Culture In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

When you think of the word “culture” what comes to mind? Many elements can contribute to

the meaning of the word culture. In Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, we are given an insight into a

Nigerian Ibo culture in the village of Umoufia. Like the Ibo, many other nations are strongly rooted to

their culture, one of which is the First Nations people of North America. These two cultures have many

similarities in which they can relate, but not all cultures are the same. There are many factors that can

distinguish a culture from another such as the roles of men and women, polytheism and religion.

The roles of men and women are not the same in all cultures, especially for the Ibo and First

Nations people. In the Ibo society, men are considered the rulers and leaders of the

village; and just like
all patriarchies, the women are viewed as objects. One example of an Umoufian male is the novel’s
protagonist, Okonkwo. Okonkwo had done well in his life and earned a dominant role in Umoufia, he
had three wives with many children, and was a successful farmer of yams. Yams were important
because they “stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family from one harvest to another was a
great man indeed” (p. 33). This would show that the people of Umoufia felt that as long as a man could
feed his family in abundance, he was successful as the head of the family, and a leader of the clan. The
women of Umoufia are treated very poorly.

Women were required to cook, clean and take care of the

children. If these duties were not taken care of, the women of Umoufia could be beaten. The Ibo tribe

not only allowed, but encouraged wife beating. Achebe describes beatings on a few occurrences. One

occurrence is when Okonkwo’s second wife does not come home to cook him an afternoon meal.

Achebe says “Okonkwo bit his lips with anger welled within him…when she returned (Okonkwo) beat

her heavily.” (p. 29). Despite the beatings, Achebe shows that the Ibo women have valuable parts in the

society. The women paint the houses of the egwugwu. The man’s first wife is also shown additional

respect. Achebe shows this through the palm wine ceremony at Nwakibie’s obi, “Anasi was the first wife

and the others could not drink before her, and so they stood waiting.” (p.20). Unlike the Ibo, the Plains

Indian gender roles were well defined, and men’s and women’s responsibilities were equally crucial to

the functioning, even the survival, of their societies. Both men and women were respected for doing

their jobs well. The men were responsible for hunting, defensive and aggressive warfare,

manufacturing
of weapons, and nearly all society wide political and religious operations. Men’s work took them away
from the villages, and it was dangerous. They would travel hundreds of males following the buffalo to
ensure they would collect enough food for their villages. As young boys grew older, the men taught
them to hunt and make weapons. Wrestling games were a part of their training to prepare for battle.
When the boys reached a certain age they would be sent on their first hunt. Upon reaching adulthood
the young men received an eagle feather. The eagle feather was given for performing an act of bravery
or heroic deed. Eagle feathers were often worn in headdresses. On the other hand, women, at various
times of the year, would clear fields to plant, hoe and harvest; they would also build and dismantle the
tipis and lodges; collect wild plants and berries; gather firewood; cook, haul water, prepare the food and
wash dishes; transport possessions, generally on foot, on bison hunts; make household items, including
pottery and clothing; raise the children; help butcher the animals; prepare the hides (cleaning, curing,
scraping and tanning); make quilts and do the bead work. The women also taught the young girls to
make and bead moccasins, how to sew, cook and tan the hides. There is no doubt that Plains Indian
women worked hard, but they were held in high esteem for the elemental role they played in
supporting village life.
Another common belief in the Umoufia is polytheism, the worship or belief in many gods.
Included in their practice of polytheism is their Chi, or personal god. Achebe says “A man could not rise
beyond the destiny of his chi” (p. 131). He goes on to say, “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi,
or personal god, and evil fortune followed him to the grave.” (p. 18). Achebe demonstrates that this is a
god of great importance that foretells one’s future. It is custom to make sacrifices to the gods, like
Unoka in the novel it tells, “Every year…before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice a cock at the shrine
of Ifejioku, the god of yams.” (p.17). this shows the importance of ritual, and religion in the Ibo society.
Okonkwo believed he was successful because he killed a couple of roosters, not because he planted
good crops. Unlike the Ibo society, the First Nations people believed in a Great Spirit. The Great Spirit
had power over all things – the animals, trees and clouds. The earth was the mother of all things. The
sun, which gave the earth light and warmth, had great power. Visions in dreams were believed to have
come from the spirits. When wild game was killed there was a prayer or offering tot eh spirit of the slain
animal.
The Ibo religious beliefs dictate many customs and rituals including communal ceremonies.
These take place once the sun becomes less brutal. It is clear when the ceremony is for men by the way
the crown stands or sits. Religion in the Ibo village has been passed down from generation to
generation, which is probably why they are committed to their beliefs. For example, when the settlers
came to the Ibo village the majority of the Ibo people were not willing to change their religion to
Christianity, although there were a number of efulefus (worthless men) and osus (outcasts) to convert to
Christianity. Religion is one thing that helps unify the Ibo village by sticking to their traditional values and
strengthening their ancestral ties. Religion is probably one of the biggest aspects of the Ibo culture. It
has major influences over Ibo government, farming, and even their superstitions. Different form the Ibo,
the Plains Indians followed no single religion. Beliefs were an important part of their life, as they
believed that all things possessed spirits. Their worship was centered on one main god, The Great Spirit.
The Great Spirit had powers over everything that had ever existed. Earth was also important, as she was
the mother of all spirits. There were also people that were blessed, also called shaman. To become a
shaman, your prayers must be answered by The Great Spirit, or you must see a sign from him. Shamans
were thought to possess great power. One of their jobs was to heal people, which is why they are also
sometimes called “medicine men.” The shamans were considered so important that they were the ones
who decided when the time was right to hunt. There were also medicine women who knew which herbs
and plants to use for healing. These plants were collected and stored in containers. They were used to
treat many illnesses (headache, fever and coughs).
Culture can have so many meanings to the word. Many diverse cultures can sometimes have
similarities such as described in Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. The Ibo culture of Umoufia is depicted
to show how strong their ties are to their culture. Like the Ibo the North American First Nations people
are also strongly tied to their culture. Despite the similarities, these two cultures are very different in
many ways. For instance, the roles of men and women, polytheism and religion contributes to the
various factors that can separate one culture from another.