The Joys of Motherhood

Nnaife Owulum is Nnu Ego’s second husband. Short and stocky, Nnaife spends most of his career doing manual labor for the British colonists, including laundry, cutting grass, and working as a shipmate. As a husband, Nnaife can be domineering and aggressive, particularly when it comes to defending his own laidback attitude and behavior. Although Nnaife does respond to pressure to obtain work, he also spends money recklessly and has a habit of abusing alcohol to escape the stresses of his life. As Cordelia puts it, Nnaife is “one of those people who don’t worry about things till they are very imminent” (88). Nnu Ego finds him physically unattractive and also finds his ideas unimaginative.

Nnaife’s arc in the narrative sees him introduced as a seemingly modern and confident man who becomes cynical and gives into prejudices as time passes. When Nnu Ego first meets Nnaife, she is concerned that his subservient lifestyle has emasculated him; he assures her that his work is no less honorable than that of his peers in Ibuza. Nnaife is particularly deferential to the views and attitudes of his British employer Mrs. Meers, as evident in his willingness to comply with her wishes that he and Nnu Ego have a Christian wedding. Nnaife feels that the Meers, and other colonists like them, are justified and correct in their assertions of superiority.

A turning point comes when Nnaife works as a sailor for some British men. By the time he returns from the voyage, Nnaife no longer accepts their assumptions of white supremacy. As he transitions to a job as a grasscutter along the railway, Nnaife learns to look busy whenever government officials are near, and he then reduces his efforts when they leave, showing that he no longer takes pride in his work, as he once did. When Nnaife is abducted and forcibly drafted into the British army during World War II, he is initially angry, but he warms up to the idea of being a soldier after seeing how much money he will make; this shows how colonists used financial pressures to achieve their ends. Even this is a ruse, however, as the government’s large payouts only drive inflation in Nigeria, reducing the value of money overall. When, in the novel’s final chapters, Nnaife lashes out at a prospective son-in-law due to prejudice, it becomes clear that his arc is not a redemptive one. Rather, his experiences demonstrate that exploitation under a colonial system breeds resentment and bitterness.

Throughout the novel, Nnu Ego gives birth to several children, each of whom demonstrates various aspects and possibilities of the mother-child relationship. Ngozi, her firstborn, dies after just a few months, introducing Nnu Ego to the pain and heartache of loss. Oshia, her second son, receives special treatment as her eldest surviving son, and she spares no expense to further his education; he embodies all her hopes and dreams for the future according to the traditional patriarchal model. She is disappointed to find, however, that his education and career take him out of the country, following which he shows no interest in staying in touch with her, indicating the potential for children to take everything their parents have to offer and then grow apart. Recognizing Oshia’s preferential treatment, Adim, Nnu Ego’s second son, becomes “determined not to sacrifice his life for any brother. He had a right to his own life, once it had been given to him” (192). His comments reflect the arbitrary nature of the patriarchal pattern based on birth order. Nnu Ego’s third son, Nnamdio, meanwhile, represents a departure from both of his older brothers, as he shows little interest in academics, instead aspiring to adopt the more traditional life of a farmer and hunter. His preferences illustrate how individual family members can differ when it comes to cultural factors.

Nnu Ego also gives birth to two sets of twin daughters. The older set of twins includes Kehinde, who is described as a deep and individualistic thinker, and Taiwo, who is regarded as being more focused on the present moment. In keeping with her traditional views, Nnu Ego views her daughters primarily in terms of marriageability and puts them to work supporting her small business rather than funding their education, though she later regrets this decision. Meanwhile, Nnu Ego’s second set of twin daughters includes Obiageli and Malachi, who are still young as the novel concludes, showing the extended period of time over which Nnu Ego is expected to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.

Taken together, Nnu Ego’s children illustrate the volatility that is inherent to raising children, as well as the complex results of the significant social changes taking place in Nigeria at that time.

Adaku is Nnaife’s second wife. In keeping with Ibo custom, she joins his family following the death of her first husband, Nnaife’s elder brother. When Adaku giggles and calls out while having sex with Nnaife during their first night together, Nnu Ego takes it as a sign that she is a modern, ambitious woman. Her cultivated appearance and cleverness mark her out as a rival, even though Nnu Ego technically presides over her as Nnaife’s senior wife. Somewhat rebellious by nature, it is Adaku who hatches the plot to stop cooking until Nnaife provides additional money for food. Adaku also proves savvy as a businesswoman, as she repeatedly expands her stall in the marketplace with additional quality goods.

Adaku’s arc sees her break away from traditional patriarchal norms to set out independently. When she first comes to Lagos, she hopes to maximize her success by submitting to Nnaife’s authority and, presumably, bearing him a son. Over time, as her hopes are not realized, she grows increasingly disillusioned with her second-class status as a junior wife without any sons, especially when she is reprimanded for criticizing Nnu Ego’s discourteous behavior toward her, even though Nnu Ego was clearly in the wrong. Following that incident, Adaku sets out to live independently and support her daughters’ education through her own business endeavors, including sex work. As a result, she is socially ostracized, although she continues to express goodwill toward Nnu Ego. As a foil character to Nnu Ego, Adaku demonstrates both the costs and benefits of living in defiance of patriarchal norms.

Nwokocha Agbadi is Nnu Ego’s father. As a revered local chief, Agbadi exemplifies the traditional masculine ideal of Ibo culture. Wealthy and successful, Agbadi has several wives, but he prizes his lover Ona above all others precisely because he cannot claim her as a wife. His aggressive and abusive actions toward her, including initiating sexual contact without consent, are dismissed and minimized as normal and to be expected in a patriarchal society. To Nnu Ego, he is a loving and possessive father, and his influence provides her with a consistent motivating factor, encouraging her to cling to traditional ideals in the face of modern changes.

Following his death, Agbadi is honored as “the last of the great hunters” (154). His death marks the end of an era, implying that Ibuza cannot remain immune from the social and economic changes brought on by colonization and modernity.