Furthermore, globalization in a neoliberal era markets and capital are major aspects. However, in Umuofia the economy does not depend on either. In fact, some success of the market can even be attributed to the power of faith and medicine, shown in the market of Umuike (Achebe 113). Most people in Umuofia do not depend on markets for food, as they grow their own in their farms using their own capital of seeds that were handed down from generations. Indeed, it is needed to mention that there was inequality between genders, which leads to the fact that man, lived in their obi (medicine house) to show he was superior and his multiple wives and children lived in huts. Furthermore, Okonkwo by having 3 wives was able to demonstrate masculinity within
Achebe in his writing “Things Fall Apart” about Nigerian villagers of Umuofia who held strong, “most of the time” too their views to keep the clan of their people strong and respected, “Umuofia was feared by all its neighbor’s, “its war-medicine was as old as the clan itself” (Damrosch, 2009), they had many gods. With time the rules
One custom of Umuofia that would be very different from Western culture is Polygamy, the practice of having many wives. This custom is practiced in the connected nine villages of Umuofia. In fact, a man's wealth is partially measured by the number of wives he has. A wealthy man described in Things Fall Apart, had nine wives and thirty children. Okonkwo had three wives and eight children.
Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette demonstrates a sort of hyper-femininity that contrasts perfectly with Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and Tarantino’s reputation for hyper-masculinity. Coppola’s use of treating the character of Marie-Antoinette like a doll proves feminine and specifically non-erotic. Tarantino’s use of phallic symbols prove masculine, and visually erotic, by many viewers.
Language and Masculinity The art of communication was always dominated by the innovations happened in the art of language. The human race has always been communicating among itself and formed various societies, developed relationships, brought new ideas etc. Language was utilized to define the sexuality, the culture, the social aspect and it all happened in terms of gender. The dominance of the masculine gender through the utilization of the language was always known to the mankind. The male population receives power by dictating certain social norms. The masculinity is a part of the male gender and in terms of linguistics it conveys masculinity with great power and force. According to some philosophers the males unjustly and deliberately construct such a society which is male-centered and it caters to the supremacy of the masculinity described above. It will be interesting to find the relation among language, masculinity and gender. If we discuss it any further we will find out that throughout the history it was the human race which has brought innovation to the language. Language was used to gain power with the use of male power. As a result the language was also used to dictate social norms. They also became successful in gaining the women’s cooperation by using the power of masculine language. Some of the scholars assume that language is visible and it exists in this form without any doubt. They also further assume that language can be compared with other forms of visual phenomenon. In this regard the linguistic analysis is in fact a kind of perception of visual way. In other way one can see the language and in particular in its treatment of grammar. “In "Language and Masculinity," Victor Seidler writes, "Oppressed peopl...
During the late 1800s, the Ibo culture was thriving in the villages of Southeastern Nigeria, but specially in the village of Umuofia. Okonkwo is one of Umuofia's strongest leaders and is also a very masculine man that has no clue that everything around him is about to change (Achebe 3). An invading British culture is about to challenge everything the Igbo people know about their world (138). The story is mainly about how the Igbo culture is held together, the changes the new culture is imposing , and how everything led to Okonkwo's downfall.
Umuofia is a “male-dominated society in which the chief goddess is female and in which proverbial wisdom maintains ‘mother is supreme’”(Nnormele, 274) as explained by Achebe himself. Things Fall Apart brings you way back to a day and age where both males and females each had their life task set up for them based on their gender. Males were meant to do masculine things such as having “wives, yam barns, social titles [which were] the highest accolades for the successful farmer, warrior, and man of worth.” (Mezu 212) determining his social status and women do “the core of the rural workforce ‐farming, tending animals, nurturing children, among other activities.”(Mezu, 212). Feminism is seen as an insult and dehumanizing for the men. At a young age boys aren 't suppose to hang around their mother anymore but be with their father and learn things with out a filter or censor about the world. You see this when Nwoya is now in the hut with Okonkwo hearing stories, the stories are about war and so on. While there Nwoya understands that he has to be there and hear those things because of masculinity but he much rather be in his mothers hut hearing the stories she tells the little
In Things Fall Apart, Umuofia was a legendary village in what is known as Nigeria today. In the village, every Ibo man strived to become the best and the king of crops. The ideal man in Umuofia is a provider for his children, wives and to maintain his authority over his family. On the other hand, the women of Umuofia job is to tend to the children's needs, cook, clean and abide by her husband’s rules. The Ibo ideas of masculinity and femininity was harmful to both individual characters and the Ibo society.
The character of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was driven by fear, a fear of change and losing his self-worth. He needed the village of Umuofia, his home, to remain untouched by time and progress because its system and structure were the measures by which he assigned worth and meaning in his own life. Okonkwo required this external order because of his childhood and a strained relationship with his father, which was also the root of his fears and subsequent drive for success. When the structure of Umuofia changed, as happens in society, Okonkwo was unable to adapt his methods of self-evaluation and ways of functioning in the world; the life he was determined to live could not survive a new environment and collapsed around him.
