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More handpicked essays just for you.
Gender disparities in society
Gender disparities in society
Gender disparities in society
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“The Joys of Motherhood” by Buchi Emecheta reveals an interesting struggle between one’s own core values and the core values of others. The protagonist Nnu Ego begins her journey of self-discovery alone and barren. It is not until later that she sees being barren as a gift and being fertile as a burden. This drastic shift is brought on by her move from Ibuza to Lagos and the difference in culture she is exposed to as time progresses. In the novel, Nnu Ego faces obstacles that relate to changing gender roles in the community of Lagos, resulting in the shift of her beliefs from those established by her upbringing in Ibuza.
Nnu Ego’s core value of family stems from her upbringing in Ibuza, where the women help the men of the household provide for their family, in addition the women take care of the children. The most demanded child is a son, to inherit the land and uphold the family name, whereas daughters are used to enhance the males social standing and ego with a bride price. There is a contrasting family dynamic in the beginning of “The Joys of Motherhood” versus in the end. In the opening chapters, the men have multiple wives, and the eldest wife gets the “privilege” to take care for all of the children (even those from other
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In the beginning of the novel Nnu Ego want nothing more than do have her own child to look after, and a husband who loves her. However, she quickly realizes it is harder that in seems to be fertile when a god is against you, and to be loved by her husband when one is infertile or the husband can’t support his family. The final result of motherhood on Nnu Ego is loneliness and shame. As a result, she does not want to force anyone to bear the same burden she did, and that is why she fails to answer the prayers of others for fruitfulness. She doesn’t want anyone else to die
Celianne, a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl, was raped when a dozen men raided her home and forced her brother and mother to sleep together. She found out she was pregnant and boarded the boat as soon as she’d heard about it. The child represents the hope of a new life, away from the persecution awaiting back in Haiti. Celianne finally gives birth to a baby girl and the acting midwife prays for the baby to be guided by God, “Celianne had a girl baby. The woman acting as a midwife is holding the baby to the moon and whispering prayers . . .
Though, it is work of Monique as a midwife which makes this book predominantly useful for learning the cultural dynamics in Mali of sexuality, childbirth and reproductive health of women. The young midwife Monique Dembele working in Nampossela and to the east of Bamako, the Malian villages, is the center of this appealing narrative penned by Kris Holloway who was helping in the Peace Corps in Mali from 1989 to 1991. Kris as instructed by Monique assists in midwifery work in the small, ruined birthing house, which was built by the Chinese in an earlier initiative of
In “Monique and the Mango Rains”, Holloway describes her encounters with the difficulties of the women in the village of Nampossela and childbirth practices of midwifes in Mali. As a young white woman from Ohio, Holloway uses her unique perspective to write a description of her experiences of the rural midwifery practices of Monique and the hardships of the women she meets in Mali. Holloway uses her knowledge of the later events to enhance her description of her time as a Peace Corp volunteer and her observations of the village she lived in.
One may notice some characteristics of the author's culture as she puts emphasis on the importance of the period of time a woman goes through during her labor and giving birth to healthy newborn and religion in crediting God.
Women throughout time have been compelled to cope with the remonstrances of motherhood along with society’s anticipations
Alison Bechdel isn’t a normal author. She uses graphics, and wordplay to tell a very engaging, and interesting story. One of these stories titled “The Ordinary Devoted Mother”, Bechdel tells the story of her trying to write a memoir about her mom. One of the major themes in this story is reading, and writing. Bechdel explores what writing is, how it is important, and how she perceives writing herself.
Have you ever heard the famous catch phrase: “A women needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” (Gloria Steinem)? This is not the case in Conception a book written by Kalisha Buckhanon. Conception is about a fifteen year old girl who is impregnated by a married man named Leroy. In the midst of the story we also meet Leroy’s wife Renelle, Shivana’s mother Annette, and her aunt Jewel. These main female characters are socialized to believe they need men and don’t recognize their own ability to provide for themselves.
