Things Fall Apart Gender Roles Essay

Things Fall Apart: Males vs. Females In every culture, there are many different roles that must be filled. Gender is one of them. Once an individual is brought into the world, they are treated a certain way based on their sex. They learn different behaviors and duties based on their sex. Gender roles are an important piece of the Ibo culture in Things Fall Apart. In this story, the difference in males and females are more visible than the similarities. The roles of males and females are defined through division of labor, attitudes, and relationships among the tribe.
Okonkwo is the main character of this story. He, being a male, is assigned very specific duties. Those duties, along with his appearance, are very masculine. They are …show more content…
The women cook, clean, and tend to the children. They are treated more as workers and less like wives. When they do not have their duties completed at the time the man wishes, the women are sometimes punished severely. One example of this is when one of Okonkwo’s wives doesn’t have his food ready or his hut warmed. However, there is a sense of praise to the women. Without them, chaos would strew in the villages. The persona given to the women by the men states that women are weak due to their vulnerability and their sense of emotion. However, one can argue that this gives them much strength.
The attitudes of the tribe are very revealing of the gender roles in that society. Looking at the actions of the Ibo people, men are seen as more dominant beings, controlling the women. In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe reveals the relevance of gender roles in a society. The roles of the Ibo tribe are clearly defined through division of labor and attitudes surrounding individuals. Gender roles play a critical part in every society. No matter which society or when, there will always be duties assigned specifically to women and duties assigned specifically for