Table of contents
- Personal Information
- Assignment Details
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Traditional Expectations of Motherhood in Nigerian Society
- The Harsh Reality of Nnu Ego’s Motherhood
- Colonial and Patriarchal Oppression: The Double Burden on Nigerian Women
- Clash of Cultures and the Role of Urbanization
- Alternative Female Perspectives and Resistance
- Conclusion
- References
Personal Information
Name - Bhumiba Gohil
Batch - M.A. Sem 4 (2023-2025)
Enrollment Number - 5108230016
Email Address - bhumibagohil333@gmail.com
Roll Number - 4
Assignment Details
Topic - Between Sacrifice and Silence: Postcolonial Feminism in ‘The Joys of Motherhood’
Paper - The African Literature
Paper Number - 206
Subject Code - 22413
Submitted to - Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.
Date of Submission - 17 April 2025
Abstract
This paper explores the deep irony embedded in the title of Buchi Emecheta’s novel ‘The Joys of Motherhood’, which contrasts sharply with the lived experiences of the protagonist, Nnu Ego. While the title suggests happiness, fulfillment, and societal reverence, the narrative reveals a bleak reality filled with suffering, sacrifice, and emotional abandonment. Drawing on postcolonial feminist theory and cultural criticism, this paper analyzes how Emecheta critiques the traditional and colonial constructions of womanhood and motherhood in Nigerian society. Through scholarly references and close textual analysis, the study reveals how the protagonist’s life underscores the hollowness of societal expectations, ultimately presenting motherhood as a burden rather than a joy.
Keywords
Buchi Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood, Irony, Postcolonial feminism, Nigerian women, Motherhood, Patriarchy, Colonialism, Cultural conflict.
Introduction
Buchi Emecheta’s ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ is a profound literary work that subverts conventional ideals associated with motherhood, particularly within the Nigerian Igbo cultural context. The irony in the title itself is both striking and intentional. While “joy” implies fulfillment, pride, and emotional gratification, Emecheta’s protagonist, Nnu Ego, experiences motherhood as a harrowing journey marked by suffering, isolation, and disillusionment. In a society where a woman’s worth is often measured by her ability to bear children, especially sons, the novel interrogates whether motherhood truly brings empowerment or reinforces systemic oppression.
The novel, set in colonial Nigeria, provides a fertile ground for exploring the intersection of tradition, gender, and colonialism. It chronicles Nnu Ego’s transformation from a hopeful, dutiful woman to a worn, emotionally bankrupt mother who dies alone, in sharp contrast to the cultural promise of joy and social reverence. This work aligns with Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s postcolonial feminist framework, emphasizing the need to understand Third World women’s experiences through their socio-political contexts rather than romanticized ideals. This paper argues that ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ is an ironic title that masks the painful realities of patriarchal oppression, colonial disruption, and cultural expectations imposed on Nigerian women. Drawing on scholarly analysis and literary critique, this paper unveils how Emecheta uses irony to expose the contradictions and failures of motherhood as an idealized institution.
Traditional Expectations of Motherhood in Nigerian Society
In traditional Igbo society, motherhood is not merely a biological function. It is the ultimate measure of a woman’s worth. A woman who bears many children, especially sons, is seen as successful, honorable, and spiritually fulfilled. In ‘The Joys of Motherhood’, this cultural construct is evident from the outset. Nnu Ego is raised to believe that her destiny is to become a mother and earn respect through her children, especially male heirs. The society teaches her that bearing children will bring not only social validation but also emotional satisfaction and economic security in old age. As noted by Helaly, the protagonist’s dream of motherhood is shaped by the Ibo tradition where “a child is part of a woman’s identity, the only symbol of hope, success and self-fulfillment for women”. Nnu Ego internalizes this ideal and sees her ability to mother children as the only path to becoming a “complete woman.” This idea is so deeply ingrained that her first marriage ends in shame due to infertility — a condition that society attributes solely to the woman, regardless of any medical understanding. (Helaly)
Even within her family, the weight of this expectation is severe. Ona, Nnu Ego’s mother, is described as proud and assertive, yet her worth is still tied to reproduction. Her death during childbirth serves as a grim foreshadowing of the dangers and burdens that accompany womanhood in this context . Thus, motherhood is not simply a role, it is a deeply institutionalized expectation linked with status, identity, and survival.