The novel Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, written by Isabel Quintero, portrays the extreme pressure women from traditional/cultural households encounter in order to be seen as “picture perfect.” Women have to be and act accordingly to the expectations of their family and community in order to be respected and valued as a “lady.” One mistake is all it takes to become known as “a mala mujer” which is why women are anticipated to protect their body as they would their life.
In today’s society, there is a considerably high value on motherhood. Mothers teach their kids important aspects of life and typically pass down their own values to their children. It only makes sense emphasize the importance of motherhood. This is not the case in the novel Sula. In the community of The Bottom, motherhood is not highly valued and has a negative connotation which is shown through Eva’s experiences as a mother and is passed down through her family.
What is a family without a parent? A good parent has the image of a provider. Parent is the one that meets all the material needs of the household. The one who worries that nothing lacks to his/her children. Works double shifts and weekends. A good parent has not yet met the present needs, when others have been created; he/she wears out feverishly. But yet he/ she still have time to have the unique experience of seeing the children grow. Having children is a major life-course event no matter what country people live. Children alter how men and women live and how they can allocate their time. Money is required to support children, and there is also more to do in the households with children. Historically, women have done the extra work chil-dren create. Who engenders ch...
The only glory and satisfaction enjoyed by the women portrayed in Things Fall Apart was being a mother. They receive respect and love from their children. They are strong for their children. The women are viewed as very gentle and caring. They are expected to take care of their children with the best of their ability and are trusted totally by their children. This honorable presentation of women is used by Achebe to identify women's role in the Ibo society. This presentation is necessary to show that women indeed play an important role in society.
In most cultures, motherhood intensifies social pressure to conform to what the culture says or what the tradition orders, this seems to be driven by levels of modernity or urbanization than by the status accorded to norms of society and community. Through the concept of “One Life,” it motivates Meridian in her quest toward physical and spiritual health, the societal evils which lower one class to another, one race to another, one sex to another, and eventually terrorize life. Meridian is built on the tension between ones’ beliefs against the societal forces that inhibit the growth of living toward their natural state of freedom.
Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood as an African Feminist Text. Upon my first reading of Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood, I immediately rejoiced--in this novel, I had finally encountered an account of a female protagonist in colonial and postcolonial African life. In my hands rested a work that gave names and voices to the silent, forgotten mothers and co-wives of novels by male African writers such as Chinua Achebe. Emecheta, I felt, provided a much-needed glimpse into the world of the African woman, a world harsher than that of the African male because women are doubly marginalized.
Becoming a mother has been the best part of my life. I became a mother at a very young age. I had no idea what to expect and was not in the least prepared for the journey that lie ahead. I have truly embraced motherhood and enjoy all the wonderful things it has taught me. While living through motherhood, I have found that it can teach you the most valuable lessons there are to learn. Being a mother has taught me how to have patience. I have also learned that being a mother takes a lot on mental and physical strength. My children have been the best to teach me how to juggle many tasks at once. They have made me strong. Even through some unexpected turns, I have learned how to get through hard times and really learn what it means to never give up. My children are my biggest blessing, and I hope they will learn valuable lessons through me. The skills I have learned from being a mother have helped me in my college journey.
That is 545 deaths per every 100,000 successful deliveries. Also, a woman’s chance of dying from “pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria is 1 in 13” (Abara 2012) Nearly 50% of Nigerian women are mothers before they turn 20. There in inability to access quality 6 health care services, poor access to safe childbirth services and lack of adequate and affordable emergency care. In some parts of the country, religion does not allow women to deliver in the hospital. Also, the husbands are not to be happy to see their wives opening up to a doctor for any from of virginal exanimations. So from a young age, the girl child is taught how to deliver her baby unassisted. This leads to infections and death. Also, gender inequality is imbedded in Nigerian society and culture. Although women do have rights to land, the patriarchal society dictates that their rights are weaker than a man 's. This shows the unequal distribution of power between man and women. Women have a very high fertility rate of six children per woman, due to the pressure on her to give birth to boys who can inherit and own land. As said by Newbury, “If a woman has a girl first, she is more likely to have more children, not use contraceptives, have short periods between pregnancies, and be subjected to polygamy” (Newbury 2004). Each of these factors increases a woman 's vulnerability to