Nnu Ego is one of the women who "had been trying to be traditional in a modern urban setting" (81). In The Joys of Motherhood, she plays many general roles - as a daughter, a wife, a mother, a woman, a worker and a senior wife. As a daughter of Nigerian Chief, Nwokocha Agbadi, Nnu Ego always listens to her father's disposition and she never opposes him. Therefore, she agrees to marry the man whom her father has chosen for her. After she i

Even though the woman like Adaku who is changing the role of women during that time, some women like Nnu Ego are opposed to that kind of change and "they knew that a traditional wife like herself would never dream of leaving her children" (137) and her husband. "Until we change all this, it is still a man's world, which women will always help to build"(187). Although some of the women have changed, they are still in the male's dominant society and they will not encourage building feminist ideas. Many people denounce Lagos which "was a fast town which could corrupt the most innocent of girls. Women shuddered at such a horrible eventuality" (170). Most of the people are against the idea of changing the women's role.

"But who made the law that we should not hope in ours daughter? We women subscribe to that law more than anyone" (187). Adaku, Nnaife's second wife is different from Nnu Ego. She struggles to move from the traditional to the modern social world and finds her own identity. "Nnu Ego looked at Adaku with speculative eyes. "This woman knows a thing or two... so independent in her way of thinking" (127). Nnu Ego's premonition is right and Adaku leaves her husband. Without her husband, she is also doing well in her business and raises her two daughters well. She accepts that society is changing so she also needs to change as well. She says, " I will spend the money I have in giving my girls a good start in life. They shall stop going to the market with me. I shall see that they get enrolled in a good school. I think that will benefit them in the future" (168). Later in the novel, Nnu Ego realizes that "she is beginning to understand" why Adaku left Nnaife. She is happier than before and she gets better dresses and sent her two daughters to college. She also mentions to Nnu Ego that society is changing because "I saw many young women teaching in schools. It would be really something for a woman to be able to earn some money monthly like a man" (189). However, Nnu Ego places her future all on her sons and she recognizes that her daughters will be married in a few years.

Nnu Ego educates the male children well and prepares her female children to get married and have children like she has already done. She thinks that women should not need to be educated well, they only need to "learn something, you know, good trade as well. So they would be well equipped to look after themselves in later life" (175). But at the end of the story, she is disappointed and dies alone in Ibuza. Her eldest son, Oshia continues his education in America and later he marries a white woman. He does not financially support to his family when he is abroad. Her second son, Adim goes to school in Canada. Both sons do not meet Nnu Ego's expectations, which is remaining at home and taking care of the family. They do not even offer a good life to her until sh

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Approximate Word count = 1941
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)