Paper 206: Code: 22413: The African Literature
Table of Content :
Personal Information
Assignment Details
Abstract
Key Words
Introduction
The Myth of the Celebrated African Mother
Nnu Ego’s Struggles: The Burden of Motherhood
The Irony of the Title: The Disillusionment of Motherhood
Contrasting Perspectives: Adaku’s Rejection of Motherhood
Colonialism and the Erosion of Traditional Support Systems
Feminist Undertones: A Critique of Patriarchal Expectations
Conclusion
Reference
Personal Information
Name : Khushi R. Rathod
Batch : 2023-25
Roll No : 16
Enrollment Number : 5108230039
Semester : 4
E- mail : khushirathod1863@gmail.com
Assignment Details
Paper No : 206
Paper Code : 22413
Paper Name : The African Literature
Topic : The Joys of Motherhood or the Burdens of Tradition? A Study of Nnu Ego through the Lens of Marie A. Umeh’s Assertion
Submitted to : Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English,MKBU
Abstract
Marie A. Umeh asserts that the African mother is the most celebrated female character in African creative writing. However, in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, this glorification is critically examined through the character of Nnu Ego. This paper explores whether Nnu Ego's life serves as a celebration of motherhood or an ironic critique of its burdens. By analyzing Nnu Ego’s struggles, sacrifices, and ultimate fate, this paper argues that the novel challenges the idealized image of African motherhood, revealing it as a construct that perpetuates suffering rather than fulfillment.
Key Words : African Motherhood ,Patriarchy, Colonial Disruption, Maternal Sacrifice, Gender Roles, Economic Exploitation, Feminist Resistance
Introduction
Motherhood in African literature is traditionally portrayed as a source of strength, identity, and reverence. Marie A. Umeh suggests that African mothers are esteemed figures, depicted as symbols of love, sacrifice, and power. However, Buchi Emecheta deconstructs this ideal in The Joys of Motherhood, presenting a protagonist whose life contradicts the supposed joys associated with motherhood. This paper explores how Nnu Ego’s experiences expose the burdens and disillusionments of motherhood, challenging its traditional glorification.
The Myth of the Celebrated African Mother
In African societies, motherhood is not merely a biological role but a defining identity. The traditional narrative suggests that a woman’s ultimate fulfillment comes from bearing children, particularly sons. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart reinforces this notion by depicting motherhood as a source of refuge and power. Similarly, other African literary works celebrate mothers as protectors and nurturers who find fulfillment in their children. However, Emecheta subverts this trope by presenting a mother whose sacrifices do not yield the expected rewards.
Nnu Ego embodies the disillusionment of African motherhood. She believes her children will provide security and happiness, yet this expectation remains unmet. She states: “A woman with many children could face a lonely old age and maybe a miserable death all alone, just like a barren woman” (p. 224). This passage underscores the irony of her situation—despite fulfilling her maternal duty, she is left abandoned and unfulfilled.
Nnu Ego’s Struggles: The Burden of Motherhood
From the outset, Nnu Ego’s life is dictated by societal expectations of fertility and caregiving. Initially barren in her first marriage, she is deemed a failure, reinforcing the idea that a woman's worth is tied to her reproductive ability. When she finally becomes a mother, her existence revolves around ensuring the survival and success of her children. Yet, rather than experiencing joy, she endures hardship, poverty, and emotional suffering.
Her marriage to Nnaife Owulum is devoid of love, yet she remains with him, believing that her status as a mother will secure her future. The novel reveals the economic and psychological toll of raising children in a patriarchal society that values women only for their reproductive functions. Nnu Ego’s unrelenting labor and sacrifice expose the exploitative nature of motherhood, where women give everything yet receive little in return.
She voices her frustration: “God, when will you create a woman who will be fulfilled in herself, a full human being not anybody’s appendage?” (p. 186). This plea reflects her realization that self-worth should not be confined to motherhood alone.
The Irony of the Title: The Disillusionment of Motherhood
The title The Joys of Motherhood is deeply ironic. Instead of finding joy, Nnu Ego experiences loneliness and neglect. Her children, for whom she sacrifices everything, ultimately abandon her in pursuit of their own lives. Emecheta dismantles the myth that motherhood guarantees respect and security, portraying instead a reality where mothers are left destitute in old age.
