culture will not be continued by his kin , “ the prospect of annihilation ” ( Things Fall Apart , p . 148 ), Okonkwo reacts to his fear with violence once more , beating Nwoye with a stick . He is unable to grasp the cycle he is perpetuating , that his masculine aggression is driving his son towards religious conversion , and that reacting to this with masculine aggression will only seal his fate of “ annhilation ”. Whilst of course it is the ‘ contact zone ’ of a newly colonised Umuofia and its colonisers that prey on this preexisting tension , it is ultimately Okonkwo ’ s lack of self control / awareness which finalises the generational sever . In The Joys of Motherhood , the aftermath of colonialism is also that families are separated and that conflicts surrounding masculinity are enhanced . However , that is not to say that these conflicts and tensions are not in existence before colonialism .
As Katherine Frank writes in her essay on Emecheta , Emecheta explores the traditions of Ibuza “ in order to fathom the origin of her current entrapment between […] two worlds ” ( Frank , ‘ The Death of the Slave Girl : African Womanhood in the Novels of Buchi Emecheta ”, 1982 , p . 479 ). The “ two worlds ” is a ‘ contact zone ’, as Emecheta describes the imbalanced conflict between Ibo culture and newly imposed colonial traditions , much like Achebe . Many of her novels are focused on giving a voice to “ the souls of voiceless Nigerian women ” ( Umeh , ‘ African Women in Transition in the Novels of Buchi Emecheta ’, 1980 , p . 201 ), and as such , her exploration of masculinity and its complications are perhaps subtle at first glance . However , Nnu Ego ’ s story is one of constant subjugation “ between various layers of patriarchal and paternalistic ‘ ownership ’” ( Robolin , ‘ Gendered Hauntings : ‘ The Joys of Motherhood ,’ Interpretive Acts , and Postcolonial Theory ’, 2004 , p . 82 ), and so the concept of masculinity is prevalent throughout . Emecheta sows the seeds for conflict in the marriage to Nnaife through her portrayal of
Nnu Ego ’ s father , Agbadi , who represents the ultimate masculine ideal in Ibo culture . Agbadi is comparable to Okonkwo in his characteristics : “ He was a great wrestler […] born in an age when physical prowess determined one ' s role in life […] people naturally accepted him as a leader ” ( Emecheta , The Joys of Motherhood , 1979 , p . 9 ). Natural strength is equated with masculinity and thus power in Ibuza , creating a social hierarchy in which the physically capable are at the top . Emecheta highlights the importance of physicality in relation to masculinity through her depictions of sex , such as when Agbadi has been wounded and his love ’ s desire , Ona , lies in a tent next to him as he sleeps . This is a rare moment vulnerability , as previously her “ conservative , haughty presence ” and modesty has been taken by Agbadi as the “ times this young woman had teased and demeaned him sexually ” ( The Joys of Motherhood , p . 11 , 22 ). When he wakes , he has thoughts of violence towards her , reflecting a similar mindset to Okonkwo when he kills Ikemfuna : Agbadi ’ s fear of emasculation produces an instinctive desire for violence , making his love making rapacious and sadistic : “ Ona gasped and opened her eyes . She wanted to scream […] she struggled fiercely like a trapped animal , but Agbadi was becoming himself again ” ( The Joys of Motherhood , p . 23 ). It is difficult to determine the issue of consent in the context of this scene - to analyse it through a feminist lens runs the risk of imposing a Western and colonial perspective , as critics such as Ama Ato Aidoo ( in her early scholarly years ) would argue that feminism is an “ embarrassing western philosophy […] imported mainly from America to ruin nice African homes ” ( Aidoo , ‘ Unwelcome Pals and Decorative Slaves - or Glimpses of Women as Writers and Characters in Contemporary African Literature ’, 1989 , p . 34 ). However , from a literary perspective , one cannot ignore the rapacious language Emecheta deploys . Her dehumanising description implies both a degrading power imbalance as well as Ona ’ s
SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 2021 / 2022 89