Table of contents:-
Personal Information
Assignment Details
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
About Buchi Emecheta
Overview of the Novel
Nnu Ego in Ebuza: The begging
Contradiction that Limit Nnu Ego
Operating Forces and issue of Motherhood
Other characters as Limited
Conclusion
References
Personal Information:-
Name:- Divya Bharatbhai Jadav
Batch :- M.A.sem 4 ( 2023- 2025)
Email Address:- divyajadav5563@gmail. com
Roll number:- 7
Assignment Details:-
Topic:- A Limited Woman: Character is in Question in Buchi Emecheta Novel The Joys of Motherhood
Paper:-206: The African Literature
Subject code:- 22413
Submitted to:- Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar
Date of Submission:- 17 April 2025
About Assignment:- In this assignment I will try to define’ A Limited Woman: Character is in Question in Buchi Emecheta Novel The Joys of Motherhood
Abstract:-
Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood tells the story of Nnu Ego, a rural Igbo woman. Nnu Ego finds herself in Lagos, the urbanized capital of Nigeria. Through the feminist lens, patriarchy is frequently considered to be a main factor at play in the oppression of women within both tribal and colonized countries. Similarly, postcolonial theory often focuses on capitalism and how a western sense of superiority wrongly affects the definition of self, particularly for people native to third world countries. Based on these findings, the majority of critics also argue about the extent to which Nnu Ego plays an integral part in her oppression and eventual downfall.
However, in regard to The Joys of Motherhood and in the case of Nnu Ego, certain factors are overlooked by such critics. Throughout the novel, Emecheta inserts evident contradictions that blur the lines between opportunity and victimization, making it difficult to judge Nnu Ego's character. These contradictions are evident in the portrayals of polygamy and economics within Lagos. There are also other criteria to consider. It is obvious that Nnu Ego at times plays a crucial role in her own oppression. Her disjointed reasoning and illogical faith in motherhood cause her to repeatedly make poor decisions. These poor decisions become evident causal factors for her demise. Yet, when her upbringing is taken into account and when other characters also show to be limited, the setting is brought into question as a key factor in her oppression.
There are also several operating forces at play within the novel that affect Nnu Ego in a way that make it difficult to critique her character. The degrading work force, World War II and the Christian concept of heaven play major roles in exacerbating her subjugation. These forces along with motherhood and the mentioned contradictions open
a window into Emecheta's intentions in writing such a limited character as Nnu Ego. Her second and somewhat autobiographical novel. Second Class Citizen is considered, and the main character Adah is juxtaposed with Nnu Ego, a new platform to evaluate the character and Emecheta's purpose emerges. It becomes evident that Buchi Emecheta is purposely writing Nnu Ego as a limited character that plays a role in her own oppression while simultaneously relinquishing her blame.
Keywords:-
Nnu Ego in Ebuza: The begging, Contradiction that Limit Nnu Ego ,Operating Forces and issue of Motherhood,Other characters as Limited
Introduction:-
One of Buchi Emecheta's most acclaimed novels is The Joys of Motherhood. Published in 1979, the novel is about a traditional Igbo woman who in 1934 finds herself in colonial Lagos, Nigeria. The main character, Nnu Ego, battles with accepting the new culture, Lagos, without abandoning her native culture. Her Igbo background is a patriarchal one where marriage and having children are the most important goals for a woman. A sense of community is highly valued, and people are seen for what they can add to their compound. On the other hand, the culture of Lagos stresses money and individual success. Having many children in Lagos is not valued as it can cause financial burdens. Communities cease to exist as each person is not valued as part of a whole. Men compete for jobs and families compete for housing. Nnu Ego thus becomes trapped between two separate belief systems. Throughout her journey within these cultures she ultimately fails to cope with the changing environments. Due to her upbringing and the operating forces in Lagos, she proves to be a limited character lacking the tools needed to thrive.
Within this third person narrative, Emecheta portrays Nnu Ego's struggle through journeys within both cultures. Born of an Igbo chief, Agbadi, and his mistress, Ona, Nnu Ego has an unusual childhood. She is never forced or pressured into marriage like other girls in her village. Nonetheless, wanting desperately to be a mother, Nnu Ego fails at her first marriage with Amatokwu. After not becoming pregnant right away, she makes unwise decisions to breastfeed and to contemplate stealing his second wife's baby. She is thus returned to Agbadi, who then returns the bride price to Amatokwu.