Upon an initial reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it is easy to blame the demise of Okonkwo’s life and of the Umofia community on the imperialistic invasions of the white men. After all, Okonkwo seemed to be enjoying relative peace and happiness before then. He did have a few mishaps; one of them resulted in him being exiled for eight years. Nonetheless, he returned to his home town with high spirits and with prospects of increased success. However, everything has changed. The white men have brought with them a new religion and a new government. Okonkwo’s family falls apart. The men in his village lose their courage and valor; they do not offer any resistance to the white men. Consequently, Okonkwo kills himself in disgrace and Umofia succumbs to the white men. However, the white men are not the only people responsible for demise of Umofia. The Igbo culture, particularly their views on gender roles, sows the seed of their own destruction. By glorifying aggressive, manly traits and ignoring the gentle, womanly traits, Umofia brings about its own falling apart.
Okonkwo is a self-made man. He achieves greatness through his own hard work and determination. Okonkwo started his life without the benefits that other young men had. His father, Unoka, was a lazy man. He had acquired no honorary titles. When Unoka died, Okonkwo did not inherit any barn, title, or young wife. He merely acquired his father’s debts. Therefore, Okonkwo sets about to make a name for himself and to achieve greatness in his community. He diligently plants and harvests his yams, building a farm from scratch. He builds a large commune for his family. He marries three wives; one of them was the village beauty. He acquires two titles. Okonkwo is not a failure, like is father was. In Umuofia, “achievement was revered”, and Okonkwo’s achievement was immense (8). He was “clearly cut out for great things” (8). To the Igbo people, Okonkwo epitomizes greatness and success.
The Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a straight to the point story, embedded with interesting elements that capture readers’ attention. In my view, when I read the story, I found many interesting things about the theme of the book. But The Masculinity Okonkwo was what captures my attention. The story opens up to a Traditional Igbo lifestyle, a theme which is highly stylized from its ritual to the actions performed for certain ceremonies. Most of the action Igbo tribe has been an attempt to show respect to the gods, for example, when ikemefuna became sick and his stomach swelled up their traditions says that he take them to the evil forest and kill him. The story also seems to focus on gender, family, respect and reputation, and religion. In fact, Gender which in Igbo tradition, sets standards and roles between Igbo women and men. Women in Igbo Culture are the weaker sex, but are endowed with qualities that make them worthy of worship, like the ability to bear children. Men in Igbo Culture are the stronger sex, which gives them the ability to provide for their family and has prowess on the battlefield. In Igbo culture, building a nice and respectable family is important and titles in their culture gives them respect and builds reputation in the ‘‘Umuofia’’ village playing a big role in Igbo tradition. Nothing plays a bigger role in Igbo tradition than religion, the ‘‘Umuofia’’ village worship the goddess of the earth are always careful to avoid committing sins of their goddess with a fear of vengeance that might wipe out an entire generation. In the story, the men of the Umuofia village seem to care a lot about masculinity, when Okonkwo is hosting a party he takes it very seriously and ...
Civilization is most often defined by its prevailing culture. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, this connection is still apparent. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, displayed an appreciation of culture, as well as a deliberate incorporation of it into his life. While he didn’t treasure hard work or labor, Unoka was infatuated by his village’s music and stories, and was well known for his verbal prowess. In one respect, he held characteristics that were traditionally associated with femininity, but in another, he represented the Nguzo Saba principle of Kuumba, or creativity. Unoka was titleless, and in one word lazy, but he was still able to contribute to his people in ways he saw best fit.
Sex and gender are attributes to our identity. Sex describes the physical and biological factors we are born with, for example male or female genitalia, as quoted from blackadder “A boy without a winkle is a girl” (Elton and Curtis 1998). Whether we have oestrogen or testosterone hormones also tells us if we are man or woman. Gender however is in relation to stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, and expectations of what characteristics men or women should portray. Anyone given the opportunity to describe men, they would say words like dominant, non emotional, macho, aggressive, and to be the provider and protector of his family. This essay sets out to examine if masculinity is socially constructed and to do this the theories of gender, media, historical societies and even sexuality will be analysed throughout.
Masculinity and femininity are two terms, which have been interpreted differently throughout history. Both the males and the females have responsibilities and duties but these duties differ based on one’s gender. Gender has played a prodigious role in the economy, politics, and the society. Everyone starts making interpretations of the strengths and weaknesses based on one’s gender. These interpretations are not always based on his or her ability but is usually based on his or her gender. Males tend to be judged as extremely strong and unfashionable in terms of appearance. Whereas, females are judged as expensive and very fashionable. Males and females both differ in their abilities and their enjoyments. Fashion, entertainment, and strength are three topics, which are used to define masculinity and femininity in the 21st century.
It is true of Africa that women constitute a treasure that remains largely hidden. (Moleketi 10) African women grow 90% of all African produce, and contribute about 70% of Africa’s agricultural labor every year. (Salmon 16) Both the labor and food that are provided by African women go towards the increase in Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (Moleketi 10) Although African women are feeding the majority of Africa’s inhabitants, the constricting ropes of gender inequality are still holding them back from being appreciated and living up to their full potential. Outstandingly, women such as President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, of Liberia, have gladly accepted the challenge of breaking free of these ropes. The history of women’s rights in Africa, the glass ceiling, and the modern aspects of women’s rights, all play prominent roles in the overall condition of women’s rights in Africa. Until the day arrives that these discriminatory injustices are corrected, individuals in African nations will continue to struggle.