Traditional Igbo society is also strongly patriarchal and polygamous, further compounding the pressure on women to produce children, specifically sons. A woman who fails to conceive is considered a failure and may be replaced or returned to her family. In Nnu Ego’s case, her first husband, Amatokwu, dismisses her as “as barren as a desert” after she fails to become pregnant, demonstrating the brutal consequences of not meeting this cultural standard.
Even after Nnu Ego becomes a mother, her position remains precarious. Sons are seen as assets, while daughters are often viewed through the lens of their future bride price. As Umeh points out, Emecheta highlights how “daughters are valuable only in terms of the bride price they may eventually command,” a reality that strips women of intrinsic worth and reinforces a cycle of commodification . This patriarchal logic justifies not only polygamy but also domestic violence, with husbands exerting control over their wives’ bodies and labor under the guise of tradition. (Umeh)
Despite the hardship, women are often complicit in upholding these norms, believing them to be their only avenue to respect and survival. Nnu Ego’s entire identity becomes tied to her children, especially her sons, reflecting the deep-seated belief that motherhood is a woman’s ultimate destiny.
The Harsh Reality of Nnu Ego’s Motherhood
Contrary to the joyful vision promised by cultural ideals, Nnu Ego’s experience of motherhood is defined by relentless hardship. After giving birth to children in Lagos, she does not find peace or respect instead, she becomes trapped in a cycle of financial struggle and emotional neglect. She works tirelessly as a street-side peddler to feed her children, since her husband, Nnaife, earns very little and is frequently absent due to labor demands from colonial employers. (Helaly)
Rather than feeling empowered or valued, Nnu Ego’s life becomes a long litany of sacrifices. Her love for her children does not shield her from poverty, hunger, or loneliness. As noted by Kapgate, she is “caught in the web of childbirth and complicated situation,” with her life reduced to mere survival . Her dreams of comfort in old age, once her sons are grown and successful are tragically unfulfilled. (Kapgate)
Even in the moments when she fulfills her role perfectly as a mother, the rewards are absent. The children she raises abandon her emotionally, and she dies alone, with “no child to hold her hand and no friend to talk to her” (Emecheta). This lonely death is perhaps the novel’s most powerful expression of irony, fully subverting the idealistic notion of motherhood as joyful and rewarding.
Nnu Ego’s inner thoughts reveal her growing awareness of the contradictions she faces. In a powerful moment of introspection, she asks: “God, when will you create a woman who will be fulfilled in herself, a full human being, not anybody’s appendage?” (Emecheta).
This monologue encapsulates the emotional disillusionment at the heart of the novel. Nnu Ego realizes that her entire existence has been defined by roles imposed on her — as daughter, wife, and mother — none of which have brought her peace or recognition. Her children, particularly her sons, reject her sacrifices and pursue their own ambitions, embracing a Westernized identity that no longer respects traditional maternal obligations. According to Umeh, Emecheta’s novel “witnesses the collapse of glorifying images of the African mother,” replacing idealism with a raw, unfiltered portrayal of a mother’s emotional and physical exhaustion . The joy that should come from being needed, loved, and appreciated is replaced by resentment, abandonment, and despair. (Umeh)
Thus, the irony in the title is not simply rhetorical, it is structural. It forms the very foundation of the narrative’s critique of motherhood as a social construct. Nnu Ego’s life proves that in a society where women’s identities are reduced to their reproductive role, true joy is not only elusive but it may be entirely impossible.
