Essay on Gender Roles in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe

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†¦show more content†¦Even the crops were gendered (Okhamafe 127). Coco-yams, beans, and cassava were â€Å"women’s crops† (Achebe 23). Yam, the â€Å"king of crops†, was â€Å"a man’s crop† (Achebe 23). In U mofia, all that is desirable and admired is associated with manliness. Anything that is demeaning or scornful is considered to be womanly. Okonkwo life is â€Å"dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness† (Achebe 13). When Okonkwo was a boy, his playmates teased him calling, saying that his father was agbala. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was lazy. He did not work on his farm; he died in great debt. He did not acquire a single title. He did not have a barn to pass down to his son. Unoka is a type of man who is scorned in Umofia. He is seen as weak and effeminate. As Okonkwo grows older, he is determined not become a failure like his father. His father was weak; he will be strong. His father was lazy; he will be hard-working. Okonkwo earned his fame by defeating the reigning wrestling champion. Okonkwo diligently plants yam, building a successful farm. He builds himself an obi, has three wives and many children. His fame â€Å"rested on solid personal achievements† (Achebe 3). Okonkwo will not let one womanly trait sully his reputation. Therefore, he â€Å"hate[d] everything that his father U noka had loved† (Achebe 13). One of these was gentleness. Okonkwo refuses to show any signs of emotion, except his temper. HeShow MoreRelatedGender Roles : Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart2246 Words   |  9 Pages The roles of male and female have been controversial since the beginning of time. In the early modern era, several authors explain how gender roles impact their society. One of these authors is Chinua Achebe, who wrote the novel, Things Fall Apart that reflects the conditional of society. The significance of one’s culture affected gender roles and allowed society to determine an individual lifestyle; therefore, I attend to identify the structure of gender roles in Things Fall Apart on howRead MoreEssay about Role of Women in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe1453 Words   |  6 Pages The role of women in society has grown and changed tremendously with the development of the world. Within the American culture, women’s rights have e xpanded to the extent of being able to vote for who runs our country or even possibly being the person that does run our country. Although the American culture has somewhat promoted the growth of a woman’s role in society, does not mean women receive the same respect in other cultures around world. For example, in Africa women are viewedRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1325 Words   |  6 Pages Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Thing Fall Apart, first published in 1958, is Chinua Achebe’s first and most acclaimed novel. 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Everything essential of Igbo life is based on their gender, which throughout the novel it shows the role of women and the position they hold, from their role in the family household, also planting women crops, to bearing children. Although the women were claimed to be weaker and seemed to be treated as objects, in the Igbo culture the women still provided qualities that make them worthyRead MoreSocial Organization, Leadership Roles, and Colonial Presence in Chinua Achebe‚Äà ´s ‚Äà ºThings Fall Apart†šÃ„à ¹1136 Words   |  5 PagesNatalie Clark Anth 2315/ Dr. Kennell July 26, 2011 Social Organization, Leadership Roles, and Colonial Presence in Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† Chinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† tells the story of Okonkwo, an ambitious man from the Igbo village of Umuofia, in modern day Nigeria at the onset of the Colonial era. Okonkwo is a rising member of the society until he inadvertently kills a kinsman and must flee for seven years to his mother’s clan so as not to offend the earth goddess