Second Class Citizen

Mr. Noble is similar to Babalola, Janet’s husband; both men are part of the migrations from Nigeria to England shortly before and after Nigerian independence. Unlike Babalola, though, Mr. Noble did not arrive in England with excess funds, nor, like Francis, did he have a benefactor like Adah. As such, Mr. Noble is reduced to working menial jobs. He ultimately succumbs to alcoholism, taking refuge in his marriage to Mrs. Noble, a white woman.

A critical element of Mr. Noble’s story is his fanciful retelling of his “normal” childhood in Nigeria, which involves nudity and living in trees, neither of which seem to be common based on Adah’s experience. It seems that Mr. Noble makes a spectacle of himself, even with his wife; he provides misinformation on how bad life is in Nigeria to make life in England seem amazing in comparison. This tactic earns Mr. Noble a place among white people as a jester or servile entertainer, which is also how Mr. Noble was injured before acquiring his house. Mr. Noble intervenes to cause the deaths of the older white women who previously lived in the house; this is a form of revenge, and his pride over their deaths reflects a desire to take out his frustrations on white people. His appearance, “like a witch doctor” (96), further exemplifies Mr. Noble as someone who embraces how English people see Nigerian immigrants, as he portrays himself stereotypically.

Adah’s distrust of English medicine arises again as she prepares to give birth to her next child, Bubu. She fears the consequences of putting her life in the hands of doctors. At the same time, the financial incentive to give birth at home, which is more dangerous for her and her child, shows how assistance is two-sided. While giving birth at the hospital is safer, it also costs money. Giving birth at home is less safe, but also less expensive.

The novel suggests that the medical system is insufficient to assist every person, and that many women struggle in the same ways that Adah does. However, the women Adah meets in the hospital show that many women of color in England at this time are not in as bad of a position as Adah herself. The “sleek” woman is loved by her husband, and the older woman having her first child is in a position to relish her motherhood, while Adah is dealing with an abusive husband and more children than she can provide for, realistically. Francis shows his selfishness again by demanding Adah’s vacation money, which she had intended for the time she needs to take off of work for her pregnancy and birth. Francis claims that he wants the money for another accounting class, and yet Emecheta has already established that Francis does not study or attend classes. Therefore, it is likely that Francis intends to use the money for other purposes, even though Adah needs the money for herself and her new child.

Francis has some redeeming moments. For example, he cries over Vicky’s meningitis, and gets into a fight with the police over contacting the family doctor for Vicky’s ear. Francis is fierce in ensuring that Vicky gets medical attention. In contrast, Adah resigns herself to the idea that no doctor would come on Christmas because their family is poor and Black. This shows how Adah has internalized Francis’s initial position that they are second-class citizens in London.

Francis is only defensive of his family in this moment, and Adah is largely alone in caring for their children. This care has also become more difficult, as Adah does not seem to be recovering from her pregnancy well.