Next, Nnu Ego travels to Lagos with hopes of succeeding with her second husband Nnaife. However, upon arrival Nnu Ego is disheartened with Nniafe and with what Lagos has to offer. Her struggle begins as she has many children and makes decisions that mold her life in the new modern world.
While in Lagos, she acquires a junior wife, Adaku, and fails at creating a bond with her. She makes poor decisions in regard to community, family, economics and most importantly, motherhood. These decisions ultimately send her down a road of loneliness and defeat. At the end of the novel and after approximately twenty years in Lagos Ego dies alone in a ditch. She does not reap the benefits from motherhood that she has for over the years. Her poor decisions show to be a symptom of her displacement rather than mere personality traits.
There are many reasons Nnu Ego is denied her traditional rights as a mother while she is still alive. Critics disagree on the level of responsibility for which Nnu Ego should be held accountable and on the reasons Emecheta would write a limited character who repeatedly makes poor decisions. Critics, such as Laura Dubek, argue that Nnu Ego is. simply a victim of patriarchal oppression. Dubek highlights the negative aspects of both Nnu Ego's Igbo background and the culture of capitalist Lagos. Salome Nnomorele, on the other hand, suggests that Nnu Ego is not an object of patriarchy, but plays a role in her own oppression. Yet another critic, Cynthia Ward, sees Nnu Ego as a character full of contradictory perspectives and thus doomed to fail. Therefore, Nnu Ego is triumphant or tragic depending on how one chooses to read the novel. She also is quite possibly meant to be a character full of flaws and limitations. Emecheta has reasons for creating such a woman and uses Nnu Ego's limited nature to prove a point.
Theodora Akachi Ezeigbo highlights a negative aspect of this method of characterdevelopment. Yes, Emecheta presents a character who fails to benefit from both her traditional culture and a more liberal modern society in which she finds herself. Ezeigbo suggests that in doing this Emecheta fails to portray the benefits of Nnu Ego's traditional society.
Emecheta is a committed writer who holds very strong views concerning the evils of patriarchal institutions and conventions that hold women down in Igbo society. Her justified attack on these evils can be veryuncompromising, leading her to neglect to use her power as a creative artist also to highlight the positive aspects of tradition, the strengths,resilience and triumphs of women in traditional society as Nwapa. (160) In The Joys of Motherhood Emecheta chooses not to highlight positive aspects in both cultures. She is just as uncompromising when it comes to Lagos as she is to Nnu Ego's Igbo life.
Because Nnu Ego fails in both her Igbo village and in Lagos, Emecheta implies that there is more than social and political oppression at play. It then bec that Nnu Ego's decisions play a major role in her life's outcome. In turn, ha 10/62 cannot be overlooked as a determinant of her oppression. Obviously, this double sword is planted on purpose. It is Emecheta's choice to write such a character that needs to be examined along with how Nnu Ego arrives at a place where she is incapable of making wise decisions. It must be kept in mind that the decisions are made from the viewpoint of a limited character: a character lacking the tools to overcome her circumstances.
In contemplating the reasons behind Nnu Ego's limited character, it is helpful to consider other factors outside of the novel itself. Buchi Emecheta's second novel SecondClass Citizen, 1974, portrays a character almost the complete opposite of Nnu Ego, a character who overcomes various forces of oppression. Because the main character, Adah, is said to be based on Emecheta herself, the novel offers a window into how Emecheta views such issues as patriarchy, capitalism, and her native Igbo tradition. This along with other operating oppressive factors, illustrated in The Joys of Motherhood, will be examined to shed more light on exactly why and how Nnu Ego failed at life.
The first operating factor is Nnu Ego's second husband Nnaife and how a lack of an Igbo identity affects their marriage. The next factor is World War II and how it exacerbates Nnu Ego's and Nnaife's lack of education. Another factor is Christianity and the ways it fills Nau Ego with false hope and complacency. Additionally, her chi or African life force, believed to be that of a slave woman, is an operating force that shapes her life negatively and is a bad influence on her decisions. The final force operating is the devastation of failed motherhood and how it robs Nnu Ego of the life she desired.
