In life, people of different gender or ethnicity are segregated based on just their physical features, and no one pays attention to the outcome. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart incorporates many aspects of the Ibo culture into this novel. This novel shows how one village moves through life from the aspect of where it can be productive or harmful. One of the highest ranking leaders of the Village of Umuofia, Okonkwo has a family of many wives and children. Okonkwo goes through thriving in the village into falling to the bottom of the pyramid, as he becomes exiled. In Umuofia women along with children would be abused by their husbands for the littlest of things. Many wonder, why women? Masculinity and Femininity can demonstrate differences …show more content…
Society brings many different sorts of people contributing success to society, with the most obvious detail being that they are masculine or feminine. This diversity can bring a very splendid, beneficial contribution to all that are in relation with that society. Achebe states, “He has a large barn full of yams and he had three wives” (Achebe 6). To begin with, the women in Umuofia are shown as a symbol. This symbol shows the femininity and how the women are shown as a prise that makes a man outstand amongst the other men. The number of wives one man has usually signifies his superiority to the village. Later on, Achebe finds himself at a states where he explains this quote as to why Okonkwo is not a failure and has brought so much success to the world around him. Okonkwo is very well respected and thought of as a leader not only because of the superiority he gains from his wives, but the fact where he is that one figure that has all the manly features that are brought to an extensive level. Another fact can be where the women seem to be the ones to benefit to the society in their form of being a women. From having children to helping around the huts of their husbands, this can all be shown to comfort the husbands. Wives are not the only women expressed in Umuofia. …show more content…
Most of these negative aspects are from how the men of Umuofia treat the women and children. Men in Things Fall Apart seem to want to have all the superiority among everything. In our present society we say, “All humans were created equal,” but Achebe did not incorporate that into his novel. Everyone would have the opinion where certain things in society were only for certain genders to do. In view of this, an example can be where Ezinma, Okonkwo’s daughter says, “Can I bring you a chair for you,” and Okonkwo replying, “No that is a boy’s job” (Achebe 44). This being, the inference of how certain genders have to do certain jobs can set a really negative impression. In accordance, men in Umuofia also thought using their physical abilities was an appropriate way to get their women to do something. “No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children he was not really a man.” (pg 53) This strong quote from the test shows where men have that though in their minds where if they believe that they are like a women, they take action and do something. The instant resolution is to beat their wives or children to prove they are still manly. As a result, these two major points show how masculinity and femininity negatively impact one's
In this story, Achebe defines societal standards as the basis for personal status. It is evident throughout the story as we see Okonkwo, a very strong and fierce character struggle to adapt to the new changes and technology the Missionaries had to offer. These changes were not just religious based, the Europeans were there to expand the village, but in turn change and take away what it was created upon. The people of Umuofia prided themselves in their founding traditions, soon these traditions were going to be considered impractical, and these same traditions that the people saw as i...
In the Umuofia’s culture, women are often mistreated by their husbands and are expected not to question the men within their tribe. Although the women are viewed as inferior, they play a very important role in the Umuofia’s culture by keeping the family together and passing down important traditions to their children, which will continue their heritage.
Women had an important role in the family as the caregiver to their husband and children. They were also expected to cook and clean their compound, plan parties and entertain guests. Men were involved in the politics of their culture and were in charge of the King Yams, their main and most important crop. According to Carrera, the women’s role in the Igbo culture was to be weak and pure for their husbands. The men’s role was to be dominant, in society and at home, this is why they have the “right” to beat their wives. In chapter 4, the author shows the right that men have, “... she returned he beat her very heavily.” The reason that Okonkwo beat his wife was because she didn’t make dinner for him and her children, instead she went to plait her hair. Also, in the Igbo culture men were able to have multiple wives, on the other hand, women were expected to have only one husband. There is however a lot of respect for both genders in their culture though because women were allowed to leave one husband to be with another. On page 109, chapter 11, it shows that Ekwefi was able to do this, “Two years after her marriage to Anene she could bear it no longer and she ran away to Okonkwo.” The respect and value for both of these gender’s was what helped keep the Igbo culture alive and
Okonkwo, the main character in Achebe’s novel, begins as an individual who holds great power in the Umuofi...
