The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta

 The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta

In this blog, I’ll be reflecting on the key questions and sharing my views as part of the thinking activity task for the unit "The Joys of Motherhood" by Buchi Emecheta. This novel provides a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of gender, culture, and the roles women are expected to play in traditional African society. Through the experiences of the protagonist, Nnu Ego, Emecheta delves into the complexities women face in fulfilling their roles as mothers and wives, often under societal pressures. In my analysis, I’ll be discussing the various themes and perspectives that arise, and examining how Emecheta critiques these deeply rooted cultural norms.

Question : If Nnu Ego were living in 21st-century urban India or Africa, how would her understanding of motherhood, identity, and success change?

Answer : If Nnu Ego, the protagonist of Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, were living in 21st-century urban India or Africa, her understanding of motherhood, identity, and success would undergo significant transformation, shaped by changing social, economic, and gender realities.

In the novel, Nnu Ego’s identity is almost entirely defined by biological motherhood. Her worth as a woman is measured by her ability to bear children—especially sons—and to sacrifice herself for their survival. Despite raising many children in colonial Lagos, she dies alone, revealing Emecheta’s ironic critique of the so-called “joys” of motherhood. Motherhood, for Nnu Ego, becomes a site of exhaustion, emotional deprivation, and economic struggle rather than fulfilment.

In a 21st-century urban context, Nnu Ego’s understanding of motherhood would likely shift from biological obligation to conscious choice. In contemporary India or Africa, motherhood is increasingly negotiated alongside education, employment, and personal autonomy. While social pressure to marry and reproduce still exists, women today have greater access to family planning, legal rights, and public discourse on maternal labour. Nnu Ego might question the idea that a woman’s value lies solely in childbearing, an idea that dominates her tragic life in the novel.

Her sense of identity would also expand beyond motherhood. In The Joys of Motherhood, Nnu Ego lacks an independent self; she exists primarily as “Nnaife’s wife” and “the mother of sons.” In a modern urban setting, she could develop an identity as a worker, caregiver, or community member with economic and emotional agency. Unlike colonial Lagos, where women’s labour remains undervalued and invisible, contemporary urban spaces—though still unequal—offer women partial recognition and mobility.

Most importantly, Nnu Ego’s idea of success would change. In the novel, success means raising children who will care for her in old age—a promise that ultimately fails. In the 21st century, success might be redefined as self-sufficiency, dignity, and mutual care, rather than sacrificial motherhood. Her tragic death in the novel exposes the fragility of defining success solely through children, a lesson that resonates strongly with modern realities where migration, urban isolation, and individualism disrupt traditional family structures.

Thus, relocating Nnu Ego to the 21st century would not erase her struggles but would potentially offer her new frameworks to resist patriarchal definitions of womanhood. Emecheta’s novel anticipates this shift by exposing the cost of romanticizing motherhood, making Nnu Ego’s story a powerful lens through which to evaluate contemporary debates on gender, care, and identity.

Question : How is motherhood portrayed in a film/TV serial/advertisement/web series (Add two to three examples), and how is it similar to or different from Nnu Ego’s experience in ?

Answer : Motherhood in contemporary films, TV serials, and web series is often portrayed as emotionally rich, socially visible, and morally rewarding, though sometimes conflicted. This portrayal both echoes and departs from the experience of Nnu Ego in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, where motherhood is marked by sacrifice, invisibility, and ultimate disillusionment.

One strong example is the Hindi film English Vinglish (2012). Shashi’s motherhood is loving and nurturing, but she is initially taken for granted by her family. Unlike Nnu Ego, however, Shashi eventually asserts her individual identity beyond motherhood through education and self-respect. While Nnu Ego’s entire existence is consumed by her maternal role, Shashi learns that being a mother does not negate her right to personal growth—a possibility denied to Nnu Ego in colonial Lagos.

A second example is the TV serial Anupamaa. Anupamaa, like Nnu Ego, is deeply self-sacrificing and emotionally invested in her children. Both women endure neglect despite their devotion. However, the crucial difference lies in narrative outcome: Anupamaa eventually reclaims autonomy, economic independence, and dignity, whereas Nnu Ego dies alone, her sacrifices unrewarded. Emecheta’s novel thus offers a harsher, more realistic critique of motherhood as a system that exploits women’s labour without guarantee of care.

A third example can be seen in advertisements such as Google India’s “Lore” or Ariel’s “Share the Load” campaigns, where motherhood is portrayed as emotionally fulfilling but also deserving of support and shared responsibility. This contrasts sharply with Nnu Ego’s experience, where motherhood is an isolated burden, and domestic labour is normalized as a woman’s duty rather than a shared social responsibility.

In conclusion, while modern visual media often celebrates motherhood and increasingly acknowledges maternal agency and choice, The Joys of Motherhood exposes its structural cruelty. Nnu Ego’s life reveals that motherhood, when idealized without social and economic support, can become a site of suffering rather than joy. Emecheta’s portrayal remains more critical and unsettling than most contemporary representations.

References : 

Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood. 1988.

Kapgate, Laxmikant H. “MOTHER’S INTRICACY IN BUCHI EMECHETA’S THE JOY OF MOTHERHOOD.” ResearchGate, May 2018, www.researchgate.net/publication/342465490_MOTHER%27S_INTRICACY_IN_BUCHI_EMECHETA%27S_THE_JOY_OF_MOTHERHOOD.

Thank You !