Igbo Oppression

Misogyny and sexism have plagued the earth since the beginning of time. This pestilence affects every corner of the earth and influences the opportunities of many women. This takes the form of many social norms that affect the day to day and long term life of women around the world. This was evident in the villages and tribes of pre colonial Nigeria. This is an explicit theme in Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart where women are undervalued and oppressed because of the tradition, objectification, and abuse, in the Igbo culture.
In Things Fall Apart, the Igbo society’s traditions played an integral role in the oppression and disparagement of women. The traditions of the Igbo people often included treating women with little to no

Throughout the novel we see women being objectified in many ways. Okonkwo exemplifies this in the way he treats his wives and daughters. This can be seen in many ways including his constant control over them. Okonkwo even tells them how to sit saying “‘Sit like a woman!’”(Achebe 56) . This can also be viewed when he gets mad at them for not following his exact instructions or when they have their own thoughts or ideas. This demonstrates just how objectified women are. This idea can also be seen in the idea of a dowry needed in order to marry a women. At first look this may seem like a compliment, but if it is analyzed a little deeper it can be noted that this is like buying property. This further shows the idea that women are treated as objects and shows that women were mistreated and men do not value them. In Linda Strong-leaks article, Role of Women in Things Fall Apart, she claims that women are viewed mainly as “child bearers and help mates for their husbands.” Strong-Leak brings up this fact which is a very important part of understanding the objectification of women. The objectification clearly affects the role women are allowed to take on and the way in which men treat women and how they are able to

In the Igbo society women were often abused. This can be seen many times throughout the book including Okonkwo's actions towards his wives. In her article, Strong-Leak claims that, “most readings of the novel do not address the brutal beating Ekwefi receives at the hands of Okonkwo”. One of the examples of this is when he abuses his wife because she was not making dinner. This abuse is a main cause for the despotism of women because abusive actions do not show how you value a person. Okunowo is often described as mean or angry: “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (Things Fall Apart 10). This also can be seen when Okonkwo tries to punish his wife by almost shooting her. When Okonkwo does the culture is he shows that he does not value his wife as a equal or even as a human. In the Igbo culture there are clear rules against injuring another person in your tribe and the abuse isn't even a punishable offense. Another demonstration of abuse would be the actions of the other members of the Igbo society. After Okonkwo abuses his wives and daughters there is no one in the village that offers to help or protect the women, and this shows how little the rest of the village values