About Buchi Emecheta :-
Buchi Emecheta was a Nigerian-born writer who wrote many famous novels about women’s life, struggles and identity.
She was born in 1944 and later moved to London, where she faced many challenges as a black single mother. Her books mostly talk about African women who fight against culture, tradition, and poverty.
Her most popular novels include :
The Joys of Motherhood
Second-Class Citizen
The Bride Price
Emecheta’s writing is powerful because she shows both the pain and strength of women. She also talks about how colonialism and patriarchy affect African society. She died in 2017 but her works are still respected around the world.
Characters in the Novel:
Nnu Ego: The protagonist, a traditional Igbo woman whose identity is shaped by her role as a mother. Her entire life is defined by sacrifice, but she ultimately finds no joy in the motherhood she so values.
Nnaife Owulum: Nnu Ego’s husband, who works for a British family. He is lazy, irresponsible, and self-centered, and later takes another wife. He represents both the failures of patriarchy and colonial influence.
Ona: Nnu Ego’s mother, a strong and independent woman who chooses not to marry. She influences Nnu Ego’s beliefs about pride and family honor.
Agbadi: Nnu Ego’s father, a proud and respected chief. His relationship with Ona is complex—loving but patriarchal.
Adaku: Nnaife’s second wife, who later chooses financial independence over traditional expectations. She serves as a foil to Nnu Ego.
Oshia: Nnu Ego’s first surviving son. He receives an education and eventually leaves for the U.S., showing little concern for his mother’s suffering.
Ngozi, Adim, and other children: Nnu Ego’s other children, who represent her dreams, burdens, and eventual disillusionment.
Overview of the Novel :-
The Joys of Motherhood is a powerful novel by Buchi Emecheta, set in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria. It tells the story of Nnu Ego, a traditional Igbo woman whose identity and worth are tied to her ability to bear children. Believing motherhood to be the highest form of fulfillment, Nnu Ego dedicates her life to her children. However, her experience is marked by poverty, sacrifice, and emotional isolation.
The Joys of Motherhood follows the life of Nnu Ego, a woman from a traditional Igbo background in Nigeria. The novel opens with her attempted suicide in Lagos, which triggers a reflection on her life.
Nnu Ego is the daughter of a respected chief, Nwokocha Agbadi, and Ona, a strong-willed woman. She is initially married to a man who turns out to be impotent, leading to a failed marriage. Eventually, she is married off to Nnaife Owulum, a man working as a washerman in colonial Lagos.
In Lagos, Nnu Ego believes that bearing children, especially sons, will secure her happiness, respect, and legacy. She has multiple children, yet instead of joy, her life becomes a struggle filled with poverty, emotional neglect, and endless sacrifice.
She endures Nnaife’s indifference, his involvement in polygamy, and the pressures of raising children in an urban environment that offers little support. Her sons, whom she sacrifices everything for, grow up and leave, showing little appreciation for her efforts.
The novel ends tragically: Nnu Ego dies alone, unappreciated by the very children she dedicated her life to. Despite her sacrifices, she receives no true fulfillment from motherhood—only loneliness and sorrow.
Themes in the Novel
1. Motherhood and Sacrifice
The title is deeply ironic. Rather than joy, Nnu Ego’s motherhood brings her suffering, poverty, and disappointment. The novel critiques the romanticized idea that motherhood is a woman’s ultimate purpose and joy.
2. Patriarchy and Gender Roles
Nnu Ego is trapped in a society that values women only for their ability to produce male heirs. Men like Nnaife enjoy more freedom and power, while women bear the brunt of economic and emotional labor.
3. Colonialism and Cultural Change
Set during the colonial and early postcolonial period in Nigeria, the novel shows how Western influence disrupts traditional Igbo values. The clash between rural traditions and urban life is a major source of conflict and identity crisis.
4. Disillusionment and Isolation
Despite all her efforts, Nnu Ego ends up alone, suggesting that loyalty and hard work do not guarantee reward or respect—especially for women. Her emotional isolation grows with time, showing the failure of the roles she’s been forced to fulfill.
5. Female Agency and Resistance
Characters like Adaku challenge traditional roles by seeking independence. While Nnu Ego conforms to tradition, Adaku represents a new model of womanhood—economically and socially empowered.