Colonial and Patriarchal Oppression: The Double Burden on Nigerian Women
In ‘The Joys of Motherhood’, Emecheta doesn’t merely critique indigenous patriarchy, she reveals how colonialism deepened the oppression of women. Nnu Ego’s struggles are not just the result of cultural traditions but also of economic and social changes brought by British imperialism. The introduction of wage labor, urban migration, and Christian norms all destabilise traditional family structures, placing an even greater burden on women. As Barfi et al. explain, the novel illustrates how “colonial policies and capitalist structures intensify women’s subjugation,” creating a scenario where women like Nnu Ego are doubly colonised, first by the traditional male-dominated order, and then by the demands of colonial modernity. Nnu Ego’s husband, Nnaife, becomes a symbol of this shift. Humiliated and powerless in the colonial workplace, he asserts control at home, beating Nnu Ego and demanding obedience. The oppression he faces as a colonized subject is redirected toward his wife, a pattern Emecheta portrays as tragically common. (Barfi)
This dynamic echoes what Spivak and Mohanty refer to as “double colonization,” where women are victims of both colonial rule and native patriarchy. In Lagos, Nnu Ego is reduced to an economic unit, forced to trade and toil to keep the family afloat, while her husband oscillates between absent servitude and domineering behavior.
Emecheta also highlights how colonial institutions, such as the church and the legal system, strip women of agency and cultural grounding. Nnu Ego’s marriage is not recognized unless it is formalized in a Christian church, which causes fear and instability. When she appears in court, she is forced to swear on a Bible — a sacred object foreign to her traditional beliefs . These moments show how colonial structures erode indigenous identities and impose new standards that marginalize women further. (Barfi)
The city of Lagos, under colonial influence, becomes a place where traditional values offer no security. The role of women is redefined, not in terms of honor or fertility, but as low-wage laborers and caretakers in overcrowded, impoverished neighborhoods. As Helaly argues, Nnu Ego is forced to “adapt to a system that works against the success of her role as a mother,” ultimately making her more vulnerable rather than empowered. This contrast between the traditional promises of motherhood and the harsh colonial reality of Lagos underscores the novel’s central irony: instead of bringing power or joy, motherhood in this context brings exploitation and erasure. Emecheta’s critique is thus not only gendered but also deeply political, calling attention to how colonialism fractures women’s lives across every level, social, economic, cultural, and spiritual. (Helaly)
Clash of Cultures and the Role of Urbanization
Nnu Ego’s journey from her rural hometown of Ibuza to the bustling colonial city of Lagos is not just a change in setting. It is a symbolic crossing from one world to another. The traditional values she grew up with do not translate well in the urban, colonial space. In Ibuza, though patriarchal, there is at least a communal sense of structure, shared duties, and familiarity. In Lagos, however, Nnu Ego is isolated, unsupported, and forced to survive on her own. The city becomes a space of alienation, not empowerment. As Helaly observes, “the hardships that Nnu Ego experiences are the result of the clash between the Ibo traditions and the colonized Lagos”. Her expectations of motherhood, shaped by village life, fall apart under the pressures of urban living. There is no farmland, no extended family, and no village support network. The only certainty is the constant demand to earn, feed, and give. (Helaly)
This cultural dislocation highlights the emotional and practical confusion experienced by women like Nnu Ego, who are torn between two systems, neither of which offers genuine support. She is still judged by rural expectations (to be the perfect mother and wife), but she is expected to function within an urban colonial system that offers no resources to meet those expectations.
Emecheta paints a complex picture of how colonial modernity erodes traditional norms, not necessarily by replacing them with something better, but by creating a hybrid system that benefits no one. Nnu Ego’s children, particularly her sons, grow up within this hybrid world. They are educated in Western ways and become ashamed of their mother’s poverty and “backward” behavior. This generational shift is one of the novel’s most heartbreaking ironies. The children Nnu Ego sacrifices everything for eventually abandon her. They are shaped by a new value system that no longer honors motherhood as their mother knew it. As Umeh notes, ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ “constructs a wholly different set of economic, socio-political and cultural imperatives” that expose the hollowness of traditional ideals in a rapidly changing society. (Umeh)
Urbanization, then, not only removes Nnu Ego from her cultural roots but also from her sense of purpose. The more she gives, the more irrelevant she becomes in the eyes of her children and the society they now occupy. Emecheta shows how modernization without social reform can be devastating, especially for women who are still expected to uphold obsolete roles in a world that no longer values them.
