Questioning the norms of society is crucial the growth of a culture, and typically, the rules of society are blindly followed. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the author shows the intricacies and vulnerability of societies tied to traditional gender roles through describing Okonkwo's obsession with masculinity. The stories he tells apply to the rest of the world as well as his village as he deconstructs the single story of a patriarchal society.
Achebe's writing challenges the stereotypical gender roles by presenting the power imbalance of the Igbo village. For the Igbo people, masculinity is defined greatly in power and strength: "No matter how prosperous a man he was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (especially …show more content…
The failure of this stereotypical male is a sign of failure of the gender norms within the world as a whole. Okonkwo's strong reputation cannot be tarnished from a weak son: “I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands" (33). Okonkwo lets his reputation of masculinity take over his life, to the point of a father thinking of killing his own son if his ego was at stake. Okonkwo seems to be a brave, invincible man yet within himself, “...his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (13). While Okonkwo presented himself as masculine, tough, and cold-hearted, the reality was a painful, broken, and vulnerable man. Achebe shows the gender norms impact on people's lives, and the danger of only recognizing the personality on the surface. “It was not external, but lay deep within himself” (13). The actuality of the strong male stereotype is something much more fragile, and shows the impracticality of the expectation. The single story of gender must be broken down, to benefit the lives of men and women in Nigeria, and …show more content…
“The elders, or ndichie, met to hear a report of Okonkwo’s mission. At the end they decided, as everybody knew they would, that the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife” (12). The women of the Igbo village are not appreciated within society, and seen as replaceable. otherwise. The idea that the women of the villages are not valuable, and matter less than men do is recurring within the society. Achebe presents the issue of women being unappreciated and thought weak as an issue that could be debated in the challenging of societal norms. The question arises if women should be treated differently in not only in Nigeria, an extreme instance, but as well as the rest of the world. Women are treated like they are inadequate and useless, whose power cannot be matched to a mans, “‘It is not bravery when a man fights with a woman’” (93). Fighting another that is weaker than you is not considered brave, and in this case the weaker opponent is the woman. This idea of men's physical power over women is ingrained into the Igbo society. The women have no chance in any social or political power within their community, causing a possible prompt for social reform. Religion is an essential factor of their culture, which everyone worships, yet the women are still inadequate,“These women never saw the inside of the hut, No woman ever did. They
Achebe's writing challenges the stereotypical gender roles by presenting the power imbalance of the Igbo village. For the Igbo people, masculinity is defined greatly in power and strength: "No matter how prosperous a man he was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (especially …show more content…
The failure of this stereotypical male is a sign of failure of the gender norms within the world as a whole. Okonkwo's strong reputation cannot be tarnished from a weak son: “I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands" (33). Okonkwo lets his reputation of masculinity take over his life, to the point of a father thinking of killing his own son if his ego was at stake. Okonkwo seems to be a brave, invincible man yet within himself, “...his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (13). While Okonkwo presented himself as masculine, tough, and cold-hearted, the reality was a painful, broken, and vulnerable man. Achebe shows the gender norms impact on people's lives, and the danger of only recognizing the personality on the surface. “It was not external, but lay deep within himself” (13). The actuality of the strong male stereotype is something much more fragile, and shows the impracticality of the expectation. The single story of gender must be broken down, to benefit the lives of men and women in Nigeria, and …show more content…
“The elders, or ndichie, met to hear a report of Okonkwo’s mission. At the end they decided, as everybody knew they would, that the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife” (12). The women of the Igbo village are not appreciated within society, and seen as replaceable. otherwise. The idea that the women of the villages are not valuable, and matter less than men do is recurring within the society. Achebe presents the issue of women being unappreciated and thought weak as an issue that could be debated in the challenging of societal norms. The question arises if women should be treated differently in not only in Nigeria, an extreme instance, but as well as the rest of the world. Women are treated like they are inadequate and useless, whose power cannot be matched to a mans, “‘It is not bravery when a man fights with a woman’” (93). Fighting another that is weaker than you is not considered brave, and in this case the weaker opponent is the woman. This idea of men's physical power over women is ingrained into the Igbo society. The women have no chance in any social or political power within their community, causing a possible prompt for social reform. Religion is an essential factor of their culture, which everyone worships, yet the women are still inadequate,“These women never saw the inside of the hut, No woman ever did. They