6. Family and Betrayal
The novel explores the painful irony that the very people Nnu Ego sacrifices for—her children—abandon her. This challenges the assumption that family loyalty is natural or guaranteed.
Nnu Ego in Ebuza: The begging :-
The main character, Nnu Ego, is no heroine. She is not the female character that Africans are meant to look up to and mold their lives after. Instead, she is limited in numerous ways causing her to make poor choices throughout the novel. At times, she 11/62 appears to be completely incapable of making wise decisions, particularly when she finds herself in circumstances unheard of in her native culture. Other times she may come across as flawed and stubborn. However, these attributes are merely a symptom of what she is forced to face when both cultures become juxtaposed. To understand Nnu Ego as a weak character, it is crucial to examine her life in an Igbo village before she made her journey to Lagos and how her experiences there rob her of the tools needed to thrive in harsh urban conditions.
Ironically, the years Nnu Ego spends in her tribal home are a catalyst for her troubles in Lagos. From birth, Nou Ego is given opportunities and choices that most Igbo women do not have. Born of Ona, a woman never allowed or wanting to marry, Nnu Ego could not have been more unlike her mother. Nnoromele illustrates Ona's unique womanhood when she writes,
Ona's idea of womanhood ran counter to the general notion that African women equate womanhood or selfhood with motherhood. [...] Ona wants Nau Ego to be the master of her own fate, the subject of her actions rather than the object of other people's actions and decisions. (182)
At a time when women lived to serve their husbands and dreamed of being a senior wife. Ona exhibited individuality like that of a man picking his bride. Unfortunately, she died giving birth to Nnu Ego and never passed on those beliefs. However, she did leave
wishes behind Agbadi to "see that however much you love our daughter Nnu Ego you allow her to have a life of her own, a husband if she wants one. Allow her to be a woman" (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood 28). Agbadi carried out the request.
In weighing the sadness of Nnu Ego's eventual reality, perhaps most disheartening is that she had a chance most women in her society did not. Being the daughter of Ona and the apple of Agbadi's eye, she was given the choice of marrying or living a life similar to her mother's. Not many fathers in Ibuza would tell their daue "Don't worry, daughter. If you find life unbearable.
In weighing the sadness of Nnu Ego's eventual reality, perhaps most disheartening is that she had a chance most women in her society did not. Being the daughter of Ona and the apple of Agbadi's eye, she was given the choice of marrying or living a life similar to her mother's. Not many fathers in Ibuza would tell their daughters, "Don't worry, daughter. If you find life unbearable, you can always come here to live" (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood 33). This opportunity, however, runs counter to what Nnu Ego so desperately wants. She does not want to be like her moth precisely the problem. Emecheta's portrayal of Ona helps to shape Nnu i view of her mother.
Though Ona is a revered woman in the Igbo community by men, Emecheta attempts to paint Ona's life as miserable having been robbed of the right to marry. Because of her "freedom" to remain unwed, other women in the village view her as wild and choose not to befriend her. In her book Lessons of Solidarity: Buchi Emecheta and Mariama Ba on Female Victimizers, Laura Dubek agrees with Emecheta's portrayal when she writes, "In The Joys of Motherhood Emecheta's portrait of Ona highlights the negative aspects of traditional Igbo culture for women, suggesting that the principle of 'male daughter' denies women independence and personal happiness by alienating them from other women" (207). It is this viewpoint that limits Nnu Ego. Because of her mother's role as a male daughter, Nnu Ego finds it even more important to marry. From the time she was a young girl, Nnu Ego expresses the strong desire to wed and begin
having children. She does not realize the positive aspects that could be associated with being a "male" daughter.
Little does Nnu Ego know that marriage is ultimately what oppresses her. While Dubek and Emecheta suggest that being denied marriage robs a woman of happiness, in Nnu Ego's case marriage never grants her independence, happiness, or the friendship of other women. In contrast, marriage causes Nnu Ego to become further bound to male dominance. Emecheta, through the character of Ona, thus places Nnu Ego in a precarious situation from birth. Nnu Ego is raised believing that without marriage, she will not fit in with her fellow community, as Ona did not fit in. Her mother is presented as a victim and therefore a background to Nnu Ego's oppression while simultaneously presented as an exception to the harsh expectations put upon women. Nnu Ego quickly learns that marriage is a no win situation.