Alternative Female Perspectives and Resistance
While Nnu Ego represents the traditional model of motherhood, Buchi Emecheta introduces other female characters who challenge the status quo. Chief among them is Adaku, Nnaife’s second wife. Unlike Nnu Ego, Adaku refuses to accept that her value lies only in her reproductive role or her obedience to a man. When Adaku realizes that her daughters will not receive the same educational opportunities as Nnu Ego’s sons, she boldly leaves Nnaife’s house and chooses a life of independence. She becomes a successful trader, financially self-reliant, and openly rejects the ideology that a woman’s honor is tied to her husband or number of sons. As Umeh notes, characters like Adaku “evoke radical feminist ideologies in their quests for abundant life” and present a viable alternative to the suffering endured by traditional mothers like Nnu Ego. (Umeh)
Emecheta’s portrayal of Adaku is not just sympathetic but empowering. Through her, the novel proposes that it is possible to resist societal expectations and forge a different identity. Adaku’s choice reflects a quiet rebellion against both patriarchy and colonial pressure, and in contrast to Nnu Ego, she gains agency and dignity.
Beyond external acts of rebellion, ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ also features powerful moments of internal resistance. Nnu Ego herself undergoes a gradual psychological awakening. Though she never breaks free like Adaku, she begins to question the logic of a life that offers nothing in return. Her introspective cry: “When will you create a woman who will be fulfilled in herself, a full human being, not anybody’s appendage?” is a bold feminist declaration embedded within a character who otherwise conforms. This moment, and others like it, reveal Emecheta’s unique narrative strategy: she critiques the system not only by showing overt resistance, but also by giving voice to doubt, pain, and disappointment. Nnu Ego does not write a manifesto or lead a protest, but her disillusionment becomes a form of resistance against the very ideals she once accepted without question.
As Barfi et al. argue, the novel is not just about suffering — it is about “Third World women rewriting their history and producing knowledge about themselves”. Through introspection and emotional depth, Emecheta allows her characters to reclaim their narratives, and in doing so, she carves out space for feminist critique within African literature. (Barfi)
Conclusion
Buchi Emecheta’s ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ is a masterclass in literary irony. The title, with its promise of fulfillment, status, and maternal joy, is deliberately deceptive. What unfolds instead is a poignant and painful story of a woman who gives everything to her family and dies with nothing, not even companionship. Through Nnu Ego’s life, Emecheta dismantles the idealized notion of motherhood in both traditional and colonial Nigerian society, revealing it as a site of systemic exploitation, not exaltation. The irony in the title is not subtle — it is the central device through which the novel delivers its feminist critique. Nnu Ego is not joyous; she is exhausted, unrecognized, and discarded. Her sons, the supposed reward for her sacrifices, grow distant. Her husband, a product of colonial emasculation, becomes abusive and controlling. The traditional values she clings to fail her, and the colonial structures offer no safety net. Her motherhood becomes a burden, not a blessing.
Yet within this bleak narrative, Emecheta offers glimmers of resistance — in characters like Adaku, in moments of introspection, and in the author’s own act of writing women back into history. She shows that while motherhood, as constructed by society, may be a trap, women still possess the power to question, to leave, and to speak. ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ asks readers to interrogate the roles women are expected to play and the price they pay for conformity. It is not a rejection of motherhood itself, but a fierce indictment of how societies distort it into a lifelong sentence of sacrifice and silence. The title, then, is not simply ironic but a challenge. A challenge to redefine what joy, motherhood, and womanhood should truly mean.
References
Barfi, Zahra, Hamedreza Kohzadi, and Fatemeh Azizmohammadi. A Study of Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood in the Light of Chandra Talpade Mohanty: A Postcolonial Feminist Theory. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, vol. 4, no. 1, 2015, pp. 26–38. www.european-science.com. Accessed 15 April 2025.
Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood: A Novel. G. Braziller, 1979.
Helaly, Mohamed Fathi. “Cultural Collision and Women Victimization in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, vol. 5, no. 2, 2016, pp. 117–127. 10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.5n.2p.117. Accessed 15 April 2025.
Kapgate, Laxmikant H. “Mother’s Intricacy in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joy of Motherhood.” LangLit: An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal, Special Issue, May 2020, pp. 426–428. www.langlit.org. Accessed 15 April 2025.
Umeh, Marie A. “The Joys of Motherhood: Myth or Reality?” Colby Library Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 39–46. https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/cq/vol18/iss1/5/. Accessed 15 April 2025.
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