An Analysis of Sexism and Its Effects on Igbo Society

An Analysis of Sexism and Its Effects on Igbo Society

There are a lot of things in the world that people take for granted.

That is, until those things start to damage them. And slowly, but

surely, the damaging starts to turn to destruction. By the time they

realize their mistake it is too late.

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart takes place in Igbo Nigeria before

and during its colonization by the white man. It centers around

Okonkwo, a Nigerian man from the clan of Umuofia, who holds power and

prestige and whose life is constantly dominated by anger and fear of

being weak. Throughout the novel, one of the recurring themes is that

of women and fairness in gender. Men and 'masculinity' overall

chauvinistically dominate the Igbo society, and thus spark many

females and agbala, or feminine men, to leave their Nigerian culture

for the Christian missionaries, thereby catalyzing a downfall to their

native clan and illustrating the importance of respect and the

possible dangers of stereotypical behavior.

For the most part, the Igbo culture is one in which masculinity is

respected and wanted among the clansmen, proving that it is a very

medieval and unprogressive culture in terms of gender fairness. A

prominent example is when Okonkwo's father Unoka goes to the Oracle

and asks why his crops do not grow, and the Oracle priestess screams

in response, "You, Unoka, are known in all the clan for the weakness

of your machete and your hoe. When your neighbors go out with their ax

to cut down virgin forests, you sow your yams on exhausted farms that

take no labor to clear. They cross seven rivers to make their farms;

you stay at home and offer...

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...society's has as

well.

In conclusion, the story of Things Fall Apart teaches the reader about

the importance of fairness and equality, and how a lack of either can

destroy a person, a group of people, or even an entire culture. The

lack of respect for women and feminine agbala drives several of them

to join Christianity, which in turn ignites many more outcasts to

join. With the separation within the clan of those sticking to

tradition and those favoring the new religion comes a powerful

internal conflict that starts to break apart the society, finally

taking its toll in the end when the colonization is complete. The

tragic story of Okonkwo, while unfortunate, is a valuable reminder

about exactly why liberty is so powerful and so cherished by people of

all colors, ages, genders, or religions throughout the world.