Afri 61 spring 1997 Discussion: The Joys of Motherhood



Women and Politics in Africa

Study Guide: Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood

Chs. 1-11:

1) Describe Nnu Ego’s family. What was the relationship between Nwokocha Agbadi and Ona? Why did Ona’s father not want her to get married?

2) Describe Amatokwu, Nnu Ego’s first husband. How did he treat Nnu Ego? Why didn’t this marriage last?

3) Why did Nnu Ego go to Lagos, and how did she get there?

4) For whom does Nnaife work, and what work does he do? How does his employer treat him?

5) What does Nnu Ego think of Nnaife when she first sees him? How does this reflect views about “masculinity”

6) What is Cordelia’s explanation of the behavior of African men in Lagos?

7) Why does Nnu Ego turn to trading, and how did she get started in this?

8) Who is Nwakusor; how does he help Nnu Ego?

9) After the birth of her child Oshia, is Nnu Ego content to stay at home to care for him? Why is this difficult?

10) When Nnaife loses his job with Mr. Meers, what does he do? How does the situation affect domestic relations? What kind of job does he finally find? What do we learn about challenges faced by men in urban contexts?

11) Describe how Oshia is affected by poverty when he’s still very young. Give two specific examples.

12) Who is Mama Abby? In what ways does she help Nnu Ego?

13) Why does Nnaife take a second wife? How is polygamy different in the city, as compared to a rural area such as Ibuza? What is Nnu Ego’s reaction to the arrival of the second wife?

14) Identify and explain the significance of the following characters: Nnu Ego; Nnaife; Nwakusor; Adaku; Mama Abby; Oshia; Adim; Kehinde; Taiwo.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download