Motherhood, and in turn, a solid female identity. .
Her baby cher baby! Nnu Egos arms involuntarily went to hold her aching breasts, more for assurance of her motherhood, than to ease their weight. (8).
Thus, Emechetas story purposefully opens with a scenario that, in the most drastic way, notes a woman who only identifies a life worth living, as one that is spent being a mother. .
Later on in the narrative, the events that surround Nnu Egos suicide attempt are elaborated upon. Nnu Ego has been saved by the people who witness her as she tries to hurl herself into a lagoon. Upon making sure that she is safely on the ground, these people surround her as they give her their advice once her situation becomes apparent. The crowd, comes to a general consensus, and because of this can be read as a metaphor for the society that Nnu Ego belongs to. .
eShe is not mad after all, the woman took it upon herself to inform the crowd in her imperfect Youruba. eShe has only just lost the child that told the world that she is not barren. And they all agreed that a woman without a child for her husband was a failed woman. (62).
Emecheta deliberately uses a crowd that agrees that Nnu Egos situation is a desperate one. Like a Greek chorus, these people echo a strong theme that runs throughout the story, one that is repeated over and over, that it is no surprise when the reader encounters it page after page. It is important for the reader to understand how common it is for women to be judged by a standard that says motherhood is what gives their lives worth. .
All of these conclusions raise an important question about what it means to be a woman in these Nigerian cultures. If being a real woman is reliant upon being a mother, it means that real womaness will always be tied to a man. This idea dawns on Nnu Ego one day in the midst of a fight with her husband. Yes, without what he has, you could never become a mother.
