# Quote — Buchi Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood

> On her way back to their room, it occurred to Nnu Ego that she was a prisoner, imprisoned by her love for her children, imprisoned by her role as the senior wife. She was not even expected to demand more money for her family; that was considered below the standard expected of a woman in her position. It was not fair, she felt, the way men cleverly used a woman’s sense of responsability to actually enslave her. They knew that the traditional wife like herself would never dream of leaving her children.”

- Author: [Buchi Emecheta](https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta.md)
- Book: [The Joys of Motherhood](https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta/the-joys-of-motherhood.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Buchi_Emecheta#The_Joys_of_Motherhood_(1979)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta/the-joys-of-motherhood/on-her-way

## More from this book

> Every woman should be free to live the life she chooses.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta/the-joys-of-motherhood/every-woman-should.md)

> Nnaife did not realise that Dr Meers's laughter was inspired by that type of wickedness that reduces any man, white or black, intelligent or not, to a new low; lower than the basest of animals, for animals at least respected each other's feelings, each other's dignity.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta/the-joys-of-motherhood/nnaife-did-not.md)

> Don't blame anyone for what has happened to your father. Things have changed drastically since the days of his own youth,but he has refused to see the changes...The fact is that parents get only reflected glory from their children nowadays,whereas your father has invested in all of you, just as his father invested in him so that he could help on the farm. Your father forgot that he himself left the family farm to come to this place.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/buchi-emecheta/the-joys-of-motherhood/dont-blame-anyone.md)