The Marxist Formula in Emechetas The Joys of Motherhood Essay

The Marxist Formula in Emechetas The Joys of Motherhood Marx states that we are truly free only when people place themselves in a position to see their own historical destiny(Slaughter 25).Britains imperial colonization of Africa triggered vast change within the tribal civilizations thriving on the continent prior to European occupation. For the Africans, these changes altered all(prenominal) level of their culture language, religion, as well as ancient tribal customs. But one of the most devastating aspects of the British colonization in Africa was the European economic system capitalism. Capitalism left many Africans reeling from its destructive impact on tribal economies. Nowhere is this more evident than in The Joys of Motherhood, Buchi Emechetas tale of the British occupation of Nigeria in the 1930s and 1940s. Emechetas skillfully constructed story uses various literary devices to develop empathy for her characters suffering at the hands of the English. However, underlyi ng these literary techniques -- and boosting the storys political objectives -- exists a Marxist economic analysis of the colonial system. Emechetas Marxist examination provides an outline for illustrating how imperialistic capitalism alienated Africans from their culture, and from one another, causing irreparable damage to the social fabric of Nigeria. The Marxist argument in The Joys of Motherhood demonstrates how the root of the characters downfall is the socioeconomic shift from the tribal economic paradigm to the exploitative, capitalistic system used by the British.However, Emecheta also criticizes her tribal cultures oppressive hierarchy, illustrating the Ibo treatment of slaves and of women. So although European colonialism... ...Marx and the Sources of Critical Theory. New Jersey Rowman and Littlefield, 1981.Jameson, Fredric. Marxism and Form Twentieth-Century Dialectical Theories of Literature. second ed. Princeton Princeton UP, 1974.Magubane, Bernard, and Nzongol a-Ntalaja, eds. Proletarianization and Class Struggle in Africa. Contemporary Marxism Series. San Francisco Synthesis, 1982.Richter, David. The Critical Tradition Classic and Contemporary Trends. 2nd ed. Boston Bedford, 1998.Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Readers Guide to Contemporary literary Theory. 3rd ed. Lexington UP of Kentucky, 1993.Slaughter, Cliff. Marxism, Ideology and Literature. London Macmillan, 1980.Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today A User-Friendly Guide. New York Garland, 1999.Wallerstein, Immanuel. Africa The Politics of Independence. New York Vintage, 1961.