Epitome of Masculinity
There is no grey area when dealing with the expectations of men and women in a tribalistic society; there is only black or white. Men and women are on completely different ends of the spectrum regarding how society perceives them. In the Igbo culture, men are considered the head of family and society while women are considered caretakers and are subordinate to men. Men are expected to have an active and aggressive personality while women, however, are expected to be subservient and passive. These expectations shape how society is supposed to be and influence the decisions of individuals. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the protagonist, Okonkwo, best fulfils his gender role through his mentality, actions, and ideologies.
First of all, Okonkwo demonstrates how to be the ideal man in accordance to the Igbo culture by expressing his feelings of humiliation when someone is exhibiting feminine behavior. Okonkwo is disgusted by the idea of a man who acts like a women or has no title to claim for himself. In the Igbo society, not having a title to represent oneself is equivalent to be being a women. A prime example of such a person would be Okonkwo’s father, Unoka. Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by a fear, the fear of failure and of …show more content…
Gender roles are essentially one-sided in determining the functions of an individual within a society. They set specific expectations for both men and women. Society perceives an individual based on their specific personality according to gender. This concept is illuminated throughout the novel. The men are thought to be active and aggressive so that they can maintain dominance in the household and on the battlefield. On the other hand, women are expected gentle and passive so that they can tend for children and are in charge of domestic
There is no grey area when dealing with the expectations of men and women in a tribalistic society; there is only black or white. Men and women are on completely different ends of the spectrum regarding how society perceives them. In the Igbo culture, men are considered the head of family and society while women are considered caretakers and are subordinate to men. Men are expected to have an active and aggressive personality while women, however, are expected to be subservient and passive. These expectations shape how society is supposed to be and influence the decisions of individuals. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the protagonist, Okonkwo, best fulfils his gender role through his mentality, actions, and ideologies.
First of all, Okonkwo demonstrates how to be the ideal man in accordance to the Igbo culture by expressing his feelings of humiliation when someone is exhibiting feminine behavior. Okonkwo is disgusted by the idea of a man who acts like a women or has no title to claim for himself. In the Igbo society, not having a title to represent oneself is equivalent to be being a women. A prime example of such a person would be Okonkwo’s father, Unoka. Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by a fear, the fear of failure and of …show more content…
Gender roles are essentially one-sided in determining the functions of an individual within a society. They set specific expectations for both men and women. Society perceives an individual based on their specific personality according to gender. This concept is illuminated throughout the novel. The men are thought to be active and aggressive so that they can maintain dominance in the household and on the battlefield. On the other hand, women are expected gentle and passive so that they can tend for children and are in charge of domestic