Her sacrifices are evident throughout the novel, as she toils endlessly to provide for her children, only to be forgotten. She laments: “I was born alone, and I shall die alone. What have I gained from all this?” (p. 186). This statement crystallizes the novel’s critique of the glorified image of motherhood.
Contrasting Perspectives: Adaku’s Rejection of Motherhood
Adaku, Nnu Ego’s co-wife, provides a stark contrast. Unlike Nnu Ego, she rejects the traditional role of a mother who sacrifices everything for her children. Instead, she pursues financial independence, choosing to educate her daughters rather than conform to societal expectations. Adaku’s decision highlights an alternative path for African women—one that prioritizes personal fulfillment over the self-effacing demands of motherhood.
In a pivotal moment, Adaku declares: “I am not prepared to stay here and be turned into a mad woman just because I have no sons… I will spend the money I have in giving my girls a good start in life” (p. 168). Her defiance challenges the notion that a woman's worth is tied to her ability to bear male heirs, making her a radical figure in the novel.
Colonialism and the Erosion of Traditional Support Systems
One of the central themes in The Joys of Motherhood is the disruption of traditional African societal structures due to colonialism. Emecheta’s novel vividly portrays how British colonial rule alters the social, economic, and familial fabric of Igbo society, stripping mothers of their traditional support systems and forcing them into a new, alienating way of life.
In pre-colonial Igbo society, motherhood was revered and supported within an extended family and communal network. Women played crucial roles not only as mothers but also as traders, farmers, and community leaders. The communal nature of Igbo life ensured that child-rearing was a shared responsibility, reducing the overwhelming burden on individual mothers. However, with the advent of colonial rule, this collective support system was dismantled, leaving women like Nnu Ego to fend for themselves in an increasingly individualistic and capitalist environment.
The urban setting of Lagos, where Nnu Ego moves after her marriage, exemplifies the alienation caused by colonial modernity. Unlike in Ibuza, where kinship ties provided emotional and economic support, Lagos operates on colonial structures that prioritize wage labor and nuclear family units over extended family cohesion. This shift isolates women, as seen in Nnu Ego’s struggles to survive without the communal assistance she would have had in her native village.
Nnu Ego’s husband, Nnaife, works as a low-paid laborer for a British family, reflecting the colonial economic order that positions African men in subservient roles. The novel highlights how colonial employment disrupts traditional gender roles—Nnaife’s servile position emasculates him, forcing Nnu Ego to take on additional responsibilities to keep the family afloat. This economic disempowerment of men places further strain on women, who must balance childcare with financial survival.
Emecheta illustrates how colonial capitalism devalues indigenous family structures, replacing them with an exploitative system that prioritizes European interests. Nnu Ego experiences this firsthand when she is forced to sell goods in the market to supplement her husband’s meager income. The necessity of wage labor forces her to spend long hours away from home, breaking the traditional mold of a mother who remains close to her children. This shift demonstrates how colonial economic demands redefine motherhood in ways that deprive women of both cultural respect and practical support.
Moreover, education—one of the primary tools of colonial influence—serves as both an opportunity and a source of alienation. Nnu Ego struggles to provide her children, especially her sons, with an English education, believing that it will secure their future. However, this very education distances them from their cultural heritage and maternal values. Her son, Oshia, adopts Western ideals and moves to America, showing little concern for his mother’s sacrifices. This outcome highlights how colonial ideologies erode familial bonds, leaving mothers like Nnu Ego abandoned despite their lifelong dedication to their children’s success.
The novel also critiques how colonialism reshapes marriage and women’s status. Traditionally, a woman’s role as a mother granted her respect and security within her community. However, in the colonial urban environment, these traditional guarantees are no longer valid. Nnu Ego’s status as a mother does not shield her from economic hardship or emotional neglect. The colonial government does not provide welfare support for struggling families, forcing women into positions of economic vulnerability. The disappearance of communal care structures means that if a woman like Nnu Ego fails to secure financial independence, she is left destitute.
