How Are Women Portrayed In Things Fall Apart

The African novels presents different images of women in the contemporary patriarchal society. The famous African writers like Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart, Camara Laye Dark Child, and Bessie Head. African imagery in portraying and dramatizing the characters and situation, for effect and authenticity.

The position and image of women in Things Fall Apart is an important topic. Unfortunately, people have not paid much attention to it beyond going along with the assumption that this novel presents woman as a sadly oppressed group with no power. This assumption may appear right, but there is much more to think about. Women in Things Fall Apart are the primary educators of children. Through storytelling and other forms of discourse, they educate

The education process is done in part through the ritual of storytelling. The narrator describes, “Low voices, broken now and again by singing, reached Okonkwo from his wives’ huts as each woman and her children told folk stories” (Achebe 96). It is through storytelling that the children learn important lessons about the human condition, are taught the Ibo creation myths, such as the birds and the tortoise story, and master the art of communicating by retelling the stories themselves. As stated earlier in the novel, “Among Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 7). The Ibo women are playing a significant role in the facilitation of this learning, which is vital to their children’s ability to function within the Ibo culture. At first glance, the role of women in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart may appear to unfairly limited in terms of their authority and power. Upon delving beneath this deceiving surface, one can see that the women of the clan hold some very powerful positions: spiritually as the priestess, symbolically as the earth goddess, and literally as the nurturers of the Ibo people, the caretakers of the yam crops and the mothers and educators of the Ibo

Laye’s states that his mother kept him close by in her hut and separated him from her other children. Due to the treatment from his mother, he felt privileged among his other siblings, which could also explain why he speaks so little of them throughout the story. Laye’s description of his mother simply displays her protective attitude she has for him and she controlled how he interacted with others. But his father undermines the authority and feelings of Laye 's mother, openly refusing her decisions to keep Laye from attending school in the city, or playing with other children. Laye’s father believe he knew what was right, however Laye’s mother is being strict and controlling because she doesn’t want her son to pick up the same habits as other children and get hurt in any way. As Laye matures, he develops more of a dismissal of his mother 's protective instincts over him and whiles he fears disappointing and hurting her to leave and study school in Conakry and later France. Even as an adult, he takes in consideration what his mother taught him as young boy, but he disregards her concern to pursue the educational opportunity offered him. Her fears are perhaps less about him leaving home, but more about him losing his connection to his heritage and not carrying on the traditions. His mother fears were actually correct because the western values of a solid education persuaded Laye’s mind