In Utero
Beyonce once said that girls run the world, and Beyonce is never wrong. What Beyonce is saying is that females play important roles in society that are generally looked down on or are covered up by the patriarchy. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart and in Igbo culture, being a women is not necessarily the best gender to be. Often times in Things Fall Apart, one sees that females and femininity in general are associated with weakness, and they are lesser than men. However, under the surface of oppression, women are critical in the functioning of their society. Females in Igbo culture have major roles in caretaking, religion, and education. However, they are not treated as important members of Igbo culture because they are thought …show more content…
Women in a spiritual role in society are highly respected and have a great deal of power. In fact the Ani, the earth goddess and origin of fertility, “played a greater part in the life of the people than any other deity” (Achebe 43). Ani is honored in the Feast of the New Yams which largely determines the outcome of the year's crop fertility. But, it does seem strange that this society’s strongest deity is a female. Although religion empowers females, it also reinforces the gender roles. By highlighting traditional values of gender roles, like the beliefs of Okonkwo, “the Igbo people emphasize the gender stratification of their culture” and “ensure the continuation of patriarchy” (Purwarno 3). Using their religion they can allow the gender roles to continue. Although in religion women are very revered and powerful, religion allows this society to show “a distinctly negative social attitude towards femininity, and an association of women and weakness” (Purwarno 3). Since the Igbo culture’s religion is based so much off of their lives and the world around them, it largely influences how they live and what is socially acceptable. Given these points, women are revered in religion, but the religion also allows the perpetuation of the idea that women are inferior to
Beyonce once said that girls run the world, and Beyonce is never wrong. What Beyonce is saying is that females play important roles in society that are generally looked down on or are covered up by the patriarchy. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart and in Igbo culture, being a women is not necessarily the best gender to be. Often times in Things Fall Apart, one sees that females and femininity in general are associated with weakness, and they are lesser than men. However, under the surface of oppression, women are critical in the functioning of their society. Females in Igbo culture have major roles in caretaking, religion, and education. However, they are not treated as important members of Igbo culture because they are thought …show more content…
Women in a spiritual role in society are highly respected and have a great deal of power. In fact the Ani, the earth goddess and origin of fertility, “played a greater part in the life of the people than any other deity” (Achebe 43). Ani is honored in the Feast of the New Yams which largely determines the outcome of the year's crop fertility. But, it does seem strange that this society’s strongest deity is a female. Although religion empowers females, it also reinforces the gender roles. By highlighting traditional values of gender roles, like the beliefs of Okonkwo, “the Igbo people emphasize the gender stratification of their culture” and “ensure the continuation of patriarchy” (Purwarno 3). Using their religion they can allow the gender roles to continue. Although in religion women are very revered and powerful, religion allows this society to show “a distinctly negative social attitude towards femininity, and an association of women and weakness” (Purwarno 3). Since the Igbo culture’s religion is based so much off of their lives and the world around them, it largely influences how they live and what is socially acceptable. Given these points, women are revered in religion, but the religion also allows the perpetuation of the idea that women are inferior to