Igbo Religion In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

794 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Elements of the novel Things fall apart: Chinua Achebe

Diverse from other African authors of his time, Chinua Achebe, the “father of African Literature”, reconstructions the stigma surrounding traditional African tribes through his ground-breaking novel Things Fall Apart. Set in southern eastern Nigeria, the novel depicts village life through the eyes of Igbo clan members prior to colonization. This fresh take on perspective allows readers to view and examine the variety of individuals that mold Igbo life through the story of a village leader, Okonkwo. Contrasting other authors of his time, Achebe takes great measures to illustrate the varied substantial roles of not only men, but women in his novel Things Fall Apart. The contributions accompanied by pivotal roles in Igbo society are displayed The Earth Goddess is known to occupy “a greater part in the life of the people than any other deity. She [is] the ultimate judge of morality and conduct. And what more, she [is] in close communion with the departed fathers of the clan whose bodies had been committed to earth (36).” At first glance, Igbo culture appears to render women to be inferior to men, however it associates its most powerful god as a woman. Rituals hold a significant role in Igbo culture and are deemed to be influential in the engagements of the clan. In addition, Ani’s role as a woman in Igbo society is further advanced through her essential role in the yam harvest. People of the Igbo village “honor [their] great goddess of the earth without whose blessing [their] crops will not grow (30).” Yam harvests hold a great worth to the people of Igbo culture since it dedicates status and wealth. Hence, relying on a female figure to establish a man’s position in his village is symbolic of the importance of a women’s role. The significance of portraying a spiritual character whom is imbedded in the morality of individuals and the future of crop growth as a woman urges readers to grasp the idea that women do possess a powerful role in Igbo

Show More
Related

  • A Single Story Of African Culture In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    As wise John Berger once said,“Never again shall a single story be told as though it were the only one”. A “single story” is the story of a culture that we learn from stereotypes and conspiracies developed throughout time in our society. In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe defies the single story of African culture while still tying their native language in to show the importance between a physical differentiation of culture, and the similarities with morals and values they have in common. Through gender roles and proverbs used in the language of this book, we have a cultural insight of Nigeria through a new set of eyes given to us by Achebe that detures us from the single stories that we were taught to by our society.

    Read More

  • Ibo Traditions In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    344 Words  | 1 Pages

    Another facet required for harmonious interactions between contrasting cultures is the awareness of differing customs. The majority of white missionaries did not understand nor aim to become educated on the Ibo customs. Not only did missionaries bring in an alien judicial that the Ibo were completely unaccustomed to, the judicial system also did not adhere to their traditional customs or laws. It is blatantly obvious that the Christians had no intentions on respecting Ibo tradition, as Obierika explains when Okonkwo questions him about the white man’s judicial system “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” while Obierika responds “how can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad…” (Achebe 176) According to Ibo tradition there are certain customs that must be followed for specific situations, such as land disputes. In an Ibo tribe if there is a land dispute the egwugwu, who govern the tribe, will give both

    Read More

  • SANDEEEEP

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Women are portrayed in many powerful ways in the Igbo society. In the book Women are seen as caregivers in the Igbo society, they give power to men, and are powerful in religion. Although they are seen in mostly negative ways in this literature, there are many positive ways as well.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Nigel Barley's The Innocent Anthropologist

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, omissions in his account of his time spent with the tribe provoke questions regarding the role of women in the society and the power dynamic in Cameroonian tribes, such as the Dowayo. In order to answer such questions, one may look to Miriam Goheen’s experience and fieldwork with the Cameroonian Nso people. Her fieldwork, which closely examines exactly such questions affords great insight into the role of the women in these regions and how their labors are regarded by the other tribespeople. Juxtaposed, Barley’s The Innocent Anthropologist and Goheen’s Men Own the Fields, Women own the Crops: Gender and Power in the Cameroon Grassfields provide a very interesting look into the people of the Cameroonian

    Read More

  • Umuofia Government In Chinua Achebe's Thing Fall Apart

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    As with most primitive societies, the Igbo was ruled by a few elite, all of which were male. Those able to obtain power in the village are male,

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart

    1974 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart is a narrative story that follows the life of an African man called Okonkwo. The setting of the book is in eastern Nigeria, on the eve of British colonialism in Africa. The novel illustrates Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs, and his eventual downfall, all of which basically coincide with the Igbo?s society?s struggle with the Christian religion and British government. In this essay I will give a biographical account of Okonwo, which will serve to help understand that social, political, and economic institutions of the Igbos.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Growing My Hair Again

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story ‘growing my hair again’, the author explains how women in the African traditions are held captive by the traditional culture and their struggles to trying to break away them using the main character Nneka. In Nigeria as well as in the other parts of Africa, culture was and still is given a lot of emphasizes especially when it comes to the traditional practices and beliefs. The culture however vary from one community to the other and ranges from the rights of passage, religious beliefs to other religious practices such as offering sacrifices and the role of women in the community .Nneka was married to a rich man in traditional Nigerian community and as in other areas, women had a role of being submissive to their husbands

