In ‘The Women in the Mirror,’ It’s Fear vs Society

Stories by Vanessa Obioha

The parenting style of three generations of women comes into sharp focus in the new book ‘The Women in the Mirror’ by Achalugo Chioma Ilozumba. The playwright in her book examines the blurred lines between societal expectations, traditions and personal fears that shape parenting choices.

At the stage reading of the play directed by Jude Idada at Goethe-Institut, ‘The Women in the Mirror,’ unravels to an audience which included Prof. Wole Soyinka.

Nnenne Nwigwe is the daughter of Celine and the granddaughter of Agatha. She is the contemporary woman who endured an abusive marriage all in the name of keeping up with society’s standards. Having finally embraced freedom by divorcing her husband, she questions the parenting style of her mother Celine who in her defence was only following the template society has set up.

Agatha who is supposed to be the originator of the so-called parenting model becomes the mediator, trying to understand the tension between her daughter and granddaughter over the rights and wrongs of parenting.

Ilozumba uses provoking dialogues to pass across her message of parenting and the place of women in society while tying it to marital abuse. Each line gives a sharp revelation of the characters. When Nnenne talks about the lack of support from her mother when she reported her husband to the police for abuse, her pain becomes visceral with each word. It’s the same when she boldly declares her freedom from her husband which society has tagged shameful.

The tense relationship between Nnenne and Celine escalates as they confront each other with hurtful words.

As the women navigate a reconciliatory path, it becomes apparent that the line between traditions and personal fears is blurry. While the general notion is that we raised a child based on traditions and societal expectations, our ultimate decisions often stem from a place of fear.

‘The Women in the Mirror’ calls for introspection into the way we raise female children, the abuse we allow in the name of society and the consequences of our actions. Perhaps, one day, we will get to understand that we build the society we want.