Today You Become a Man

Author

Kanayochukwu Edwin Aniegboka, University of New Mexico - Main CampusFollow

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2025

Abstract

Today You Become a Man is a memoir in essays about growing up as a first son under the weight of Igbo patriarchy. Set in 1980s and ’90s Enugu, Nigeria, the book follows my childhood relationship with my father, a drunk, Americanized version of an Igbo man, and how that shaped the way I came to understand what it meant to be male. Through essays that move back and forth in time, the memoir looks at the roles played by my mother, sisters, extended family, and especially my father, in shaping how I saw myself and what was expected of me. The final essay returns to my father’s burial, where the training continues. At the center of the book is a question: what does it cost to be raised as a symbol of tradition, and how does that shape the men first sons become?

Degree Name

MFA Creative Writing

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

English

First Committee Member (Chair)

Gregory Martin

Second Committee Member

Daniel Mueller

Third Committee Member

Bethany Davila

Fourth Committee Member

Chika Unigwe

Language

English

Keywords

Culture, Patriarchy, Igbo, Nigeria, Family, Manhood, Tradition

Document Type

Dissertation

Recommended Citation

Aniegboka, Kanayochukwu Edwin. "Today You Become a Man." (2025). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/engl_etds/417