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Igbo Tribe

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender roles are based on several different things throughout the Igbo tribe. As inculcated throughout society and formed by the tribe, sex implies the distinction between

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe

    2265 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Umofia, manliness is associated with strength and womanliness with weakness (Okhamafe 127). There is no such thing as a strong woman, and all men should disdain weakness. In Umofia, “all men are males, but not all males are men” (Okhamafe 126). Only the strong men who hold titles deserve to be called “men”. The Igbo word “agbala” is an alternate work for “woman” and for a man who had no title. Women in Igbo society are expected to act a certain way. Okonkwo scolds his daughter, Ezinma, when she does not “sit like a woman” (Achebe 44). He will not let Ezinma bring his chair to the wrestling match because it is a “boy’s job” (Achebe 44). Eve...

    Read More

  • Conflicts of Gender in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    There are constant struggles between gender, identity, commodification, and class. Among the men and women in many African tribes that still exist today, there are divergences, which will always remain intact because of the culture and the way in which they are taught to treat each other. Chinua Achebe wrote the novel, Things Fall Apart, which is a great piece of African literature that deals with the Igbo culture, history, and the taking over of African lands by British colonization. The ongoing gender conflict is a prominent theme in Things Fall Apart presenting the clash between men and women of the African Igbo society. Throughout history, from the beginning of time to today, women have frequently been viewed as inferior, men’s possessions whose sole purpose was to satisfy the men’s needs. Maybe it's because men are physically stronger than women and have always had the ability to control them that way. In Things Fall Apart, the Igbo women were perceived as being weak. They received little or no respect in the Igbo society and were harshly abused. The recurring theme of gender conflicts helps drive the novel Things Fall Apart by showing how important women are to the men, yet they do not receive the treatment they deserve.

    Read More

  • Religion In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    When conflicts arise within a society or an individual, many rely on their faith and religious practices to overcome these issues. In the case for “Things Fall Apart”, the spirits represent the ultimate figure and play an important role in the culture for the people of the Umuofia society. The native belief of spirits is the first focus that comes from the novel. The whole idea of spirits is essentially based off a male god named Chukwu, who taught the early Igbo natives how to develop and survive on yams. Yams later on became the primary source for food and the foundation of the Igbo economy, showing the power and influence the spirit god Chukwu posses. The male god is then balanced by the female Earth goddess Ani, who holds nearly the same amount of

    Read More

  • Change And Tradition In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, struggle between change and tradition is one of the most relevant issues. The Igbo villagers, Okonkwo, and his son Nwoye all experience this problem in many different ways. The villagers have their religion defied, Okonkwo reaches his breaking point and Nwoye finally finds what he believes in. People have struggled to identify and cope with change and tradition throughout history, and will continue to struggle with this issue in the

    Read More

  • Theme Of Feminism In Things Fall Apart

    1833 Words  | 4 Pages

    Things Fall Apart, a novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe is a story about an Igbo village in Nigeria and a man that once was a powerful influence in the tribe, but begins to lose his influence as Nigeria is colonized and Christian missionaries come to evangelize. A deeper look at the novel, with a feminist critics point of view, tells a lot about the Igbo people as well as the author’s thoughts about women in the novel. Feminist critics look at female authors, and female characters and their treatment as well as women’s issues in society. Since Achebe is a male, the main focus of feminist literary criticism for Things Fall Apart is the women in the novel and their issues as well as the Igbo view of gender identity. Many issues that women

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Things Fall Apart Essay

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    Colonization in Nigeria affected the Igbo culture and its people in many different ways. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the author portrays events in the novel that reflect real experiences that he had. Many of the events in the novel deal with the act of colonization and how it affects different members in society, an idea that Achebe has experienced for himself. The author 's first hand experience with colonization allows the story to depict how colonization affected the Igbo people more accurately. Chinua Achebe creates an accurate representation of colonialism with his use of real events that occurred.

    Read More

  • No Longer At Ease by Chinua Achebe

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    Well-acclaimed author, Chinua Achebe from Wes Africa, is recognized worldwide for his exquisite and intelligent usage of literary devices to bring to the limelight pertinent issues facing the African continent, more specifically Nigeria. He introduces the world to his main character Obi Okonkwo whom; through his eyes, a glimpse is given into the world of a Nigerian .In Things Fall Apart, his first of three novels, Okonkwo, upon his arrival from England is completely detached from his African heritage. From the novel, it is noticed that Obi Okonkwo slowly becomes a part of a dominant class whose corruption he finds repugnant. In an effort to choose between the acceptance of traditional values and the pleasures of a fast changing world, Obi finds himself in a tight fix .He is faced with growing pressures from the expectations of his family, his community, and the larger society around him. With unprecedented lucidity and a growing passion, Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease remains till date a brilliant account of the challenges facing Nigeria today. This paper seeks to examine the representation of the colonial experiences of Obi Okonkwo in the fiction of Chinua Achebe.

    Read More

More about Igbo Religion In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Open Document