys of Motherhood offers an examination of the nature of motherhood. The novel’s title is ironic because the novel focuses on the challenges of motherhood rather than its joys.
The challenges and sacrifices associated with motherhood are evident in Nnu Ego’s trying experience raising multiple children. These include the physical pains and discomfort associated with pregnancy and birth, the time-consuming daily tasks of caring for children (including feeding, clothing, cleaning, and teaching them), the struggle to acquire money for food and shelter, and the emotional investment that comes with attachment to one’s children. Throughout the majority of the narrative, Nnu Ego fulfills each of these responsibilities to the best of her ability with minimal complaints, though she does sometimes appeal to Nnaife to better assist her in raising their children. Only after the birth of her second set of twin girls does Nnu Ego begin to think critically about her experience as a mother, as is evident in this passage:
Yes, I have many children, but what do I have to feed them on? On my life. I have to work myself to the bone to look after them, I have to give them my all. And if I am lucky enough to die in peace, I even have to give them my soul. […] When will I be free? But even in her confusion she knew the answer: ‘Never, not even in death. I am a prisoner of my own flesh and blood.’ (186-87)
Admittedly, Nnu Ego’s realization that she is imprisoned by her own motherhood is balanced by a later moment in which her “cup of happiness was full” at seeing her children happy (222). The two possibilities are not mutually exclusive, however, as Nnu Ego’s brief moment of joy only offers further evidence that her own happiness is directly tied to the happiness of her children—even those who, like Oshia, tend to see her merely as “a nagging and worrying woman” (185). Thus, for Nnu Ego, motherhood remains confining, even in its joyful moments.
In the end, Nnu Ego’s oft-stated hopes for a rosy future in which her children offer some kind of thanks or support in return for her years of sacrifice go largely unfulfilled. All her life, she defines herself by her role as a mother, and she ultimately remains disappointed by it. The novel’s portrayal of motherhood serves as a warning not to elevate motherhood as a status marker above the well-being of women, arguing that women must have the right to decide whether or not to become mothers in the first place and that motherhood need not occupy an all-consuming role in women’s lives.
Tradition and Change in Colonial Nigeria
The novel’s action takes place across several decades in urban and rural Nigerian locales during the time of British colonization. So, it offers both a bird’s-eye view of several major social changes that were underway, as well as an intimate look at how individuals navigate the difficult balance between tradition and change.
Chronologically, the novel’s earliest scenes take place in a rural Ibuza setting during the 1910s. Ona and Agbadi’s love story offers a glimpse of Ibo traditions and customs surrounding marriage, birth, death, and more. This establishes a baseline of social norms, several of which are then upended as the narrative shifts around two decades forward to Lagos, where social, economic, and religious influences associated with British colonialism are much more prominent. In the city, traditional and superstitious views on masculinity, soldiers, music, and more are called into question. Additionally, whereas the culture in Ibuza is relatively homogenous, Lagos is a melting pot, containing a greater diversity of ethnic and religious backgrounds, as demonstrated by Kehinde’s marriage to a Yoruba man, which would be all but unthinkable in Ibuza. Meanwhile, through the influence of Western education as instituted by the British colonists, younger generations begin to push back against traditional supernatural beliefs, as evident in Oshia’s skepticism about his mother’s reliance on the counsel of priests for guidance.
In addition to drawing attention to such changes on a macro level, the novel also investigates the way that individuals struggle to balance respect for the traditions of the past with modern ways of thinking. During her time in Lagos, Nnu Ego finds herself gradually slipping away from the customs and traditions of her people, as she realizes when she is caught off guard by Adaku’s arrival: “[Nnu Ego] had been in Lagos now for more than seven years, and one could not change the habits of so many years in two minutes, humiliating as it was to know that this woman fresh from Ibuza was watching her closely” (120). Nnu Ego feels self-conscious when Adaku watches her, nervous that her lapses from traditional Ibuza culture are glaringly obvious. Generally speaking, Nnu Ego attempts to maintain close adherence to her inherited beliefs and traditions, even in the face of opposition. For instance, she never loses faith in her chi, and the thought of her father approving or disapproving of her remains a significant motivating factor in her life.
In a few instances, however, she has the humility and foresight to acknowledge that some changes are for the better. For instance, after acknowledging that modern education “takes longer and costs more,” Nnu Ego adds, “I’m not sure that I’m not beginning to like it. My only regret is that I did not have enough money to let the girls stay at school” (213-14). In passages like this, Nnu Ego signals her openness to positive social changes. By contrast, when Nnaife loses his temper and attacks the Yoruba butcher, Nnu Ego sees it as a sign that Nnaife “has refused to see the changes” that have taken place since his youth (213). Meanwhile, Adaku stands as a more radical proponent of change compared to Nnu Ego.
The novel shows that while there are no easy answers when it comes to navigating tensions between tradition and change, openness to change can be the first step toward progress.
The Hypocrisies and Contradictions of Patriarchal Society
In describing the traditional roles assigned to women under Ibuza’s traditional patriarchal society, the novel offers a critical examination of a system that places men above women. It shows that the system rests on hypocrisy and ultimately leads to suffering for both men and women.
On several occasions, Emecheta draws attention to the morally bankrupt underpinnings of the patriarchy. For instance, she highlights the difference between Agbadi’s poor treatment of women generally and his lofty standards when it comes to suitors for his own daughter. In the case of Nnaife, Emecheta draws attention to his tendency to assert his status and dominance even in situations where his arguments have little or no merit. For instance, when Adaku and Nnu Ego threaten to stop cooking unless he gives them more money for food, he retaliates, “If you were not the mother of my sons, I would have taught you a lesson this evening. But don’t push me too far, or I may still do it. Who pays for this room? Who brought you here?” (135). Nnaife’s comment demonstrates his internalized sense of superiority, just as Adaku and Nnu Ego’s desperate threat demonstrates an attempt to reclaim power in their relationship with Nnaife. In other words, by arbitrarily assigning authority to the man in any relationship, patriarchal systems fuel discord and power struggles rather than facilitating meaningful communication, which can only take place when partners feel that they are on equal footing.
Emecheta also draws attention to other manifestations of patriarchal society that are contradictory or deceptive. This includes Nnaife’s habit of referring to his children as “your children” (referring to Nnu Ego) whenever they misbehave. As she comes to realize, “Only good children belonged to the father” (223). Nnaife’s attitude causes him to disown most of his children as well as Nnu Ego herself before the novel’s conclusion. The reason for Nnaife’s disappointment in the first place is his children’s failure to live up to the standards he imposes on them as a father figure, which is a right he claims under the patriarchal system. Thus, it is not only women who are impacted by the skewed power dynamics of patriarchy; Oshia and Adim are likewise estranged from their father due to their failure to complete what Nnaife sees as a kind of social contract between them when they pursue their educations overseas instead of immediately entering the workforce.
Emecheta also identifies polygamy as a disruptive outgrowth of the patriarchal system. Nnu Ego finds the arrivals of both Adaku and Okpo highly concerning, though for different reasons. On the one hand, she considers Adaku a rival and a threat to her status, whereas she considers the addition of Okpo and her children an unnecessary and unwise burden on their already strained resources. Polygamy thus emerges as a boon to male ego, pride, and lust, with women commodified and marginalized in its wake.
Throughout the novel, Emecheta paints the patriarchal system as one concerned essentially with control and exploitation, making it a domestic mirror image of the political atrocities committed by the British colonists.
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