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discuss womanhood in the Igbo culture
discuss womanhood in the Igbo culture
Negative aspects of Igbo culture in Things Fall Apart
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“A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. . . . And that is why we say that mother is supreme” (p.134). In Achebe’s 1959 “Things Fall Apart”, female figures appear to have minor domesticated roles; however with these words Achebe calls attention to female strength within the tribe. Feminine power is recognized within the tribe, and fear of this power provides the foundation for the male obsession with displays of masculinity. Achebe highlights significant female goddesses, displays a solid feminine role in education, fully develops strong-minded female characters, and demonstrates masculine catastrophes, therefore establishes female as the stronger gender in the tribe.
Achebe’s whisper to feminine strengths in his novel was influenced by his intended 1950’s Western audience. Cobham suggests, as cited by Krishnan (2012), that “Achebe chooses representations of Igbo society that are most easily digested by a Western audience” (p.8). In the 1950’s with the end of World War II and men returning home, women’s value was regarded mainly as domestic housewives and mothers. Catalano (2002) illustrates the atmosphere in 1950’s United States explaining, “the Cold War placed an added emphasis on family unity as a defense against communism, making the role of women as wives and mothers crucial to the preservation of the United States and its democratic ideals” and submits, many “identify the 1950s as the pinnacle of gender inequality” (p45). For the benefit of his audience, the stock feminine characters Achebe made obvious mimicked that of 1950’s United States: the inferior female, domesticate...
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... Things fall apart. New York, NY: Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Catalano, Christina (2002). Shaping the American woman: Feminism and advertising in the 1950s. Constructing the Past 3(1), Article 6, 45-55. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol3/iss1/6
Jeyifo, B. (1993). Okonkwo and his mother: ‘Things Fall Apart’ and issues of gender in the constitution of African postcolonial discourse. Callaloo, 16(4), 847-859 Retrieved from http://www.ucd.ie/english/articles/balzano1.htm
Krishnan, M. (2012). Mami Wata and the occluded feminine in Anglophone Nigerian-Igbo literature. Research in African Literatures, 43(1), 1-18. doi:10.2979/reseafrilite.43.1.1
Nnolim, C. E. (1983). The form and function of the folk tradition in Achebe’s novels. Retrieved from http://ariel.synergiesprairies.ca/ariel/index.php/ariel/article/viewFile/1670/1629
The short stories “Two Sisters” and “Wedding at the Cross” are filled with examples of the powerful hand men and Western colonialism played in the lives of African women, but they also provide examples of women rising above these oppressors. Ama Aito Aidoo and Ngugi Wa Thiong'o give a representation of the societies that hindered and oppressed African women in a post-colonial Africa. Through the actions taken by the characters, the authors offer commentary on the social situation and on the way women can change their position. The short stories depict the everyday life of the women and take the reader through their journey for independence from men and Western colonialism.
Mama Beatrice and Aunty Ifeoma represent different women in post-colonial Nigerian society. Nevertheless, they both show the empowerment and subjugation in the domestic position they serve. From the time Nigerian women had an equal purpose in their tribe as men in pre- colonial Nigeria to the after math of colonialism in 1960, it is clear that colonialism disrupted the traditional system of indigenous Nigerian societies. Nigeria’s women have continuously evolved, but their persistent spirit they always possessed never changed.
Chinua Achebe analyzes a culture he is not accustomed with. The Madwoman in the attic theory comes into play as a westerner writing about “savage Africa”. Things Fall Apart provides an important understanding of Africana identity and history for those in the West who may be unfamiliar with African culture. Achebe tackles female identity within this book with delicacy keeping with the Ibo view of female nature in the background of the story but the forefront of the reader’s mind. A discussion of womanhood must touch upon manhood because they operate as a complementary, opposing, and equal entity.
her heavily.” (p. 29). Despite the beatings, Achebe shows that the Ibo women have valuable parts in the
In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the theme of perceived masculinity is prominent and portrayed as a critical characteristic which has the potential to shape clans, families, and the safety of others. Because of the emphasis placed on masculinity, women are widely disregarded and downplayed, as they are seen as property. In African culture men are revered due to their warrior-like natures that can uphold the functionality of a clan, but frowned upon when deemed as weak; the result of this fear of weakness led to the dominance of men over women.
Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, includes a narrative about protagonist Okonkwo and how he perceives his wives, friends, father, and children based on how they measure up to societal customs which expect each to carry out and stay within his or her given role. Okonkwo is no different in frequency of judgement than Marlow. While each author has his own respective style, both convey the effect that preconception has on perception. Okonkwo is first described to hate his father: “...even as a little boy he had resented his father's failure and weakness…” (13). Diction such as “failure” and “weakness” aid the reader in understanding the taboo surrounding frailty in Umuofia and specifically the African culture. This taboo is emphasized by the
Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, the main character repeatedly mentions about “becoming a woman” (Achebe 45). This story takes place in the 1800’s about a man named Okonkwo revealing the way he feels about gender roles. In his novel, Chinua Achebe uses figurative language and foreshadowing to show the readers what gender stereotypes means in Umuofia. While Okonkwo was having his meal he told Ezinma,“Sit like a woman” (Achebe 44). This demonstrates he supports the fact that a woman is expected to sit properly on a chair. He also stands by the fact that a women should not carry someone else’s chair. “Can I bring your chair?” “No, that’s a boy’s job” (Achebe 44). Things can go wrong if something is not along
Women’s rights are consistently suppressed in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” while in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, the powerful Mother of the Spirits is revered and her daughters beaten and persecuted because of their gender. These authors were vividly depicting the reality of the repression of women during this time period. They exploit the vulnerabilities of women by criticizing all of their stereotypical feminine qualities. To be called a “woman” is among the utmost offensive insults spewed upon the feeble and meek.
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.
In the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Achebe which was written in order to respond to the stereotype of Africa by Joseph Conrad in his text “Heart of Darkness” it viewed women as powerless, second-class citizens and were irrelevant to the
Achebe writes Things Fall Apart to revise the history that has been misplaced. He writes to the European and Western culture. This fact is evident because the book is written in English and it shows us the side of the African culture we wouldn’t normally see. Achebe is constantly ...
Chinua Achebe writes against a particular historical tradition and a national context to present his point of view as a novelist. His novels achieve universality through a sensitive interpretation of socio-cultural situations of Igbo community. Achebe uses his African background to explore the human conditions of pride and power, defeat and dejection, love and loss. Though firmly set in Africa, his novels have a universal appeal. Achebe claims to be an insider to the Igbo world and a recorder of the cultural history of his people. Achebe shows that in Igbo system nothing is absolute, and anything and everyone is counterbalanced with the consciousness of the community. The tradition and socio-cultural spaces enable to achieve a balance and
----- "Women in Pre-Colonial Nigeria." African Postcolonial Literature in English in the Postcolonial Web Page. 30 June 2001. http://landow.stg.brown.edu/ post/nigeria/precolwon.html
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.
The novel "Things Fall Apart" was set in the southeastern part of Nigeria where most Igbo’s live. I remember when I first saw the Novel "Things fall apart." I read the plot summary a sentence which, mislead me was "it is the story of a "strong" man whose life is dominated by fear and anger." I concluded this story is just going to be about a man who was like the James bond of his town. I read the content of the book and found out I was totally wrong. The author gave full insight to the readers which helps to unravel the culture of the Igbo’s and how the land of Umuofia was during the anti colonial era. The book focus on so many things but the main things are Gender,Culture and Religion. I always wanted to know what inspired Chinua Achebe