Universal Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart By Achebe

Discrimination has been around for a long time and will continue to exist if we insist on labeling and boxing individuals in categories that are meant to separate instead of unite. Discrimination is often times associated with race, religion and appearance. However, one of the biggest subjects discussed when referring to discrimination is gender roles. We live in a world where humans are social beings more than anything else. We have been conditioned to believe that everyone living in society has to abide by the imposed social construct. In particular, the indication of gender roles is heavily influential and prominent in many cultures around the world. So what are our universal gender roles? Universally, most societies believe that men are dominant and women are inferior. The ideology that a woman’s entire existence should be dedicated to caring for her husband and children is still commonly accepted by many cultures around the world. It is also the norm to believe women are

Nevertheless, the ideology that working in a sophisticated work environment is not a woman’s place dates back to the old days. In the novel Things Fall Apart by Achebe, a woman’s job was to attend to the household needs, care for the children and husband. The men, in this particular culture were seen as protectors and worriers. They were the hegemonic force in the home, which meant women had to abide by their instructions. In the novel, the protagonist Okonkwo owned many wives. He viewed his wives as properties and treated them like properties. Achebe states, “Okonkwo ruled his household with heavy hands. All of his wives, especially the youngest lived in perpetual fear” (8). There are many moments in history that reflects Okonkwo’s and his tribe’s views on a woman’s place in society. Obviously, we are still discussing the same views in today’s society in the form of discrimination in the