Essay On Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart

In the Ibo hierarchal society, women are the subject of unequal treatment and patronization. They are considered weak and are not given any power. As the novel, Things Fall Apart unravels, the author, Chinua Achebe reveals the distinct attributes of femininity. Feminine traits are also viewed with disdain in Umuofian society, especially by the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo. His past experiences shape his disposition and give rise to his stereotypical mentality; however, several events contradict the prevalent perspective of women, leading to Okonkwo facing conflicts within himself.

Feminist Theory In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, they recognize the life of the Igbos which are a tribe in the village of Umuofia during European colonization. There are many topics brought up in this book like the effects of colonization, culture and tradition, religion, race, etc. It is relatively easy to read “Things Fall Apart” as an anti-feminist text due to the face that the Igbo clan’s customs and traditions seem to side towards masculine features, such as power and strength. The novel is told through a male protagonist’s point of view in nineteenth century Nigeria, while women there do not have much rights, they do wield heavy influence over the leaders of the clan.

Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is an attempt in literary form to reinstate the dignity of the Igbo (and African) culture and people that had been become absent and restrained with the advent of colonisation of Nigeria by Europeans. Achebe demonstrates in the novel that, in a world where white colonists find the traditional customs and practices of the Igbo people as savage and primitive; the culture of this society is one of depth and dignity, where the traditions and practices of the people throughout their history demonstrates a solid and civilised structure in their own right. Analysing three episodes that occur in Things Fall Apart, this essay aims to discuss how Achebe tries to accomplish his aim of restoring dignity and self respect of the African people.

Every race, culture and civilization of the past can be studied based on their definition of masculinity. Many cultures that worshiped Gods that were considered feminine will have a history of the actual human females being treated lesser than men and men’s other more valued possessions. In ‘Things Fall Apart’, a Postcolonial tragedy written and published in 1959 by Chinua Achebe – The main character – Okonkwo, a male warrior and farmer of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe, is the epitome of ‘masculinity’. The story is set in the 1890s.

As Obierika explains, “The white man is very clever... he has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (176). Achebe’s in-depth story exhibits all aspects of Igbo culture and examines the way a culture can transform as the world progresses around it. Throughout the novel, readers sense the shift in the characters’ attitudes and beliefs towards once-vital traditions. The bold protagonist, Okonkwo, represents the culture, and as pressures to change appear from the outside world, he comes apart at the seams.

Have you ever read a novel about African cultures and traditions from African point of view? The novel Things Fall Apart, a tragedy by Chinua Achebe, centers on one tragic hero in Igbo village of Umuofia in Nigeria and the effects of European arrival on his life and Igbo clan. Throughout the novel, Achebe introduces Igbo customs to the reader by creating several occurrences and how they react on them to claim that the Igbo is civilized before the Europeans arrive. The significant difference between Igbo and Western cultures is the way wisdom is passed on: Igbo oral traditions transmit values and knowledge orally by allegorical tales, while Western literary traditions educate people through generations by written texts, just like the novel itself.

Chinua Achebe’s 1958 literary classic, Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1958), is renowned for its authentic account of the black African experience. Set in post-colonial Nigeria, the fictional novel discusses the cultural roots of the Igbos and follows the life of the tragic hero, Okonkwo. This acclaimed novel deals with strong patriarchal ideals of masculinity within the Igbo culture and how Okonkwo is a direct manifestation of this. Achebe depicts the relationship between masculinity and both male and female characters, and how this, in turn, has an effect on Okonkwo’s relationships. The strongest relationship in the novel is between father (Okonkwo) and daughter (Ezinma); their bond is strong because Ezinma is everything Okonkwo would want in a son.

Ikemefuna, Okonkwo’s stepson, is chosen by the Oracle who orders Okonkwo and a few other men to “‘...take him outside Umuofia as the custom and kill him there’” (Achebe 57). Ending lives, especially those not at fault, is inhumane to most because of how morality is emphasized in many other societies, and looked down on in the eyes of outsiders of that society. While Achebe wanted to correct negative stereotypes of Africans, he also has the goal of presenting “the true colors of Africa” in a particular scene, especially their beliefs in the community. Moreover, the author exemplified another uncivilized act performed in the village of Umuofia, which was a merciless death of a young woman.

China Achebe demonstrates the disrespect the Ibo men had for woman in Things Fall Apart by depicting verbal and physical abuse within the community. The men have control over a woman through power of authority. This physical and verbal abuse lets the men of the society feel empowerment over the woman. “ Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” Achebe 12.

The novel “things fall apart” is about the fatal demise of Okonkwo and the igbo culture of Umuofia. Okonkwo is well known and respected leader in his community, who is successful in everything he does, such as wrestling and farming. He is quick with his hands and takes pride in his accomplishments. Okonkwo’s family relationship makes him a sympathetic character because of his support and an unsympathetic character because of his cruelty. In many ways Okonkwo showed that he had no sympathy for others , However at times he could be sympathetic.

The pre-colonial and postcolonial Igbo society has been observed to be male dominated. Men reign supreme in sociocultural affairs while the female figure has specific limited prescribed roles, a confirmation of absence of feministic ideologies. Motherhood, being submissive to the husband and generally domestic dutiesare some of the roles women are associated with. As the title of the novel by Buchi Emecheta Second Class Citizenimplies, the female figure has been treated as a lesser significant sexwithin the Igbo society considering that equalityamong women is limited by their fathers, husbands and the general patriarchy system. This is something Adah finds quite the same when she moves to England whereby with her African descent she continues to suffer womanhood struggles.

First, gender roles in a society have a huge cause and effect that affects the people in the society, in the novel things fall apart these roles greatly affect family life. An example of this is how Okonkwo, the main protagonist in things fall apart, leads his family. Okonkwo is very strict and expects his wives and children to obey his every command, this caused his young wives and children to be scared of him. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children”(13). The way the gender roles in his society were set up was the women had to always obey the men. This causes Okonkwo to be strict so he can manage his household. But the effect

In Umuofia, traditions and beliefs are to be strongly respected. The line is clearly marked between men and women. Boys are taught to hide their feelings and be strong, while girls are expected to be more sensitive and caring. Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye is an example of that value which was taught : “Nothing pleased Nwoye

For women in this clan, Umuofia, there are situations and conflicts that characterize women as the weaker of the sexes. Because the tribe places such high standards on the men and other people in Umuofia, the women are placed with much lower standards on them. One example that demonstrates this is when Okonkwo shows a fourteen-year-old child, Ikemefuna, the basis of their beliefs and the foundations of what their culture is about. Okonkwo tells Ikemefuna about Okonkwo’s father and how his lack of physical confrontations had brought shame and weakness to him and his family. “...

Things Fall Apart: Literary Analysis In Things Fall Apart, a realistic fiction novel authored by Chinua Achebe, literary devices are used in numerous ways. Imagery, Allusions, Metaphors, and many others are used to develop several essential themes and ideas throughout the extent of the story. One key, elaborate, idea maintained throughout Things Fall Apart is the idea of masculinity and femininity as perceived by the main character, Okonkwo, and the whole of Umuofian culture. In summary, Achebe uses several literary devices and techniques to express many views on the abstract, subjective, concepts of masculinity and femininity.