There are two ways to view the concept of chi in this novel. Nau Ego is far from a slave yet she personally relates to one. Some would argue the parallel Emecheta draws between Nnu Ego and a slave illustrates that regardless of class the female subject must deal with oppression. "Chi is a central point in the psychology, thought and belief of the Igbo. People recognize it as being responsible for their wealth and prosperity, life and health, success, failure, and for all their fortunes and misfortunes. In general, the Igbo consider Chi as the sole controller of their life affairs" (Qnukawa 108). It appears in the novel that Nnu Ego does in fact consider her chi to be in control of her life. The belief that Nnu Ego's chi is cursed limits her character even more. Due to this belief, Nnu Ego becomes trapped into thinking she will never escape her plight and at times relinquishes any attempts. ""O my chi, why do you have to bring me so low? Why must I be punished? I am sorry for what my father did and I am sure he is sorry too. But try to forgive us. Many a night she cried tears of frustration and hopelessness" (Emecheta. The Joys of Motherhood 32). This portrayal places her chi as a valid reason for her troubles.
Contradiction that Limit Nnu Ego :
Nnu Ego dwells within a paradox. Just when something appears to be of benefit, such as the opportunity for personal financial gain, the consequences become all too clear. To assimilate would mean losing her sacred placement as the traditional Igbo woman Emecheta portrays. There are several contradictions in culture and beliefs that cage Nnu Ego while she is in Lagos. For example, the differences in polygamy in Ibuza versus Lagos are startling and stifle any benefit Nnu Ego could reap from the tradition. Also, money and the rules of economics take on a new meaning: one that Nnu Ego struggles to understand and master. Within these two realms of contradiction, Nnu Ego makes devastating decisions that hurt her life. While having to make journeys through two varying cultures limits Nnu Ego enough, their contradictions within these limit her even further.
Some would argue that since Nnu Ego makes poor decisions in both cultures the setting becomes less relevant than her character. It could be interpreted that she is given the liberty to pick and choose which values to honor, and she continually chooses the wrong ones. However, it is undeniable that these contradictions place Nnu Ego at a disadvantage and further limit her abilities to cope with her changing environment. This emphasis on character unfairly puts Nnu Ego further under the microscope.
Why would Emecheta choose to include such contradictions in the novel? By her interjecting these contradictory view points, the reader gets the impression that life in Ibuza and Lagos was malleable. It then becomes difficult to discern what is realistic and what is meant to be ironic. Consequently, a character convoluted with twisted perspectives is more difficult to judge. Cynthia Ward sheds more light on this notion.
One constant in both Ibuza and Lagos is the presence of polygamy; women and men favor it. Unluckily, the presence of polygamy in Lagos tends to strip Nnu Ego of its intended benefits. Within the western mentality, polygamy is seen as an oppressive institution. "While polygamy was not a perfect marital agreement," Teresa Derrickson illustrates, "it was well suited to the agrarian lifestyle of the Igbo people and contained several built-in mechanisms that allowed women to better cope with the burdens of that type of lifestyle" (44). Polygamy allowed for a system of checks and balances. Women could form a conglomerate to exercise power over the husband by ensuring equality in workloads and sufficient food supplies. Unfortunately. Nnu Ego does not experience the sense of camaraderie among women that comes with polygamy because she views the other women in Lagos as competition. This view of other women is not necessarily her fault since she was a bastard child who lacked friendships and as a young woman lacked kinship with other women in her tribe.
Emecheta presents a character that disconnects from the very things that lend support and simultaneously attaches to what is oppressing her. Someone with this nature is obviously lost. Nnu Ego is so determined to be a successful wife and mother that anything standing in her way must be destroyed. Emecheta insinuates that just because a woman is raised in Igbo tradition does not mean that she will grasp and be able to use what little tools that background may provide. Here is a character not even capable of accepting help because everyone is viewed as a threat. This limits Nnu Ego by denying her the benefit of a potential friend in her junior wife.
