Conclusion of Ake

I think Wole's motivations behind joining the women's movement have to do with the fact that he can relate to their plight of wanting to stand up for something they believe in, even if they are not 100% taken seriously. He has often seen women in moments of humiliation - shame dance, maid crying when accused of dropping Folsade - and I think seeing them rally against the taxation in great numbers inspires him to rally for his own education and learning process.

The women in this book are different from the ones we met in Nervous Conditions and The Book of Not in that they are able to organize; I felt like Mai and Maiguru were never going to see eye to eye on anything, even if the cause was universally good. They let their class differences divide them more than the women in Ake, but that can even be a touchy comparison considering the women in Egbaland are a bit better off than those in Tambu's homestead. Also, the women in Ake are well-versed in multiple forms of communication, so that there is never complete reliance on one method over another. They make pamphlets, pontificate in speeches, send representatives to England, and make gestures. Their goals are always clear, whereas in Tambu's world, the women rely on verbal transfer and the occasional telephone. There is more room for miscommunication in Tambu's world, and therefore more opportunities for controversial tensions to arise that prevent unity.