The idea that childbirth can test a woman and perhaps lead to self-awareness serves as a major theme for Buchi Emecheta's Nigerian novel The Joys of motherhood, in which a young Ibo woman marries twice, the first marriage highlighting her infertility. In his second marriage, Nnu Ego has surprisingly little difficulty reproducing; however, he faces many challenges in raising his children and maintaining his marriage. The author describes Nigerian life through the eyes of men, women, children and various ethnic groups under British rule in the mid-1900s. It is clear that family life, gender roles and religious beliefs in the novel are similar to those of postcolonial Nigerian culture today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin with, Buchi Emecheta, author of The Joys of Motherhood, was born to Ibuza parents in Lagos, Nigeria in the year 1944. These facts are especially important because the story mainly takes place in Ibuza and Lagos, city which Emecheta is very familiar with. According to the Encyclopedia of World Writers, Emecheta became engaged and married as early as the age of sixteen, and later gave birth to five children (Diamond, "Emecheta, Buchi"). In her time it was very common for women to have multiple children. As for her literary work, Emecheta has published many novels in which she uses fictional characters to experience her struggles as an oppressed and disadvantaged wife, mother, and migrant. In support of this, Diamond states that "Emecheta's courageous approach to writing about the unsaid has set her apart from other African writers", and she "[adds] a voice that speaks to the specific issues of women in developing countries development" (Encyclopedia of World Writers, "Emecheta, Buchi). other words, Emecheta brought herself to write about a society that faced difficulties, including her always true to the life he lived, and they might even teach people in more liberal countries to appreciate the "easy life". Furthermore, The Joys of Motherhood depicts the lifestyle of a fictional character, Nnu Ego, who struggles to find his path in life. He lives a rather easy life in Ibuza, but is still expected to marry young and have many children, as this is a custom for his people. Unfortunately, Nnu Ego fails to reproduce with his own handsome husband, which leads to the disappointment of many. She remarries, this time to an ugly man in a foreign city, and ironically produces nine children, of whom only seven survive. According to CultureGrams Online Edition, “An urban couple often has three to five children, while a rural family may have seven to ten” (Nigeria: Family). Although having many children gives Nnu Ego and her husband Nnaife an honorable reputation, they soon find parenthood both a blessing and a curse. They are a low income family and after Nnaife is forced by the British to fight in the civil war for more than a year, his wife is left to provide for his family when market prices rise and women cannot easily find work . In this novel, Nnu Ego portrays the blood, sweat, and tears that Emecheta and other Nigerian women shed for their children to succeed and have a better life. Emecheta describes well the amount of effort needed to survive in a developing country, especially as poor migrants under foreign rule. First, The Joys of Motherhood describes the importance of marriage and children inNigeria. In many cases, Nigerians have polygamous families. In reference to CultureGrams, a Nigerian man can have up to four wives as long as he has the consent of his wives and as long as he can support each wife equally (Nigeria: Dating and Marriage). Sometimes men also inherit wives and children that a deceased relative leaves behind. For example, in the novel, Nnaife's older brother dies, and as Nnaife is the eldest remaining son, he has the responsibility of welcoming his brother's family through marriage. Although Nnaife has to get Nnu Ego's consent, she doesn't like it when new wife Aduku moves in, taking her son with her; however, Nnu Ego is now an elderly wife and must behave as such (Emecheta, 117-118). Furthermore, children are of great importance to the Nigerian family. In The Joys of Motherhood, sons are highly favored over daughters. According to Countries and their Cultures, “modern Nigeria is a patriarchal society [and] men prevail over women” (Curry, “Nigeria”). Thus, it is normal for women to produce until they have a child, and this explains why Nnu Ego gives birth to nine children, each time hoping for a son. Due to Nigeria's patriarchal society in the novel, males overall have more power and tend to be more devoted to their family as they will always carry the surname. On the other hand, a daughter is not considered completely useless. In the novel and in modern Nigeria, a daughter marries young and her family receives a bride price in return. According to CultureGrams, “the groom is expected to give money, property (such as kola nuts, food, drinks, and clothing) or services to the bride's family as compensation for the loss of their daughter” (Nigeria: Dating and Marriage). In the novel, for example, Adaku suggests that their daughters' bride prices should be used to help pay for the boys' schooling. (Emechetas, 127). Hence, by marrying off their daughters, the bride price helps relieve low-income families from their financial situations. Overall, family life is closely related to that of modern Nigeria. Secondly, gender role in Nigeria is very distinct in families. Men and women have their own responsibilities; however, there is a clear line between the two sexes. According to CultureGrams, men make the most important decisions for the family, while women are important for childbirth and home care (Nigeria: Family). This view holds true in The Joys of Motherhood, as Nnu Ego stays at home to breastfeed the children, prepare meals, and clean. Although women are not expected to bring home a major source of income in the story, Nnu Ego's family is poor, so she has to go to the market every day to trade. When his son is old enough, Nnu Ego even sends him to look at his stall where he exchanges items for money (Emecheta, 103). Furthermore, "in low-income families, boys and girls may work to support the family, often by trading in the market" (Nigeria: Family). So, after all, the roles of children in the novel go hand in hand with the reality of Nigeria. Furthermore, regarding the fact that Nigerian women are seen as important for childbirth and little else, readers may feel sympathy for Nnu Ego once infertility and the death of her children fill her life with pain and uncertainty . Finally, sons are more privileged than daughters. For example, Nnu Ego decides to use his daughter's bride price to pay for his son's education (Emecheta, 127). This shows that Nigeria truly consists of a patriarchal society where males dominate. Additionally, CultureGrams states that “many families don’t send theirs. 2017.