Essay Questions

In what ways are the Jongas similar to the Edwards? In what ways are they different?

The Jongas have some similarities to the Edwards in that both of their marriages suffer problems throughout the novel. The Edwards marriage crumbles when Mr. Edwards has an affair, an incident that eventually leads to a divorce. In relation to that, when Jende decides to go back to Cameroon, Neni is devastated and resents Jende, treating him with distance and acting cold around him. This tension eventually manifests in Jende physically beating Neni, something he has never done before. However, in spite of these similarities, there are differences between the couples as well. Jende takes a much more active role in raising his children than Mr. Edwards does at any point in the novel, and is affectionate and warm towards Neni up until the shift in their marriage. In contrast to this, Mr. Edwards sends his wife's calls to voicemail and cancels on dates with her, and spends very minimal time with his children. Although both marriages do eventually suffer, Jende is, at least for a while, a much kinder and more involved parent and husband.

Why is Neni so reluctant to go back to Cameroon? Why does Jende want to go back?

Neni is reluctant to go back to Cameroon because she is afraid of returning to a place where she was so miserable. After Jende left for America and Liomi was born, she was stuck in her house for two years before Jende could send for her, because she was shamed for having a child out of wedlock and was depressed without her husband and after having a miscarriage before Liomi. She is afraid of becoming that woman again after she goes back to Cameroon. Furthermore, her dream is to become a pharmacist, and if she goes back to Cameroon, she cannot keep going to school and must give up on that dream. Leaving America means giving up on a dream she had for herself, so she desperately does not want to go back to Cameroon.

Jende wants to go back because he is disillusioned with the American dream. He has been fired from one low-paying job and has to work at a terrible job, one that degrades his mental and physical health. He also has seen friends who have been in America for decades and still work in minimum wage jobs, and who have lost their houses in the financial crisis. He knows that for many immigrants, the American dream never comes through, and he also knows that if he goes to Cameroon, he will have a better life with more financial stability and the ability to start his own business. For him, Cameroon is a place of safety and opportunity, but for Neni, it is a place of defeat.

How does Jende exemplify the strange predicament of servitude?

Jende exemplifies the predicament of servitude because his job places him in close proximity to the Edwards for large portions of the day, often spending more time with Mr. Edwards than he spends with his actual family. This means that Jende gets to witness intimate moments in the family, fights between members, ways that members of the family hurt and criticize each other, and the feelings that they have. He is asked to do the emotional work of comforting and reassuring them, as well as keeping secrets from other family members who also employ him. In many ways, he fulfills the roles expected as a member of the family. However, he is not a member of the family and is instead an employee, one who can be fired at any time for any mistake that he might make. In many ways he is treated like a member of the family, such as how the Edwards praise him and are kind to him, but he cannot be honest with them, because he is an employee, not a member of the family. He reflects the strange place that servants are put into, in that he spends enough time with the Edwards to be a member of the family, and provides the emotional labor of a family member, but can be fired or disciplined at any time.