Abstract In this article, the writer studies the book 'The Joys of Motherhood' by BuchiEmecheta and discusses the issues of sexual desire and gender. The writer explains that the book concerns Nigerian maternity and discusses issues relevant to the status and experience of African women.
From the Paper "Buchi Emecheta in her novel of Nigerian maternity titled "The Joys of Motherhood" addresses a number of issues relevant to the status and experience of African women living in traditional male-dominated and patriarchal societies. The central character of the novel is Nnu Ego a woman whose position as the daughter of a great Nigerian tribal chief does not prevent her from becoming the victim of physical abuse at the hands of her first husband and even of abandonment by the male ... "
Tags:BuchiEmecheta, The Joys of Motherhood, gender, sexual desire
Abstract The paper begins with an outline of the life of BuchiEmecheta and a list of the novel's main themes, highlighting the connection between the issues raised by the author and her personal experience of these issues. The novel's plot is summarized and the paper then moves on to look at some of its main themes in more depth. Emecheta's views on marriage and gender in her society are dealt with and the concept of married life in the rural areas is compared with married life in the former capital city of Lagos. The character of Aku-nna?a is analyzed in terms of her needs and desires. The paper concludes with a discussion of the author's main aims in writing the novel and the messages contained within it.
From the Paper "The lives of some authors cannot be seperated form their works. This is the case of Buchi Emecheta. She was born in Nigeria in 1944 of Ibuza background. She married in 1962 and went to London with her husband and the two lived on his student fellowship.While in England, they had five children under extremely difficult circumstances and finally divorced. Emencheta found herself in London, a divorcee, black, single mother of five children, immigrant, on welfare, in public housing, and going to school to get a degree in library science. In The Bride Price Emencheta explores the fundamental issue of marriage, control of one's own life and own destiny, the point of view of many different women, and contradictory positions taken by these same women."
This paper discusses Pecola and Gwendolen, the protagonists in two novels, Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" and BuchiEmecheta's "The Family" (also known as "Gwendolen").
Abstract This paper explains Pecola and Gwendolen, the protagonists in two novels Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" and BuchiEmecheta's "The Family", are characters violated and oppressed in various ways by men and by the society and institutions which uphold the patriarchy. This paper relates that in "The Bluest Eye", Morrison explores the theme of male oppression of females in the contexts of racism, capitalism and a world run by and for white people, especially white people with power and property. The author believed, from the beginning of BuchiEmecheta's novel, the same relationship of oppression and violation is established between the black female protagonist and the males in her life.
From the Paper "The similarities between the violations of Pecola by her father and Gwendolen by her uncle are many, including and especially the fear the girls? experiences, which drives them into a kind of frozen shock. This experience would be bad enough if its effects were confined to the moment of violation, but in fact they affect the rest of the lives of the victims of this most evil violation by a trusted male member of the family.
It must be noted that in both books the violation of the protagonists by males is a part of the results of the socioeconomic violation of blacks by the system which favors the rich, the powerful, and the whites. Pecola's father rapes her, in part; to win for himself at least a memory of the strong self he lost to the world in which he himself is violated. Uncle Johnny is a man similarly weakened by the system, but, just as importantly, Gwendolen is left alone in Jamaica by her parents who would have otherwise been present to protect her, one at least hopes. Her parents had to go to England to seek better paying work to support the family. It is important to remember, then, that the male violation of the protagonists is simple one step in a process of violation which finds blacks at the bottom of the ladder, with black females at the very lowest rung."
Abstract This paper discusses the novel, "The Joys of Motherhood," written by BuchiEmecheta. The paper discusses the central development of the main character, Nnu Ego and how the books shows the role of women within African society, particularly from a perspective of that role being severely limited and oppressive. The paper suggests that Emecheta's novel is one of the most influential books on native African society and their way of life.
From the Paper "A further analysis of Emecheta's novel could be painted in the picture of modernity. Much like Kafka's Metamorphisis, Nnu's character can be seen as an abject symbol of modernity. Much like Gregor Samsa, who spent the majority of his life working like an insect rather than appreciating his family and his life, Nnu lived within the restrictions of her society without making the attempt to break free from her societal restrictions. As a result, both of these characters are symbols and warnings of the results of the modern world. They both were limited by the social constraints placed on them on a societal level and as a result they both became victims of society. Both of them suffered from a complex of modernity they attempted to solve their problems by attempting to work within a broken system, as a result they inevitably hit the walls of being socially and political restricted on many different levels."
This paper is a critical review of BuchiEmecheta's "The Family", a story of an abused Jamaican woman's stranger-in-strange-land experiences in England.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1994, $ 47.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine Buchi Emecheta's "The Family" with a view toward explaining what the author is trying to achieve. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas in the work and how these ideas emerge, and then to discuss what aim lies behind them.