Umuofia is a “male-dominated society in which the chief goddess is female and in which proverbial wisdom maintains ‘mother is supreme’”(Nnormele, 274) as explained by Achebe himself. Things Fall Apart brings you way back to a day and age where both males and females each had their life task set up for them based on their gender. Males were meant to do masculine things such as having “wives, yam barns, social titles [which were] the highest accolades for the successful farmer, warrior, and man of worth.” (Mezu 212) determining his social status and women do “the core of the rural workforce ‐farming, tending animals, nurturing children, among other activities.”(Mezu, 212). Feminism is seen as an insult and dehumanizing for the men. At a young age boys aren 't suppose to hang around their mother anymore but be with their father and learn things with out a filter or censor about the world. You see this when Nwoya is now in the hut with Okonkwo hearing stories, the stories are about war and so on. While there Nwoya understands that he has to be there and hear those things because of masculinity but he much rather be in his mothers hut hearing the stories she tells the little
In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, women play the roles of oppressed homemakers that are perceived as weak and defenseless second-class citizens, as the educators of children, and as spiritual leaders in traditional Ibo culture. Through the life of Okonwo, the main character of Things Fall Apart, the roles of women in traditional Ibo culture are presented through various events that take place in the village of Umuofia. In traditional Ibo culture, women were to stay at home and tend to their husbands’ needs and satisfy them. The women were viewed as property of their fathers and were then sold to the suitor that was willing to pay her bride price. A woman had no identity of her own, the status and position of her husband defined her.
” Without looking at the man Okonkwo had said “This meeting is for men.” The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That is why he had called him a woman. Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit”, by Okonkwo saying this he is basically indicating that women are seen as weak and are not highly valued in Umuofia. Where the author says Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit, that can be a reason as to why he thinks women are weak. One more example on how women get treated poorly or not highly valued is “It was clear from the way the crowd stood or sat that the ceremony
The character of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was driven by fear, a fear of change and losing his self-worth. He needed the village of Umuofia, his home, to remain untouched by time and progress because its system and structure were the measures by which he assigned worth and meaning in his own life. Okonkwo required this external order because of his childhood and a strained relationship with his father, which was also the root of his fears and subsequent drive for success. When the structure of Umuofia changed, as happens in society, Okonkwo was unable to adapt his methods of self-evaluation and ways of functioning in the world; the life he was determined to live could not survive a new environment and collapsed around him.
Upon an initial reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it is easy to blame the demise of Okonkwo’s life and of the Umofia community on the imperialistic invasions of the white men. After all, Okonkwo seemed to be enjoying relative peace and happiness before then. He did have a few mishaps; one of them resulted in him being exiled for eight years. Nonetheless, he returned to his home town with high spirits and with prospects of increased success. However, everything has changed. The white men have brought with them a new religion and a new government. Okonkwo’s family falls apart. The men in his village lose their courage and valor; they do not offer any resistance to the white men. Consequently, Okonkwo kills himself in disgrace and Umofia succumbs to the white men. However, the white men are not the only people responsible for demise of Umofia. The Igbo culture, particularly their views on gender roles, sows the seed of their own destruction. By glorifying aggressive, manly traits and ignoring the gentle, womanly traits, Umofia brings about its own falling apart.
Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart tells the story of the people of an Igbo village in Nigeria. In Igbo society, the traditions and gender roles are strict, and being a woman or viewed as feminine is a negative thing. Okonkwo, the novel’s protagonist, values the traditions of his clan, but is controlled by the fear of being perceived as weak or effeminate. This fear causes Okonkwo to make decisions that are frowned upon by his fellow villagers, creating conflict.