Though polygamy, however varying, is a constant in both cultures, economics is not. The differences in economics between Igbo village life and life in Lagos pose many confusions for Nnu Ego. Traditionally. Igbo women make their money through farming and selling their product in the open market. This method is easy for Igbo women because the land is abundant and the community is supportive. In Lagos, women are forced to become more independent entrepreneurs who lack the support of their community and are faced with selling products they know nothing about, such as cigarettes and paraffin.
In this arena, Nnu Ego makes many poor decisions. Even though she is new to the concepts of finance and making money, Nnu Ego's failure cannot be strictly attributed to her new setting. Her problem is that she shapes her idea of money on circumstantial events. One example relates to her first born son, Ngozi. After realizing the harsh life of poverty that she and Nnaife are headed for, she begins a life of petty trading in the city
market. When she becomes pregnant and even once Ngozi is born, she continues to make her way down to the market to trade. When Ngozi is a few months old, Nnu Ego finds him "stone dead" on his mat. (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood 55). She blames herself for his death thinking her pursuit of money is what killed him. Basing her view of money on this one incident, Nau Ego continues, throughout the novel, to see money as an enemy of motherhood.
With motherhood being her largest goal in life, money takes the backseat to everything else. "She had reminded herself of the old saying that money and children don't go together: if you spend all your time making money and getting rich, the gods wouldn't give you any children; if you wanted children, you had to forget money and be content to be poor" (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood 80). It is these kinds of generalizations that keep Nnu Ego in a life of poverty. She believes motherhood is her only ticket out of misery.
Operating Forces and issue of Motherhood:-
While Nnu Ego makes many bad choices, many forces operate around her that determine her fate. One force is the type of work that Nnaife, her second husband, finds he must do: washing the clothes of a white family. Another force is the Second World War and how it distances her from Nnaife and causes her oldest son, Oshia, to resent her. The last force is Christianity and the ways in which it causes Nnu Ego to become complacent through false hope. In addition to these, Nnu Ego’s unwavering commitment to motherhood poses many problems. As her social environment stifles her, she becomes further fixated on her desire to become a mother and this shows to haunt her throughout her life.
The transfer from a tribal model to a capitalist system is another cause of the character’s collapse. Unfortunately for Nnu Ego, this means a double injustice. Not only does she deal with the patriarchal oppressive nature of her Igbo tradition but once in Lagos she must also cope with the problems that stem from the capitalist environment.
The first trouble she encounters is in regard to her husband’s form of work. The lack of physical labor has left him out of shape and disconnected from the quintessential Igbo man. Nnu Ego was just falling asleep when in walked a man with a belly like a pregnant cow. His hair, unlike that of men at home in Ibuza, was not closely shaved; he left a lot of it on his head, like that of a woman. His skin was pale, the skin of someone who had for along time worked in the shade and not in the open air. If her husband-to-be was like this, she thought, she would go back to her father. (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood)
This immediately makes Nnu Ego reluctant to love Nnaife or trust him. She is repulsed by the knowledge of his job and does not consider him to be a real man. In reality, Nnaife does what is expected of him in order to support his new bride, and in Lagos jobs like his are coveted.
This rift between the couple greatly breaks down any solidarity the two could have had. Nnu Ego carries with her the belief that Nnaife is not good enough and she never grows to truly respect him. The two never operate as a team. While Nnaife’s perspective changes, Nnu Ego’s does not. The two become isolated as their fate is out of their control. In the capitalist society a person works to provide a service or to sell someone’s product. Rather than gaining concrete benefits as in farming, Nnaife has nothing to show for his work and at any time could lose his job. It is only natural that Nnu Ego should be turned off by him. However, she fails to realize the dangers this poses for her family.
A second detrimental force is the Second World War. It enters into Nnu Ego’s life in a way that is unforgiving and difficult for her to understand. After losing his job working for the white man, Nnaife begins to get closer to his Igbo roots doing physical work on the railroad; his body becoming toned, there appears to be a glimmer of hope that love will occur between the two. This temporary good time is cut short when Nnaife is kidnapped and forced to participate as a soldier in the Second World War supporting the British. This circumstance affects Nnu Ego for years to come.
‘Why did you not win a scholarship like other boys?’ Nnu Ego demanded.
‘Only a few people win scholarships, and they have to be very clever.’
