The Joys of Motherhood is a popular title of literature book written by Buchi Emecheta. The ‘Theme of this book could be suitably applied in the modern days, where there is a serious drift/immigration to The West and European countries in the quest for a greener pasture.
The central issue in this book is the clash of cultures Nnu Ego has encountered, when she moved away from her original home, where she was groomed or indoctrinated to give full respect to traditional ethics, to a cosmopolitan town, in which these ethics are not necessarily, acceptable.
Now, if Nnu Ego is placed in American society, most of the issues raised, which were seen as unsatisfactory to her whims and aspirations, would have been turning to her favor.
The American society is not patriarchal, and Nnu Ego would have found total comfort and freedom.
First of all the cultural beliefs that men are always superior to women and therefore, have given them undue respect in all its ramifications, would not have become incumbent.
She will have to work in collaboration with her husband to reach all heights of success. And as such, the bringing up of children should be a collective responsibility where both of them have to make sound contributions.
The issue of second class position or earning respect from the husband and his family, once a woman bears children should not have become a basis for elevation within the husband’s family.
One of the most serious challenges Nnu Ego would face while living in America will be the attempt to maintain her culture, and at the same time adopting to the vast freedom the American cultures offered.
Secondly, the family or traditional ethics deeply rooted in her must also change. Even though, she might be caught struggling between two different cultures, which at the end, one has to prevail.
The last serious challenge would be the Capitalist nature of American society. She might be shocked to realize that, money is now the alpha and omega of life. The issue of the number of children a secondary, and that, Men, like her husband, are not all that superior and can work as houseboys, to earn a living.
The advantages Nnu Ego would have are; freedom, where she will be out of traditional chains of control, self-confidence, While the only disadvantage, as I feel, she would have is the ordeal of trying to adapt to new traditions and ethics.
Now, if I were Nnu Ego’s friend, the first advice to give is to draw her attention to understand that, a woman is not to be enslaved. And she has denounced the notion that: “All the same, like a good woman, she must do what she was told, she must not question her husband in front of his friends” (Emecheta, p. 114).
She should also forget her thought that: “she was a prisoner, imprisoned by her love for her children, and imprisoned in her role as the senior wife”. (Emecheta, p. 137).
Bibliography
Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood. New York: George Braziller, 1979.