A main character in the novel, Okonkwo has several wives. He orders them around like dogs. They are never to question what they are instructed to do; they are expected to be obedient. We see this early in the story, when Okonkwo brings Ikemefuna into his home. Okonkwo tells his senior wife that Ikemefuna belongs to the tribe and that she is expected to look after him. She in turn asks him if he will be staying with them for a long period of time. This sends Okonkwo into a fury. He snaps at her in a very degrading manner, "Do what you are told woman. When did you become one of the ndichie (meaning elders) of Umuofia?"(pg.12) Clearly she receives no respect. Later in the story we see this woman try to comfort Ikemefuna. She "mothers" him as if he is one of her own children. She tries to put him at ease and can almost instinctively feel how much he misses his own mother.
The Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a straight to the point story, embedded with interesting elements that capture readers’ attention. In my view, when I read the story, I found many interesting things about the theme of the book. But The Masculinity Okonkwo was what captures my attention. The story opens up to a Traditional Igbo lifestyle, a theme which is highly stylized from its ritual to the actions performed for certain ceremonies. Most of the action Igbo tribe has been an attempt to show respect to the gods, for example, when ikemefuna became sick and his stomach swelled up their traditions says that he take them to the evil forest and kill him. The story also seems to focus on gender, family, respect and reputation, and religion. In fact, Gender which in Igbo tradition, sets standards and roles between Igbo women and men. Women in Igbo Culture are the weaker sex, but are endowed with qualities that make them worthy of worship, like the ability to bear children. Men in Igbo Culture are the stronger sex, which gives them the ability to provide for their family and has prowess on the battlefield. In Igbo culture, building a nice and respectable family is important and titles in their culture gives them respect and builds reputation in the ‘‘Umuofia’’ village playing a big role in Igbo tradition. Nothing plays a bigger role in Igbo tradition than religion, the ‘‘Umuofia’’ village worship the goddess of the earth are always careful to avoid committing sins of their goddess with a fear of vengeance that might wipe out an entire generation. In the story, the men of the Umuofia village seem to care a lot about masculinity, when Okonkwo is hosting a party he takes it very seriously and ...
Throughout the world there are many conflicts. It has been that way all throughout history. Since the dawn of man, there have been many conflicts. These conflicts led to wars and changed the lives of many forever. Almost all of the conflicts are due to discrimination by different groups of people. Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, provide examples of discrimination between groups of people. The story focuses on the life and suicide of Okonkwo, a well-respected clansman of Umuofia clan. He struggles between the traditional strong masculine culture in a Nigerian Village and the new customs brought by white missionaries. The book shows the disastrous effects of prejudice and intolerance leading readers to reflect on the similarities of present and history. Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, strongly represents the vast amount of bigotry between those of different genders, religious groups, and social statuses throughout history.
The author Chinua Achebe, in the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” shares the extreme diversity between the female and male characters residing in Umofia. Okonkwo, the male leader of the tribe, carries qualities such as power and manliness, as all men are expected to. As for the females they are commonly referred as being weaker for child bearing and more responsible because they are expected to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Although the traits of the Igbo culture vary in the determination of the sexes, both genders share both positive and negative aspects of their community.
According to David Whittaker, Achebe’s work “proved to be an immensely influential work for African writers, becoming the progenitor of a whole movement of fiction, drama, and poetry, which focused on the revaluation of Africa’s history and cultures, and on representations of the culture conflicts that has their genesis in the colonial era.” This novel became a pivotal point of realization not only for Africa, but also for the world. All at once the world, afraid of what change may bring, pushed the same question to the back their mind: “What if we have it all wrong?” Suddenly, the culture of Africa was influencing the culture of America, Asia, Europe, Australia, etc. Achebe’s novel was a catalyst in the process of nationalist renewal and decolonization of African culture as a whole (Whittaker). A principle in this novel’s thematic course is the inter-generation conflict faced by not only the village as a whole, but also, on a microscopic level, in Okonkwo’s household. As the culture in Umuofia begins to shift, the predecessors of the current generation heavily rely on the cultural norms initiated by their father’s fathers. While tradition should be honored in a society, it should also be modified; this concept is not fully grasped by the older generations of