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. To a certain extent the women are treated unfairly while the men are treated a little bit better. Women are also considered weaker in the society Okonkwo is a part of, going as so far as to create insults comparing men to women.
When Umuofia was …show more content…
Of all the themes presented in China Achebe’s novel, gender roles is arguably the most prominent today. The topic of gender roles extends to more than just in the home. It extends to the workplace, to societies all around the world, and to religion. It has not been more than four chapters, and already Chinua Achebe was focusing in on gender roles in the African Society he is discussing. From the offering of a young virgin girl to the vicious beating of a woman on a week meant for peace. The theme of gender roles is clearly a prevalent one and it is not even halfway into the book yet! Unlike most themes in most novelizations, the theme of gender roles doesn’t take a long time to develop this theme. As well as the fact Chinua is writing about the cultural perspective of an African Tribe, Things Fall Apart is the perfect novel to discuss gender roles. In total I find that gender is more than what reproductive organ you have, or what you as an individual perceive yourself, the harsh reality is that it is what society sees and thinks. Gender is a societal construct, that is why the perception of gender roles in The United States of America is completely different from what the people in other places of the world think about gender
When Umuofia was …show more content…
Of all the themes presented in China Achebe’s novel, gender roles is arguably the most prominent today. The topic of gender roles extends to more than just in the home. It extends to the workplace, to societies all around the world, and to religion. It has not been more than four chapters, and already Chinua Achebe was focusing in on gender roles in the African Society he is discussing. From the offering of a young virgin girl to the vicious beating of a woman on a week meant for peace. The theme of gender roles is clearly a prevalent one and it is not even halfway into the book yet! Unlike most themes in most novelizations, the theme of gender roles doesn’t take a long time to develop this theme. As well as the fact Chinua is writing about the cultural perspective of an African Tribe, Things Fall Apart is the perfect novel to discuss gender roles. In total I find that gender is more than what reproductive organ you have, or what you as an individual perceive yourself, the harsh reality is that it is what society sees and thinks. Gender is a societal construct, that is why the perception of gender roles in The United States of America is completely different from what the people in other places of the world think about gender