‘Then why aren’t you clever?’ retorted Nnaife. ‘Maybe if I had a peaceful
childhood, and not had to spend my young days selling paraffin and
carrying firewood--’. [. . .] Nnaife laughed and said, ‘You answer your
father back, eh, son? Well, maybe if your mother was not so keen on
getting money, maybe you would have won a scholarship. I had to go and
fight. I did not choose to go.’ (Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood 185)
In actuality, Nnu Ego spends almost all her money on Oshia’s education. Sometimes she even does so privately and lets others believe that it was Nnaife’s money to save his pride. It is because of the war that the Owulum family struggles and Oshia is made to work. Nnaife’s absence and his discrediting Nnu Ego leads to Oshia’s decision to not support his mother in her old age.
First, it is important to assess the meaning of motherhood to an Igbo woman. Nnu Ego believes that a woman’s glory is in direct correlation to how she contributes to her husband’s name. She believes that a woman who is fertile is seen as a commodity because she is a means for her husband to express his virility and role in the community. For her, all a woman stands to gain from motherhood is the comfort of knowing she will be cared for by her children and community in her old age. Nnu Ego also succumbs to a belief that only sons are assets to the Igbo society. The author Ogbaa, however, describes a different perspective when he writes:
Because Nnu Ego so readily accepts a belief different from Ogbaa’s description, she loses
all self-identity outside of what she accepts to be her role as a woman. As will be seen, Nnu Ego never assumes the role of midwife or pediatrician. She never dares to dream of those standards for herself. Instead, she becomes complacent within a stifling self image. In this way, motherhood becomes her prison. Emecheta’s portrayal of motherhood is one that doesn’t provide prestige or comfort but rather one that continues to rob Nnu Ego of tools to cope with her new colonial surroundings.
Othore characters as a Limited:-
Nnu Ego is not alone in her limited ability to cope with the ever changing environment. While she may be the character with the fewest tools, others share similar plights and also suffer. Besides Nnu Ego, two other main characters emerge in the novel:
Nnaife and Adaku, the second wife. While Nnaife is at times portrayed as a bully and male chauvinist, he too is faced with challenges he is not able to deal with. Adaku, on the other hand, is perhaps the one character that makes it out of the vicious cycle. However, she does not bask in her redemption as her freedom comes at the price of prostitution. It is her daughters that will reap the benefits. It is important to highlight that the main male character, the man supposedly in charge of Nnu Ego and her life, is himself limited and plagued. Here is an Igbo man who
left his tribal home in hopes of making a better life in the city. When he takes a job as a washer and housekeeper for the Meers, a wealthy white family, he becomes undermined
and ridiculed by traditional standards. Immanuel Wallerstein comments on the general disintegration Nnaife and others experience due to displacement.
Thus, the sentiment of communal solidarity of the village, under the pressure of the colonial situation, led to the exporting of its men [and women] into a new and often alien world, a process which in its turn would usually lead to a breakdown of this very sentiment of communal solidarity, and they began to want the things money could buy: material comforts, contacts with a wider world, modern education, and improved transport and communication. Each of these was to play a major role in changing the perspectives of the African. (34)
While it is obvious that in order to survive, within the setting of this book, one must abandon all tradition and assimilate to the colonial system, Nnaife seems to acquire all the negative aspects of what he believes is his new freedom. He begins to want those material things that don’t serve to help him or his family. An Igbo man in the village life i would never dream of spending money on such things as toys and alcohol. However, for Nnaife there are many instances where he spends a whole paycheck on palm wine. His drinking progressively gets worse and is indicative of his effort to escape. Additionally, his addiction to alcohol becomes symbolic of how capitalism corrupts the traditional Igbo man.
World War II also places Nnaife at an extreme disadvantage to be any kind of support for Nnu Ego and his children. Even though his job as a soldier over time provides some money for his family, it is never adequate and does not replace his absence. As in any society, a father being away will have adverse effects on a family. Even thoughNnaife is forced to fight in the war, he is close to joining on his own accord. Again,
money is the driving force for him because he is too naïve to perceive the dangers of war. Nnaife’s acceptance of the war highlights his naiveté and the hypocrisy the war thrust upon African soldiers. It goes against Igbo morals to serve the British Army, yet Nnaife willingly supports the capitalist system that oppresses Igbo men like himself.
