How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Well, your second son is at St Gregory's. Who pays his fees?"
"I do, I pay his fees with the profits I make from selling firewood and other things."
There was a suppressed ripple of laugher in the court.
"But your husband told us he pays the school feels, how is that?"
"Yes, he pays the school feels."
"Do you mean the two of you pay Adim's school fees?"
"No, I pay."
The laughter that followed this could no longer be suppressed. Even the judge smiled unwillingly.
"Mrs Owulum, will you please explain."
"Nnaife is the head of our family. He owns me, just like God in the sky owns us. So even though I pay the fees, yet he owns me. So in other words he pays."
"Oh, I see. And you clothe and sometimes feed the family, too?"
Nnu Ego nodded, not knowing that with that one nod, she had nailed the last nail in Nnaife's coffin. It became clear that she was doing nearly all the providing…(18.43-54)
In this courtroom scene, we can see clearly the difference between traditional ideas of the husband/wife relationship and the more modern relationship. According to the traditional definition of a relationship, the husband owns the wife's labor power as well as the profits from her labor. In a modern husband/wife relationship, the profits from each person's labor belong to the individual.
Quote #8
She smiled to see the wonder and surprise on Nnu Ego's face. She would have passed on her former stall to Nnu Ego, she said, but she was leasing it to someone who would pay her yearly.
"That will take care of my rent, at least," she finished, laughing.
"You mean you won't have to depend on men friends to do anything for you?"
"No," she replied. "I want to be a dignified single woman. I shall work to educate my daughters, though I shall not do so without male companionship." She laughed again. "They do have their uses."
Nnu Ego noticed that Adaku was better dressed—not that she wore anything new, but she put on her good clothes even on ordinary market days. She laughed a lot now; Nnu Ego had never known her to have such a sense of humour. Adaku said she had a separate room of her own, much bigger than the one they had all shared before…
After that she stopped going to Adaku in the market…Why should she deceive herself? The woman was better off as she was; she would only be socially snubbed. Nnu Ego said to herself, "I may not be snubbed, but can I keep it up? I have no money to buy food, let alone abadas in which to attend meetings and church." (15.3-8)
Nnu Ego is respected, but has no money to feed herself or her children. Adaku has given up the traditional role of women, said "Damn respectability," and is now enjoying wealth. Nnu Ego suddenly realizes that there's a problem with this situation. But instead of changing the way she does things, she simply stops going to see Adaku.
Quote #9
She was becoming fed up of this two-way standard. When the children were good they belonged to the father; when they were bad, they belonged to the mother. Every woman knew this; but for Nnaife to keep hurling it in her face at the slightest provocation was very unfair. (17.69)
Nnu Ego is finally getting sick of the double-standard that keeps her working so hard all the time to make sure her children behave the way society expects them to behave. She is beginning to realize that she will never be rewarded for doing her duty as a mother.