Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigerian A Study of Zaynab Alkali The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta The Joys of Motherhood

Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigerian A Study of Zaynab Alkali The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta The Joys of Motherhood

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

According to Statsky Marital breakdown refers to the common process whereby the relationship between a married couples erodes, such that they cannot ordinarily restore their relationship. There are many stages to the process, and each individual goes through the stages at different rates. It is a complex process involving psychology, personal finance, and often religion. It is the breach of domestic anticipation, often leading to a divorce or dissolution of the marital relationship. Often there are children, in-laws, and other individuals involved in the process. At the end of the process, there may be no relationship left, or there may be a long-term relationship at a distance (254)

The branch of domestic anticipation, often leading to a divorce or dissolution of the marital relationship may leads to negative effects on the society which include poverty, educational failure, early and risky sexual activity, non-marital childbirth, earlier marriage of children from these homes, cohabitation, marital discord and divorce. In fact, emotional problems associated with marital breakdown actually increase during young adulthood. Andreas observed that:

For some, marriage turns out to be a loveless entrapment. While for others, marriage is a one miserable long-life experience” (4).  As quoted by Tagwira, “But she stayed for the sake of her children and because marriage was not something that one could just walk away from. Once you get in, you stay … no matter how hard it gets. Always remember that a woman cannot raise a good family without a man by her side… (7).

Taking cue from the above quotations, this study critically explored the ambivalent and paradoxical presentation of marriage breakdown in the selected novels, namely Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood respectively.

At first glance, Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born has been analysed by many African critics such as Gilman, Kawachi, Fitzmaurice and Buka. These scholars have explored critical issues in marriage failure in African fiction, for example; abusive husbands, infidelity, dysfunctional marriages and divorce among others. However, there is another perspective, which has received little attention, which is the possibility of prototypical and archetypical marriages where marital satisfaction despite some challenges seems to be found. Those who have looked at the critical issues of marriage have mainly focused only on a one dimensional perspective. In this respect, it becomes evident that, much uncertainty still exists about the presentation of holistic and balanced appreciation marital relationships in the African body of literature.

Gilligan and Omage highlight for example, concepts such as non-marital children, cohabitation, advanced ages at first marriage, higher rates of divorce and separation. However, far too little attention has been paid to marriage in the literary works as possible sites for functionality, quality and stability. Hence, it may be evident that this is an almost one-sided view, which is the dysfunctional perspective of marriage without considering the presentation of what authors have presented as exemplary marriages, even in the midst of others who may see it as a loveless entrapment (12-13).

Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigerian A Study of Zaynab Alkali The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta The Joys of Motherhood

Turning to Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, some writers have analysed the novel, but from different perspectives as summarised by Mlambo thus:

These writers have explored critical issues of hope in hopeless situations, women in a patriarchal society, resilience, trauma and pragmatic morality. However, such expositions are unsatisfactory as they missed a critical dimension in the available studies, which is the holistic and balanced presentation of marriage, thus creating a paucity of literary criticism on this specific theme, which therefore is an uninvestigated issue that this study sought to investigate. (78)

The two novels proffer what Fincham and Beach  explain with regards to the versions of marriages in Nigeria as the agony, pains and setback that women faced with when their marriage breakdown and It is with this in mind that this study examined Marital Breakdown and it’s Impacts on Women in Nigeria. A Study of Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood

1.2       Statement of the problem

In recent time, the level of marriage breakdown has becoming more alarming in our society. For example on January 26^th  2022 when the High Court here in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State seat for the first hearing for the judicial year, the total of six marriages where divorce due to lack of endurance, love and willingness to keep the marriage from the side of the husband .

for example, in the court room  one Mrs. Eno Ukpe cried bitterly in the court begging the husband not to break the marital vow but the husband insisted and the marriage was cancelled by the preceding Judge of the High Court. In tears and lamentation, Eno tender the marriage certificate and the ring as she wept altering some words like “who will marry me again after giving birth to six children “and where do I even go from here”.