The ultimate irony of colonial influence is that while it promises progress and modernization, it often exacerbates gender inequalities. The British colonial system privileges male advancement—offering men jobs, education, and social mobility—while reinforcing women’s dependence on their roles as wives and mothers without providing them with economic empowerment. As a result, Nnu Ego’s sacrifices for her children are not reciprocated, as her sons embrace colonial ambitions that prioritize individual success over familial responsibility.
Emecheta’s novel, therefore, does not merely depict motherhood as a personal struggle; it portrays it as a systemic issue exacerbated by colonial rule. By dismantling traditional support structures, colonialism forces women into positions of immense hardship, revealing the hidden costs of so-called progress.
In the end, Nnu Ego dies alone, a tragic figure whose life serves as a critique of both traditional and colonial expectations. Even in death, she refuses to answer prayers for fertility, symbolizing her ultimate rejection of the myth that motherhood brings fulfillment. Her fate underscores the broader social consequences of colonial disruption, challenging the reader to reconsider the true cost of imposed modernity on African women.
Feminist Undertones: A Critique of Patriarchal Expectations
Emecheta’s novel is an implicit critique of the patriarchal structures that define women’s roles in African society. Through Nnu Ego’s suffering, the novel highlights how deeply ingrained gender norms dictate women’s lives, limiting their opportunities beyond domestic and maternal duties.
One of the most striking aspects of The Joys of Motherhood is Nnu Ego’s realization that women are conditioned to find worth in their ability to bear and raise children. This expectation is reinforced by both men and women within her society. The novel exposes how women are expected to sacrifice their personal ambitions for their families while men retain social and economic power.
Nnu Ego’s disillusionment stems from her understanding that the social contract of motherhood is one-sided. While she toils for her children’s success, her husband, Nnaife, remains largely absent and uninterested in providing emotional or financial support. She fights for her children’s survival, yet when they grow up, they show no gratitude or obligation to her. In this way, Emecheta challenges the notion that motherhood is inherently fulfilling.
Moreover, Emecheta uses Nnu Ego’s transformation to highlight the double standards imposed on women. Unlike men, who are permitted to seek personal success, women are expected to live vicariously through their children. Nnu Ego’s frustration is evident when she asks: “But who made the law that we should not hope in our daughters? We women subscribe to that law more than anyone” (p. 187). This reflection reveals the internalized patriarchy that compels women to enforce oppressive traditions upon themselves and others.
Adaku’s rebellion against societal norms serves as a counterpoint to Nnu Ego’s suffering. By choosing economic independence over maternal sacrifice, Adaku reclaims her agency. While she is ostracized for refusing to adhere to traditional female roles, her decision offers a model of resistance against patriarchal expectations.
Ultimately, Emecheta’s novel does not merely critique patriarchal oppression but also calls for a reimagining of women’s roles. By illustrating Nnu Ego’s tragic fate, The Joys of Motherhood urges readers to question the romanticization of motherhood and advocate for women’s rights beyond their reproductive capacities.
Conclusion: A Celebration or a Condemnation?
Ultimately, The Joys of Motherhood does not celebrate motherhood in the traditional sense. Instead, it serves as a powerful critique of the burdens placed upon women under the guise of maternal duty. Through Nnu Ego’s tragic story, Emecheta reveals the myth of the glorified African mother, exposing the suffering and disenfranchisement that often accompany this role. Far from reinforcing Umeh’s assertion that the African mother is the most celebrated female character, Emecheta challenges this ideal, calling for a reevaluation of women’s roles and rights in African society.
Nnu Ego’s legacy is not one of joyous motherhood but of awakening. Her story forces readers to confront the cost of upholding traditional maternal ideals and invites a reconsideration of what true fulfillment means for women. In this way, The Joys of Motherhood is not just a novel about motherhood—it is a call for liberation from its oppressive constraints.
References :
Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood. George Braziller, 1979.
Umeh, Marie A. “The Joys of Motherhood: Myth or Reality?” Colby Library Quarterly, 1982, https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2471&context=cq. Accessed 8 April 2025.
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Fawcett, 1959.
Words : 2221
No comments:
Post a Comment