Malik Kahel-Ringo May 27, 2013 HST-313U-JNT: African HST 1800-Present Dr. Jennifer Tappan Essay:The Joys of Motherhood Colonial Urbanization & its Affects on native Nigerians & French West Africans From readingThe Joys of MotherhoodI’ve seen how a family struggled in living in an urban environment due to colonialism’s effects on their homeland of Nigeria. I’m going to be talking about these effects, and the drastic changes caused by urbanization. I will start out first by explaining Nnaife’s part inthe Joys of Motherhood, and what effects urbanization caused throughout his life. I will explain why Nnu Ego was dramatically changed from commuting from her homeland of the bush to Lagos, and the many dramatic events she beheld, because of her commute. Lastly, I will explain how these urban centers like Lagos, were where colonial powers forcefully took Africans to be the fodder in the Great Wars, and how it was depicted in“Kande Kamara Speaks”andThe Joys of Motherhoodof these wrongdoings. Some say colonial powers have broken and shattered the traditional ways of life for the people of Africa, and others tell without them Africa would be a lost desolate place. My thesis is centered on the before statement, and to explain how places like Nigeria were changed forever by colonial rule through urbanization and transformation of every African’s life. People like Nnaife were being drawn to the major urban centers early on, because of the promise of wealth and new beginning; what they got was hard living under the white man’s gaze, and the idea somehow they were below the white man in all ways. These white bigoted settlers openly mocked and ridicule them constantly. Nnaife experienced racism and paid enslavement by the Meers couple. According to Emecheta
(1979),“Dr. Meers peered over the paper, smiled mischievously and answered, "Goodnight, baboon."Mrs. Meers straightaway went into a torrent of words, too fast and too emotionally charged for Nnaife, who stood there like a statue, to understand” (p.41).
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