• Home Page
  • Things Fall Apart Comparative Essay

Things Fall Apart Comparative Essay

Great Essays
Show More
ASSIGNMENT

Question: Taking any two aspects, write a comparative analysis of 'Things Fall Apart' and 'My Son's Story' in the light of the essays (assigned or prescribed) that you have read.

A detailed study of Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' and Nadine Gordimer's 'My Son's Story' throws sufficient light on a few significant aspects namely the treatment and depiction of women and the narrative techniques used in both these texts. These aspects form the basis for a comparative analysis of these books.

Achebe's novel 'Things Fall Apart' portrays women as unfortunate and inanimate beings who have been placed in the world for the sole purpose of giving birth to children and taking care of them and their fathers. Women in this novel are associated mainly with the responsibilities of the house and weakness. In the Igbo society,men who had no title were referred to as 'agbala' which also happens to mean 'woman'. This itself shows the mindset of the people of the Igbo society and their prejudice against women. Rhonda Cobham in her essay, 'Problems of Gender and History in Things Fall Apart' says, "On the personal and political levels, Achebe's presentation of women within Igbo society can be seen to follow a similar pattern. Although we are told of Okonkwo's several wives and children, the male-female relationships in Okonkwo's family which Achebe …show more content…
Quoting Nancy Topping Bazin from her essay titled 'Sex, politics and silent black women: Nadine Gordimer's Occasion for Loving, A Sport of Nature and My Son's Story', as she point out' "In My Son's Story Aila, the black, middle-class, dutiful wife of Sonny, knows about his long lasting affair with Hannah Plowman, a white blond. Nevertheless, like her son and daughter, she remains submissively silent about it. Her body offers atleast a nonverbal protest. She continues to make love with Sonny but, as he finally realizes, she fakes "her

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Dictatorship In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 218 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Dictatorship In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    In Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart, he tells the story of a man named Okonkwo whose life is ruled by the fear of being masculine and able to care for his family. Through the book we see how Okonkwo rules his household like a dictatorship, seeing his family as property. Due to Okonkwo seeing his family as possessions he is able to justify that it is okay for him to beat his wives and children. Okonkwo has prominent relationships with three of his children: Ikemefuna, Eznima, and Nwoye. Okonkwo expects perfection from his children, that his boys will not grow to be feminine and that the girls will grow beautiful and smart.…

    • 218 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Beauty Of The Ibo Tribe In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Beauty Of The Ibo Tribe In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe follows the story of Okonkwo and the Ibo tribe in Nigeria as it experiences the beginning of European colonization and the spread of western influence. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in response to the savage and animalistic manner in which the Nigerian people are portrayed in western literature. Achebe counters the savage portrayal of Nigerian tribes in literature and reveals the complexity and beauty of the Ibo tribe through their customs and innerworkings. Achebe thoroughly describes the intricate and complex rituals of the Ibo to signify the dignity of the tribe. The entire village gathers together for wrestling matches in which honor is bestowed if great skill is displayed.…

    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Femininity In Things Fall Apart
    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Femininity In Things Fall Apart

    Throughout history, women and men have lived very different lives, and the story of Things Fall Apart is no exception. The story is about a man named Okonkwo in 19th century Umuofia, Nigeria. The country is a male-centric patriarchy of sorts, however, women are an integral part of society. These strong women would be considered oppressed by western standards, but in Umuofia sexist social constructs are normal, and are not unlike western society’s. A feminist reader must not resort to a west is best mindset in reading Things Fall Apart because, some aspects of femininity are held in high regard, sexism and the oppression of one gender has become a normality in Umuofia, and the androcentric society in Things Fall Apart resembles the western world.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Stereotypes In Things Fall Apart
    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Stereotypes In Things Fall Apart

    Stereotypical From the time civilizations were formed humans have created stereotypes of other groups from an outside perspective. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, he humanizes the cultural and traditional based Igbo peoples as he tells the story of a tragic hero named Okonkwo and his family dealing with struggles that Africans faced in the 1890’s. Achebe works to counter the Imperialist stereotypes of African people especially the Igbo by explaining their traditions in depth with the meaning behind them and, showing not only the good side but also the bad. Traditions are passed down through time and often do not stand the the test of time. Throughout the novel the traditions are made very apparent of the Umuofian people, the traditions…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Parental Relationships In Things Fall Apart
    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Theme Of Parental Relationships In Things Fall Apart

    Fathers and sons worldwide have had power struggles and brawls over the superiority of themselves since the beginning of time. Mothers and daughters, more loving and gentle, have been seen as more level-headed and open to new things for eons. Nothing since has changed. Written by Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart explores these types of parental relationships and their differences in a culture. In Things Fall Apart, the relationships between the parents and their children play an integral role in the actions of the characters, and the culture as a whole.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Okonkwo And Nwoye Analysis
    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Okonkwo And Nwoye Analysis