To describe The Family as a coming-of-age story is to limit the scope of a story that includes the loss of innocence and the achievement of a rare self-understanding and self-respect, as well as the transformation of an individual from the status of victim to the self-possessed status of a life conducted in a self-aware manner. Left with her grandmother when her parents emigrate to England from the grinding poverty of Jamaica, Gwendolen (June-June) Brillianton is raped and repeatedly assaulted by an uncle and ridiculed and ostracized when she ... "
Abstract This paper examines the various concepts of motherhood as portrayed in Antigua-born US resident Jamaica Kincaid's novel "The Autobiography of My Mother" and short story "Girl"; Nigeria-born British resident BuchiEmecheta's novel "The Bride Price" and Guadeloupe-born Maryse Conde's novel "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem".
A look at "So Long a Letter" and "Scarlet Song" by Mariama Ba and "The Joys of Motherhood," by BuchiEmecheta to explore the victimization relating to African women's struggle for the identities of mother and woman in society.
Abstract This persuasive paper presents a clear examination of womanhood and motherhood in terms of African women's struggle and a detailed observation, analysis, and definition of victimology as a basis for these struggles. The paper covers detailed comparisons of the main characters in three novels, "So Long a Letter" and "Scarlet Song" by Mariama Ba and "The Joys of Motherhood" by BuchiEmecheta. The paper explores the victimization of these characters by way of societal, traditional, patriarchal, and cultural means. Also, deeply rooted problems with colonization and polygamy are discussed as stepping-stones towards these characters' victimization.
From the Paper "Tradition acts as victimizer to Nnu Ego, in her childlessness. After her first child's death, she is considered a failed woman and failed mother. She cannot escape tradition, nor can she escape her expectations. These two things bind her in such a way that she will never be a complete woman, nor have a joyous motherhood, because her constant failure to gain expectations that are presented by the tradition she imbibes. She only questions her tradition once in the novel, on page 187, where she asks, "Who made the law that we should not hope in our daughters" Until we change all this, it is still a man's world, which women will always help to build.? This statement encompasses Emecheta's belief in the problems with womanhood and motherhood, and establishes a clear hope for change."
Abstract In this article the writer notes that there are several dramatic themes in BuchiEmecheta's novel 'The Bride Price'. The writer points out that while each of them carries important messages to the reader, taken together they create a wonderfully rich human story. Also, the writer discusses that while the setting for this book is in Nigeria, Western Africa, because of the quality of the writing and the presentation of the characters, one could safely say the messages and themes are universal. The writer maintains that this universal literary dynamic is almost always true of well-written stories, and the study of literature reveals that important novelists fully expect readers to gain universal truths and confront universal human issues through the story being told.
Outline:
Themes and Issues
Important characters, messages, symbolism and irony in the plot
Climactic Ending
Comparing The Bride Price with The Lion and the Jewel
From the Paper "But Aku-nna will do something about it, and indeed, she is not along; Chike is also eventually a willing participant in the rebellion against Nigerian customs. He is very gentle and helpful with his sweetheart, even transcending custom by bringing Aku-nna a supply of sanitary napkins (and a booklet that tells how to use them) when she starts her first period; after all, he was raised to believe that while menstruating, a woman is unclean. And in fact because Aku-nna does not want to be married off, she keeps her menstruation a secret."
"But, and this is important to the novel, Aku-nna does not rebel against all customs in her community; when she begins her menarche she in fact still holds on to the fear that crossing a stream with her period runs the risk of being treated as an outcast leper. In this sense Aku-nna is a traditional African woman."
Abstract Discusses the theme of oppression examplified by two fictional characters. Pecola in Toni Morrison's THE BLUEST EYE, and Gwendolen in BuchiEmecheta's THE FAMILY. Analysis of the characters are violated and oppressed on three levels: socioeconomic, raciism, sexism. Rape of both characters. Male oppression of females. Different endings.
From the Paper "Pecola and Gwendolen, the protagonists in two novels, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Buchi Emecheta's The Family (also known as Gwendolen), are characters violated and oppressed in various ways by men and by the society and institutions which uphold the patriarchy. As black females, Gwendolen and Pecola are doubly oppressed--first, as blacks, and second as females. In addition, they suffer the oppression of two cultures, black and white. Morrison and Emecheta focus on poor, black female characters, which means characters who suffer on the three levels of socioeconomics, racism, and sexism.
In The Bluest Eye, Morrison explores the theme of male oppression of females in the contexts of racism, capitalism, and a world run by and for white people, especially white people with power and property. Black people, especially poor black people ..."
