The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

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Savage, O.M.N., 1992, 'Artificial donor insemination in Yaounde: Some socio cultural considerations', Social Science & Medicine 34, 907-913. [ Links] Bolanle’s mother worked hard to educate her daughter and save her from a life of polygamy and dependence. She cannot understand why her daughter has chosen such a fate. But Bolanle hides a terrible secret—a secret that will unwittingly exposes the deception and lies, secrets and shame upon which Baba Segi’s household rests. Mayo, Douglas (2018-05-15). "Cast Announced For Arcola's The Secret Lives Of Baba Segi's Wives". British Theatre . Retrieved 2021-06-10. Her father was an alcoholic who escaped from his responsibilities and difficulties in life by either physically leaving or through alcohol. To say Mama Bolane was overbearing is an understatement as she’s described as being very difficult and constantly browbeating her kids. She has never-ending criticisms, is never satisfied, and has nothing good to say.

Hanna and Gough (2015:6) indicate that some women voluntarily protect their infertile husband given the stigma that is attached to male infertility. They point out that 'women often shoulder the "blame" for fertility problems even when male-factor infertility has been diagnosed'. Seeing that her money gave Segi pride and independence, Mama Segi’s solution was to arrange a marriage between Segi and Baba Segi. When Segi and Baba Segi first met, Segi still had burning ambitions to be independent. She had a great mind for business and upon entering Baba Segi’s household she used her business savvy to help establish and grow his business. Abiola, Emmanuel. Negotiating Patriarchal Structures: Polygamy and Female Agency in Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. Ibadan Journal of English Studies 7 (2018): 497–504.

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The doctor asks questions that seem typical for discussing reproductive health yet he’s offended by everything. Part of this might be because the doctor is a man asking Bolanle about her menstrual cycle and their sex life. These are intimate questions but to be expected and I would also assume that a physical exam would be required at some point.

Bolanle was the wife who came to spoil it all. Bolanle, a graduate, expected to aspire for more, to her parents’ disappointment, ended up marrying a polygamist as a 4th wife. No one understood Bolanle’s actions, but for Bolanle, all she wanted was a place to hideaway. It wasn’t for Baba Segi’s money. She felt unseen and dirty. The rape made her feel dirty, irrelevant, not worthy of anyone, and so when Baba Segi showed interest in her, she immediately settled for him, a polygamist.

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Widge, A., 2002, 'Sociocultural attitudes towards infertility and assisted reproduction in India', in E. Vayena, P.J. Rowe & P.D. Griffin (eds.), Current practices and controversies in assisted reproduction, pp. 60-74, World Health Organization, Geneva. [ Links] The … subjugation of woman is the subjugation of her womb, the subjugation of access to her body, so that she should not … explore the pleasures of her own body but that her own body and its fruit should belong first to her father, who would sell her or trade to her husband. She must be delivered as undamaged goods, duly inspected … (p. 219) Greil, A., Slauson-Blevins, K. & McQuillan, J., 2010, 'The experience of infertility: A review of recent literature', Sociology of Health & Illness 32(1), 140-162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01213.x[ Links]