Throughout much of the second half of the novel, Nnaife is limited as he becomes a character operating from a distance. Sadly, his presence doesn’t offer much help for Nnu Ego either. His being in the war is a double-edged sword. While in some aspects, the household is more at peace without his drinking fits, there lacks the sounding board for the family when he is gone. Nnu Ego and Adaku have no one to intervene in their fights, there is no regular pay coming in, and the children are without a father figure.
Nnaife, like Nnu Ego, is displaced. What sets the two apart is that Nnaife does not seem to be aware of his dire situation. He is the epitome of what capitalist and colonial societies depend on men being in order for their systems to run smoothly. He adheres to the rules by never wanting more than what he is given, he puts his money right back into their economy, and he fights in their war. The worst part, and what makes him flawed as a character, is that he does this without the smallest complaint.
When Adaku enters the novel as Nnaife’s second wife, a new platform on which to examine Nnu Ego emerges. The two women’s personalities exist on opposite poles. Though they are submerged in the same environment, the ways in which they handle it differ greatly. Adaku appears to be the image of strength and change, but while she accomplishes many feats, she too is very restricted in her outcome.
Another visible discrepancy in Adaku and Nnu Ego’s characters is the way in which they handle Nnaife’s absences while he is away at war. Nnaife being absent allows both women an opportunity to express their individuality without the presence of a man.
During this period, Adaku uses the small amount of money she makes through trading and any dividends from Nnaife to invest in a booth for herself at the market. Adaku sees that by investing in a booth, she will eventually gain more financial independence. In contrast, Nnu Ego still remains bound to the struggle of obeying her rural tradition within the urban setting. Rather than investing in herself and ultimately her children, she continues to engage in petty trading of firewood. She feels to get a booth would mean neglecting her children. Nnu Ego cannot see herself as a separate entity from them. Even more so, she chooses this view of herself because it further divides her from Adaku. While Adaku is the entrepreneur, Nnu Ego is the nurturing mother.
Also during Nnaife’s absence, Nnu Ego decides to go home to her Igbo village. She leaves Adaku in Lagos along with Adaku’s daughters. Back home, Nnu Ego enjoys the attention she gets from other women. She is revered as a mother of several sons. Because of this, she overstays her welcome. She is reprimanded by the elder women for allowing her junior wife to head the household and get ahead in Lagos without her.
Conclusion:-
In The Joys of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta crafts a powerful and complex portrayal of Nnu Ego, whose life becomes a symbol of the struggles faced by women trapped in traditional expectations and colonial realities. Nnu Ego’s character reflects both strength and limitation; she is a product of her environment, shaped by the patriarchal values of her Igbo culture and the pressures of urban colonial life. While she makes choices that lead to her suffering, those choices are deeply influenced by societal norms that measure a woman’s worth through motherhood alone.
Emecheta does not present Nnu Ego as a flawless victim, but as a woman whose internalized beliefs and misplaced hopes contribute to her downfall. The contradictions in her character and the forces acting against her poverty, polygamy, colonization, gender expectations, and economic hardship—limit her capacity to achieve personal fulfillment. Through this nuanced depiction, Emecheta questions the glorification of motherhood and challenges readers to reconsider the roles assigned to women in both traditional and modern societies.
Ultimately, Nnu Ego's tragedy lies not just in her individual story, but in the larger system that defines and confines her identity. Emecheta, through this powerful narrative, urges us to interrogate those systems and give voice to the women who live within them—often unseen and uncelebrated.
References :-
Blay, Richmond. “Unpacking the Image of the Female Character: The Joys of Motherhood in Perspective.” Randwick International of Social Science Journal, Randwick International Research and Analysis Institute, 23 Nov. 2024, www.academia.edu/89099728/Unpacking_the_Image_of_the_Female_Character_The_Joys_of_Motherhood_in_Perspective. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Buchi Emecheta". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Jan. 2025,https://www.britannica.com/biography/Buchi-Emecheta. Accessed 21 April 2025.
Yu, Hope. (2010). Women Coming to Voice in Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood and Espina-Moore's Mila's Mother. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 38. 274-289. 10.2307/41762433.
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