This is what most women in our society, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and Africa are going through in the hand of men as a result of marriage breakdown. Hence, the current study sought to offer a nuanced understanding on the Impacts of marriage breakdown on Women in Nigerian. Study of Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood stability

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigerian. A Study of Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood. Specifically, the study will sort to:

1. Explore the ways in which marriage is portrayed in the two novels, Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood stability.
2. Examine the representation of marital instability and inequality in the two selected novels; and
3. Interrogate the causes of marital dissatisfaction and marital breakdown in the two selected novels.

1.4       Significance of the study

This study will add to informed ideas to the growing existing literature and how it relates to gender, and it helps to inform other studies on gender in fiction about the availability of space for the complementarity of femininity and masculinity in literary works through the use of two theories, Masculinity and Nego-Feminism.

This helps make possible a better understanding of the complex interlinking of studies on gender issues and provide valuable information for scholars, researchers, policymakers and academics as well as those who may be interested in the subject of literary presentation of the theme of marriage in the African context. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the study could encourage readers and researchers to view the selected texts from a different perspective and comprehend the text from a critical Masculinity and Nego-Feminism lens which differ from the generally used viewpoints.

1.5       Research Methodology

The research work will be basically a long essay project and the primary source of data will be Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood. While internet, journals, textbooks, news publications will constitute the secondary source of data for this research work.

1.6       Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study will be restricted to investigation into Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigeria. A Study of Zaynab Alkali’s The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood. The study will focused only on two novels as well as the exploration of one theme in the two literary texts under study

1.7       Delimitations of the study

The findings of the current study will be based on the literary representation of the impact of marriage breakdown through the characters’ interactions specifically in The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood and the findings may not necessarily be universal to other literary texts of similar thematic concerns.

 1.8       Definition of Terms

The following terms shall be defined in the course of this research:

• Masculinity: This refers to a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys.
• Nego-feminism: A form of African feminism that emphasizes negotiation and compromise

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1       Summary

This research work was carried out on marital breakdown and its impacts on women in Nigeria in Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood and Zaynab Alkali’s The Stillborn as  an idealist  writers. They are on the notion that the African society theory for equality of both sexes politically, economically, socially, occupationally, domestically and even religiously are not ideal. No doubt, feminism seeks to remove gender inequalities and to create an egalitarian society where women are given equal and uniform treatment by the society.

It is however crystal clear those women suffer most in the marriage than men. This, Emecheta portray in the marriage journey of Nnug-Ego that motherhood is a major issue. Thus, a woman’s worth is measured by the number of children (males preferably) she has. A childless woman is, therefore, considered “a half woman”, a failed woman. She is despised and eventually sacked by her first husband, Amatokwu, when she is not able to have babies in her first marriage to him. Eventually, when she is able to have a number of them in her second marriage to Nnaife, she decides to sacrifice her all to give them a future so she can enjoy her old age.

Since moving to Lagos, Nnu Ego has learned the ways of being a Christian. According to Christians’ ordinances marriage is a union between a man and only one wife (119). Although this is how she wants her marriage to be, Nnu Ego struggles to follow the traditions of her family. Jealousy is the first emotion Nnu Ego deals with when Adaku, Nnaife’s second wife comes to live with them. There are so much challenges a woman faces when new wives are added to the family.

Marital Breakdown and its Impacts on Women in Nigerian A Study of Zaynab Alkali The Still Born and Bauchi Emecheta The Joys of Motherhood

According to “A qualitative study of women in polygamous marriages” by Tabi, Doster and Cheney, “Polygamy often causes trouble in the household; the husband may favour the youngest wife, which may affect the relationship between the husband and the first wife” (123). For Nnu Ego, living in polygamy creates emotional distress in which she is not ready to handle. Not only do Nnu Ego and Nnaife no longer share a single bed in their home, but there now will be more to feed and clothe.

