Igbo Gender Roles

In modern America, gender roles are still very prevalent--maybe not as obvious, but they are still there. Gender roles have become kind of an unspoken thing in America. Women usually sit with their legs crossed, but when one sees a woman sitting with her legs open, oftentimes one will take note of that and possibly judge her on it. When a man chooses to be a stay-at-home dad while his partner goes to work during the day, people oftentimes are surprised to hear that, as they would expect a woman to have that job of staying home with the kids. Gender roles are universal, and not one society is exempt from experiencing them, especially not the Umuofian society. In the novel Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe effectively portrays the very

structured and deep rooted gender roles that are set in place in the Igbo culture of Umuofia as the very core of their societal expectations and rules.

These gender roles are mainly based on the weakness of being a woman in this society and man's acute fear of being perceived as inept in a society that places an emphasis on strong men and obedient women.

In Umuofia, women are seen as the weaker sex and men are seen as the superior sex, which keeps a balance that is needed for this society to thrive. These gender roles are essential to the Igbo culture because it is the very core of what their society is based upon. Men are the strong ones that provide for the family and women are the weaker ones whose main role is to bear children. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo lives to play out his masculine role and intimidate his wives, as shown in the quote, "'He belongs to...no more questions." (2.14) When one of his wives even dare question him, he

raises his voice and makes sure she knows that he is the one who makes decisions and he is the man of the house. He projects those gender roles onto his children as well, shown in the quote, "And after a...fond of Ezinma." (5.44) Although Ezinma is offering a kind gesture to her father, he refuses it, stating it is a "man's job" to bring him a chair. Okonkwo is so set in the gender roles he has constructed in his head that he will not allow anyone or anything to break them. Okonkwo also shows how inferior women are in this society by the way he objectifies them. One instance includes this quote, "Okonkwo cleared his...desire for woman." (5.42) In this quote, Okonkwo expresses his desire to conquer and subdue women, just like the Igbo did in their wrestling matches. Okonkwo says the violence and power felt while wrestling is equatable to the feeling of desiring a woman. This is a very troubling thought but it isn't surprising thanks to the apparent weakness gene shown in all Igbo women. Okonkwo does a very nice job of keeping the structure of men's and women's roles intact, for a while, at least.
Okonkwo's fear of being seen as weak or like a woman is so strong that it oftentimes can lead to violence, most of the time perpetrated on his wives. Okonkwo believes that abusing and threatening his wives are surefire ways to keep the balance between men and women that is essential to the Igbo culture. This is stated clearly in the text when it says, "Okonkwo ruled his...his fiery temper..." (2.13) Okonkwo has built himself up as a man to be feared, and his wives feel that fear everyday. Okonkwo gets off on the fact that his wives are constantly worried about saying the wrong thing or upsetting him. It shows how much power Okonkwo has that his father never did. Most of Okonkwo's beatings were senseless. In one incident, Okonkwo beat his second wife for killing a tree, even though Okonkwo knew that the tree wasn't actually dead: "As a matter...a reasonable distance." (5.38) After a good, thorough beating on one of his doting wives, Okonkwo feels satisfied and content. Okonkwo has this twisted mindset that showing any love or affection in a marriage is womanly and not acceptable. This confusion is portrayed in the quote, "'It was always...his head doubtfully." (8.68) In this scene, Obierika and Okonkwo are discussing an elderly couple that passed away on the same day. Obierika states how the couple had always been very close and affectionate with each other. Okonkwo is genuinely confused and says that he thought the elderly man was strong when he was younger. Okonkwo can't wrap his mind around the idea of being a strong man and also showing your family love. It is very ironic because Okonkwo's role in this society is to be a protector and provider, but he hurts his own family. That does not seem very protective.
It is extremely important that the men in this society never show a hint of femininity, as to not be viewed as a "woman," which is synonymous with "weak" in Umuofia.

This is a driving force in all of Okonkwo's life decisions and choices, which began when he was just a young boy living with his feminine father. As a kid, Okonkwo swore that he would never be like his father, and it looks like he's holding onto his word, maybe a bit too strongly. He expresses his childhood trauma of having a failure as a father in this quote: "Even as a...taken to title." (2.13) This traumatic bullying incident that caused Okonkwo great suffering led him to become the man he is today: a wife beater and a child abuser. Okay, but seriously. Okonkwo's father's failures left such a huge impact on Okonkwo's life that he is now doing everything in his power to be the complete opposite of what he grew up with. One can not help but sometimes feel bad for the guy. His entire existence is based on proving to everyone else that he is the strongest and most powerful man around. That must be absolutely exhausting. One of the worst things to be called as a man in this society is a woman. Calling a man a woman is the lowest of blows possible. Okonkwo utilized this offensive term many times, like in this quote: "Only a week...a man's spirit." (4.26) Okonkwo is not afraid to kill a man's spirit if it helps him be seen as stronger or more powerful than other men. Another use of the term "woman" is used again,

but this time Okonkwo is addressing himself. The quote reads, "'When did you...a woman indeed.'" (8.65) In this quote, Okonkwo lists his greatest accomplishments (known for his valor in war...killed five men in battle...), and he questions how killing just one measly boy could make him fall to pieces after all that he has achieved. He calls himself a "woman," because he believes only women should feel depressed and hopeless. Okonkwo will not allow himself to feel his feelings due to his crippling fear of being shown as weak. This gender role placed on Umuofian men to be strong and powerful can lead to distressing consequences, as Okonkwo continues to prove on many occasions.
Things Fall Apart author Chinua Achebe efficiently addresses the very prevalent gender roles in the Umuofian society and depicts them as the very core of the Igbo culture's traditions and rules. The gender roles Achebe focuses on are primarily rooted in the inferiority felt in being a woman in this society and the overwhelming fear placed on men's shoulders to be seen as dominant and strong. These damaging gender roles are portrayed in the fact that women are considered the lesser sex and are treated as such; some men like Okonkwo feel the need to beat their wives and children in order to exert control; and a man being called a woman is an extremely offensive insult in the Igbo culture. Some people might argue that this is just how this society works and nothing more can be expected of it, but I disagree. It is extremely imperative for us, as a society, to address these types of gender roles and become aware of them. We as a society sometimes don't realize the power we have. If we can use our power for good and continue to point out and refuse to conform to gender roles, then we have made a difference.