THINGS FALL APART
Throughout the world, from the beginning of time to today, women have been thought of as inferior, men's possessions and only there to serve man's every need. As far back as the nomadic civilizations, women were considered the nurtures and homemakers. They were supposed to stay home, take of the children and cook all of the family's meals. Today women, in some places, are still not treated as equals and have little if any rights. As well as having unequal rights, women have been treated harshly. They have been beaten, raped, taken advantage of and harassed. Many authors have written novels about or incorporating the arbitrary treatment of women. As time passed women began to gain rights and their roles began to increase in importance. Chinua Achebe incorporates these unequal roles of women as part of the culture of the Pre-Colonial Ibo, or Igbo as sometimes called tribe of Nigeria, in his novel Things Fall Apart. Through the life of Okonkwo, the tragic hero of Things Fall Apart, the reader is presented with the roles of women through various events that take place in the village of Umuofia.Throughout the book the Ibo's social view on males and females becomes very easily observed. They Ibo believe that men are strong and determi
When Okonkwo was exiled from his village of Umuofia and forced to return to his motherland. His mothers family, though Okonkwo's attitude, accepted him and helped him to adapt to his new village. Okonkwo's uncle gives a speech directed at him shortly after he comes to his motherland. He asks Okonkwo if he knows why they often name their children Nneka, or "Mother is Supreme?" Okonkwo does not know and shakes his head. His uncle, Uchendu, after laughing at his ignorance explains to Okonkwo why they do this. He explains that one's mother is always there for their children. He says, "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." He was trying to tell Okonkwo that a man becomes happy and sad throughout his life, but when things become really bad one's mother is always there to take care of and comfort him. Ibo also assign important roles to women as well as housewife. They painted the houses of egwugwu, and every man's first wife is paid some respect. During the palm wine ceremony at Nwakibie's obi, none of the other wives were allowed to sit or begin to drink their wine, until Nwakibie's first wife arrived. In Pre-Colonial Nigeria "the position of a young wife improved as she grew older, bore children and earned approval from the older members of the village." Women, mainly mothers, most important role was being there to comfort either their children after they were beaten, sad, or when they are banned from their village. Chinua Achebe gave the women in his novel, Things Fall Apart, roles similar to those of women, throughout the world at that time but most importantly similar to women in Pre-Colonial Nigeria, where this book takes place. The positions of women in Pre-Colonial Nigeria, varied with each tribe. "Women held a basically complementary, rather than subordinate, positions to men in indigenous pre-colonial Nigerian society, which based power on seniority rather than gender." In Things Fall Apart though, gender was
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Approximate Word count = 1376
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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