Women should not have to suffer so much to live a fulfilling life but due to marriage breakdown, women experienced various degrees of emotional difficulties including anger, jealousy, pain, emotional distress, competition, loneliness, emptiness, unhappiness and lack of intimacy with their spouse when living in polygamy. Nnu Ego undergoes much more agony when Nnaife is forced to join the Army leaving her to be the head of the home. How is a woman expected to run a home in which she is treated as second class to males? Nnu Ego has no education which is the norm for many women. To survive the only skill she has is to peddle products she can buy very cheap. She struggles to pay the rent and get food for her children. At one point, her son Oshia almost died from starvation.

The main objective of feminism and womanism as a movement is to accomplish specific goals to bring awareness about the rights to succeed in life and to oppose male domination in all spheres of life of women.  Emecheta and Alkali’s writings therefore reflect the reality and agony that African women constitute more than half of the world’s population due to marriage breakdown and have contributed significantly to the novel being of the human race.

Emecheta and Alkali’s focus are on the emancipation and freedom from the shackles of men in the society through determination and reality on the part of the women. The desire to see the women as having the same right as male counterparts and also possessing a strong will to survive and proffer solution to the problems affecting their societies is the driving force. There is no doubt, Emecheta and Alkali have over the years been writing about the sad reality that women go through as a result of dissolved marriage by men in Nigeria and African society at large.

5.2            Conclusion

The aim of this research work was to examine marital breakdown and its impacts on women in Nigerian in Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood and Alkali’s The Stillborn.  Emecheta and Zaynab Alkali are writers who use their novels to portray the realism and determinism in our African society. They use their literary writings to seek for equality between men and women in our society today.  According to them, African women are treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts.

Women undergoing divorce often exhibit marked emotional liability characterized by euphoria and optimism alternating with anger, irritability, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, depression and suicidality, and associated changes in self-concept and self-esteem. Divorce is generally viewed as a prominent cause of depression in adults. Single mothers (including those who are separated and divorced) have consistently been found to have higher rates of depression and psychiatric illnesses, relative to their married counterparts. Reasons cited include differences in stress and social support.

Non-residential parents (usually women) are particularly likely to experience negative effects of divorce. A pervasive problem is suffering caused by the feeling that they have lost their children, and feelings of inadequacy about their role as a parent. women undergoing separation and divorce also tend to avoid problems rather than face them, tend not to express their concerns and are reluctant to seek help (if they do, it is from friends or relatives rather than from professionals).

Like most African female writers, Emecheta and Alkali frowns at and condemn the frustration caused by men. In The Joys of Motherhood and The Stillborn for instance, they portray how Li and Fabu are betrayed by her husbands who abandon them with children for another women (85). Their novels are now directed at changing the roles and images that African tradition and their male counterparts assigned to them. Their works involve changing some beliefs and myths that are responsible for women’s predicaments in Africa even till date. They also portray the African women in real life situation that is, as courageous, independent, determined and a very good source from which their husbands get advice and support as seen in the major characters under investigation.

5.3       Recommendations 

In view of the findings in this study, the researcher made the following recommendations:

1. The researcher recommends that couple should be more faithful to their partners so as to reduce the situation of infidelity and lack of trust among couple which respondents cited as the main causes of divorce.
2. The researcher further recommends that divorced women should always try to reduce their emotional attachment to their ex-spouses. Divorced women should forget about their ex-spouse and should engage in activities that will help them to end all emotional attachment they have for the ex-spouses. Divorced women should consider going for counseling to help them reduce emotional attachment with ex-spouses.
3. Female children should also be given equal educational opportunity, through some traditions and customs forbids therefore seek emancipation, letting the society know the importance of the girl-child education.

4. The researcher further recommends that both men and women always try their possible best to stay in their marriage rather than considering divorce as divorce has more emotional and psychological effects on the women