    Okonkwo thought that by doing this he could turn Nwoye into his idea of what a real man was. While Ikemefuna was part of the family, Nwoye and him were inseparable. Okonkwo was pleased with the direction his son was headed in. He had an active interest in hunting and farming. “Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears, whereupon his father beat him heavily (53).”…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Gender Roles And Gender In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gender Roles And Gender In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    The literary book “Things Fall Apart” is a well-written novel by Chinua Achebe about an ordinary Nigerian named Okonkwo and it explains how the impact of European colonization in his village significantly changed his life. Though this is the main idea, the novel also consists of many hidden messages which are shown through the interesting plot turns and literary devices. A theme that Achebe explores through the book is the role of men and women in the Igbo society and how certain customs are associated with each of them. The powerful personalities of the unique characters such as Ezinma, Ekwefi, and Nwoye, and the way that they reach out of their gender stereotypes is one of the main reasons that this piece of literature was so entertaining to read. While Ezinma and Nwoye’s actions and mindsets make them different from other children of the same gender, Ekwefi’s interests and mentality set her apart from other women as well.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    What Are Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart
    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Are Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart

    In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is the victim of gender roles, and these expectations ruled his life, making into the Okonkwo he is throughout chapter 1-12. Akueke’s life is also r affected by the gender expectations throughout chapters 1-12. Gender roles in Things Fall Apart, affected the development of the protagonist, Okonkwo, by making his masculinity become noticed to those around him, along with Akueke through beauty standards. Okonkwo obeys the expectations given to each gender, he follows these rules because he does not want to be like his father. It avowed in the novel:…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Literary Conflict In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 1089 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Literary Conflict In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    The backbone of any piece of writing is the type of literary conflict that revolves within it. To truly understand the inner workings of any piece, one must be familiar with the four main types of conflict: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, and Man vs. Self. Many literary works include more than one of these forms of conflict, including Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. However, it can be said that Man vs. Man is the most prevalent of these forms within this work. The Man vs. Man conflict form in Things Fall Apart covers the relationship between the main character, Okonkwo, and his first son, Nwoye.…

    • 1089 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Okonkwo Tragic Flaw Analysis
    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Okonkwo Tragic Flaw Analysis

    Chinua Achebe's “Things Fall Apart” is a historical fiction novel that is set in the early 1900’s. This novel is about the tragic downfall of the main character Okonkwo, a well respected leader within his clan in Umuofia, who is also a tragic hero because of several flaws. Okonkwo’s most noticeable flaw is that he fears weakness and failure. Okonkwo’s fatal flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. This fear was the result of the weakness and failure of his father, Unoka.…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Things Fall Apart Masculinity Analysis
    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Things Fall Apart Masculinity Analysis

    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.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Gender Complications In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 1249 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gender Complications In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Imagine a society in which it is acceptable for men to treat women as their inferior. The way that women were treated as inferiors in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe helps the reader to understand Ibo society and men’s accepted superiority within the society. In Things Fall Apart, women’s role in Ibo society is crucial to the society, understanding it and grasping the men’s behavior as the superior sex. The preconceived idea that women are weak, the women’s responsibilities and the women being treated as objects will help the reader to make sense of the gender complications within this novel.…

    • 1249 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart
    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart

    In Chinua Achebe 's masterpiece, Things Fall Apart, something that is very noticeable are gender roles. Gender roles may be a social construct, but it is one that is vital to the culture of the Umoufia Tribe. It plays a pivotal role in how the characters of the novel are developed and especially how they behave. The novel does a phenomenal job at showing the clear contrast in both male and female. The women are portrayed as submissive in the novel, while the men take charge and make the decisions.…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Oppression Of Women In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Oppression Of Women In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Chinua Achebe produces different labels of women and their position in society in Nigeria in his thought-provoking novel Things Fall Apart. Achebe presents two types of women; one being the property of their husband and the other being mighty, a spiritual being controlling a balance between clashing persons and forces. Okonkwo is the main character in Things Fall Apart, and he has different views of the women in his life. When Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, was still alive, he was a cheater and shameful. He was unreliable and an embarrassment to the Igbo society and to Okonkwo.…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Violence In Things Fall Apart
    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Violence In Things Fall Apart

    Violence is the aggressive behaviour showcased by an individual. In general, being violent will always create more problems hence, lead to self-destruction. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the European especially the British were at peak of its power. They were controlling half of the world. By that time Africa was one of the major continents that was colonized by the Europeans.…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings