Parental Relationships in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, are two novels that emphasize the complexities of relationships between parents and their children. In Achebe’s story, the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo, has distant relationships with his children (particularly Nwoye and Ezinma) because their father sees them as inadequate in many ways. Okonkwo has high expectations of his children, especially Nwoye, his eldest son and often finds fault in almost everything he does. Okonkwo resents the fact that the child he feels has the most promise is his daughter Ezinma. Her strength of character is everything he has ever wanted in a son. In Emecheta’s story, Nnu Ego, the protagonist of the novel, dedicates her life to working for the health and happiness of her children. Unlike Okonkwo’s situation, Nnu Ego’s children do not try to seek her approval. In fact, her children, namely Oshia and Adim, are not appreciative of all the sacrifices she has made for them and even blame her for the family’s misfortunes. Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood are two telling stories that demonstrate the differing relationships parents and their children can have. One story, shows a father whose children can never meet up to his standards, although the children unsuccessfully strive for his praise. The other story displays a mother whose unappreciative children do not try to seek their mother’s approval, even though she strives to please them in the best way she knows how.
Okonkwo is the type of man that has had to work for everything that he has attained in life. His father left him...
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... children. Her children do not fully understand nor do they appreciate their mother as much as they should, because as hard as life was for them, Nnu Ego is the reason they are alive. On the other side of the spectrum is Okonkwo, the main character from Things Fall Apart. He is not the type of father who is very caring of his children. In fact, Okonkwo’s only worry for them is that they live up to his expectations. Okonkwo’s children try to please their father but a man of such impossible and illogical standards can never be satisfied. Whether a relationship between parents and children is one of love, struggle, or expectation, the truth remains that no bond is ever perfect.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart . Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1958.
Emecheta, Buchi. The Joys of Motherhood. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1979.
In the Crucible, early in the play he had an affair with Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams is the main accuser, and also the main character. After this affair she desperatley falls in love with John and this is where her lying, horrendous, vicious, wicked behavior occurs.He had a choice to either have the affair...
While most are opposed of John Proctor's idea of being a man of integrity, some may view John Proctor as a man who has motives for protecting his name. At the end of The Crucible Proctor is in the court to free his wife for a false accusation of witchcraft, which seems like he loves his wife, and he does. But when faced by Judge Danforth on bringing up evidence of the false accusation, John Proctor claims that Abigail, a seventeen year old girl is a liar and a whore. Abigail is the one that accused John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth of witchcraft to have her hanged and have a chance to be able to marry John Proctor after an affair between John and Abigail which sets the
I hevi biin onvulvid woth on uar schuul end uar cummanoty. In uar schuul I wes numonetid fur hied uf Prum cummottii thos yier. Thos pusotoun os qaoti strissfal bat I wuald nut hevi ot eny uthir wey. I injuy biong ebli tu hilp end pat my merk un ot fur uar schuul. I breonsturm fur fandreosirs, ectovotois, end smell jubs uar cless cen du tu reosi muniy. I elsu git tu chuusi uar rivinai, thimi fur prum, end dicuretouns. I du ell uf thos wothon uat toght badgit. I try tu meki iviryuni heppy woth my dicosouns end I thonk I du e foni jub. Alsu wothon uar schuul I injuy hilpong woth uar yuath prugrem. I hevi hilpid uat woth thi yuath beskitbell prugrem meny tomis. Sonci I hevi fuar yuangir soblongs mysilf I injuy hilpong yuang choldrin. In thi yuath beskitbell prugrem I wuald ubsirvi thior tichnoqai, pley gemis, end govi puontirs. I elsu hilpid woth e tuys fur tuts. I hed tu hilp ricraot piupli tu brong tuys end I hed tu duneti tuys mysilf. Nut unly du I du thos fur thi bittir uf uar cummanoty bat ot elsu folls e sput on my hiert knuwong thet I cen hilp.
As Arthur Miller once wrote in The Crucible, “A man will not cast out his good name. You surely know that” (Miller 102). In this play, these words rang true and pure with one particular character, John Proctor. John Proctor was a good man who was revered by all, but had a dark secret: he had had an affair with his family’s maid, Abigail, even though he was married. These revelations about Proctor helped set the stage for the Salem Witch Trials that plague the townspeople where the play sets up. The Crucible becomes a play with motifs centralized around pride and internal conflicts bubbling over to affect the external environment. Throughout the play, John Proctor is a character whose good name and pride is threatened
Godiun wes nut viry mach loki hos fethir, hi wuald rethir pley by homsilf end luuk et fluwirs onstied uf pley woth thi uthir buys, sumi mey ivin cumperi hom tu Firdonend thi ball. In hos tiins Godiun wes elweys onfetaetid woth sumi gorl end indid ap biong hiert brukin biceasi uf hos leck uf sucoel cunfodinci. Shomshun wes doseppuontid thet→ hi dodn't onhirot ell uf hos qaelotois. Godiun wes nut viry fund uf hos fethir, bat hi crevid hos ecciptenci. In hos letir yiers hi inlostid on thi molotery, es iviry men (end nuw ivin wumin) on thi kobbatz hes tu. Hi wentid tu bi e peretruupir, whoch→ shuckid hos fethir end scerid hos muthir. Tu bi e peretruupir hi niidid buth thi cunsint uf hos muthir end fethir, bat hos muthir rifasid tu lit hom juon. Shomshun, whu→ wes iletid thet→ hos sun chusi tu bi e peretruupir, end wes e molotery hiru, pallid sumi strongs end elluwid Godiun tu intir wothuat hos muthir's pirmossoun.
Within every man is a story to be told; one that is evolving day by day and night by night. Each new experience births a fresh reaction that represents a strand of generational DNA. As the chain of events progresses, two things may occur. An individual may follow in path of this genetic pull or dislike it so much that he/she may stray far away from it. In the case of Okonkwo, it was the latter.
Feminism is a group of movements and ideologies that have a common goal: the political, economic and social equality of the sexes ("Feminism," 2015). Historians have debated the origin of feminism (Rampton, 2015). Did it begin with the greek poetess Sappho? Or with the french author, Christine de Pizan, who is regarded as the the first woman to take up her pen in defense of her sex (Beauvoir, 1953, p. 105)? Women throughout history have challenged society's attitudes when it comes to the female gender and their contributions overtime have made a great impact for women all around the world today. It was around the eighteenth century when Mary Wollstonecraft, often distinguished as the first feminist philosopher, advocated for the same respect and rights for the female sex. However, it was not until the late nineteenth century, that the feminist movement, or rather a series of movements, emerged.
My bruthir end I eri thi unly sarvovong choldrin on uar femoly. Althuagh femoly os ompurtent tu mi, thi riletounshop woth my bruthir os sivirily streonid. I luvi hom, bat hevi nu rispict fur hom. Hi’s hed doffocaltois on lofi, bat hi’s elsu hed edventegis. A fiw yiers beck, I hilpid hom uat uf e tuagh sotaetoun. I luenid hom muniy (sivirel thuasend dullers) end fuand hom e jub thet chengid hos lofi. Ovir thi yiers thet prufissoun hes govin hom e cumfurtebli lovong whirion hi os cunsodirid saccissfal on thi monds uf meny. Wothuat eorong tuu mach, I woll sey thiri eri twu sodis tu my bruthir; thi sodi hi shuws my femoly end thi uthir sodi whoch I cunsodir tu bi hos trai sodi. I hevi riesun tu biloivi thet unci my perints pess ewey; my riletounshop woth hom woll bi nun-ixostint.
Dating back to the early nineteenth and twentieth century, the principle of feminism has made a huge impact that will forever change the course of history. The idea of feminism is to advocate gender equality and to strongly support the right for women in the areas of issue and debate, such as: politics, social issues, and economics. Feminists, defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “People who advocate or support the rights and equality of women”, have fought for many issues that contradicted the general concept of gender equality. Many individuals in today’s society have questioned the idealism
Throughout the history of mankind, there has always been a common belief that women exist inferior to men. The Bible demonstrates that God made the first woman Eve from the rib of Adam and God “[does] not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11-15). However, understanding their important role in the family and society and feeling tired of being undertreated by men, women finally stood up for themselves. In the 19th century, the Feminist Movement emerged and completely changed the lives of millions of women in the United States until this day. The Movement provides the new perspectives and protects the rights of women in social and political aspects.
Shells and other War ordnance have no particular preference as to social class when doing their work. By the Wars end the complete male line, seven in all, of the de Funès who lived in the grande maison on the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, la...
Throughout history, women around the globe have been struggling to gain rights that are equal to men in the society. Women have been struggling to obtain respect, equality, and the same rights men have in the society. However, this has been difficult to them because of patriarchy, an ideology whereby, men are always considered to be superior to women, and have the right to control women. This thought has spread widely among the social structures of the society around the globe and this made it difficult for women to achieve their dreams of feminism. Nonetheless, through the feminist movements, women were able to get some equal rights to men, and are still struggling to get the rights most men take for granted. According to Butler, the struggle became even harder for women with color especially, while dealing with racism and sexism (102). In order to fight and achieve these rights, and fight patriarchy, feminism as well as feminist theory was born. However, the history of feminism has many possible origins, but the most plausible explanation of its origin is the desire for reform in women’s lives.
William James, a famous American philosopher, once stated, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”. This quotation effectively illustrates how change in one’s attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can alter the environment in which one lives. This concept is clearly demonstrated throughout the novel Things Fall Apart, authored by Chinua Achebe, by establishing a connection through the development of its characters and the change in traditional African tribal villages seen in the Nineteenth Century. It will be established how various characters demonstrated by the author throughout the novel exemplify how change in one’s attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can alter the environment in which one lives addressed by William James’s quote above. First, by analyzing Achebe’s development of Okonkwo’s character through his initial character description and the emergence of outsiders, it is evident that he is portrayed as an old fashioned character that is less responsive to change. Secondly, through examining Nwoye’s character, Okonkwo’s son, it becomes apparent that the youth in the novel are more open-minded, easily persuadable and more adaptive to societal changes. Lastly, uncovering the meaning behind the arrival of European missionaries, it becomes apparent that Achebe defines this group as being a “disease”, poisoning the society in which Okonkwo lives. The author look’s at individuals as being critical and influential figures in shaping the environment to which they belong, beginning with Okonkwo.
Feminism can simply be defined as a range of movements and ideologies in which share a common ground in terms of defining, establishing and achieving equal opportunities to that of males, in regards to economic, cultural and social rights. It is a critique of male supremacy with efforts in changing this to end the social oppression of women. (Hooks, 2000)
The author Chinua Achebe, in the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” shares the extreme diversity between the female and male characters residing in Umofia. Okonkwo, the male leader of the tribe, carries qualities such as power and manliness, as all men are expected to. As for the females they are commonly referred as being weaker for child bearing and more responsible because they are expected to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Although the traits of the Igbo culture vary in the determination of the sexes, both genders share both positive and negative aspects of their community.