Masculinity In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

“Be a man” is common quote heard involving males in American society, especially when they are young. It is used to prompt one to be independent and tough and it seems that not only the Igbo tribe is concerned with a man’s masculinity. It is widely known throughout the world that the man of the house provides and protects the family. In Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, being a masculine and strong male is important and even accentuated to where it is the only thing a male focuses on. In this book, Achebe portrays a man, Okonkwo, who is obviously obsessed with masculinity and power while claiming the new religion, brought by the colonists, to not be manly enough. This happens while his tribe falls apart since they do not share Okonkwo’s

It is said that that Okonkwo is a very imposing figure and ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives,...lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper (13).” This reveals that Okonkwo was subjecting his family to fear and beatings which although effective in controlling people, it will end up unraveling his life later on. Near the end of the book, Okonkwo’s weakness finally kills the spirit of the tribe when he decapitates the colonial messenger. Immediately after killing the messenger, Okonkwo “knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape . They had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in the tumult (205),” Okonkwo’s killing of the messenger was during a clan meeting on how to deal with the colonial threat and Okonkwo was furious from the previous day having been imprisoned and beaten with a whip. Therefore, when he saw the messenger, anger overtook him and he lashed at the man with his machete and killed him. The next day, Okonkwo was found to have hung himself because he had lost all hope in his tribes’ independence. He killed his tribe because his action was too soon and too violent, and it was something the tribe was astonished at seeing. In turn, the tribe panicked while the other messengers escaped and the Igbo’s fate was sealed. He Killed himself because his tribe had fallen apart and lost touch of