Igbo Women

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Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart focuses on a Nigerian tribe, the Igbo, during the post-colonial era of the 1890s. The novel centers around a certain family consisting of a dominant power, Okonkwo, and his three wives and several children. The role of women in pre-colonial Africa is stressed through the myths, proverbs, and interactions with other characters in Igbo society. Achebe intends to show us that although women in Igbo culture are perceived to be in a lower hierarchy than men, they still hold significant roles in the Igbo way of life. The notion that women in Igbo culture are presumed to be limited based on the rules of their clan is present throughout the novel. Not only do men hold high esteem in the clan, but women seem to hold very little roles, often portrayed as servants. As expressed in the interactions between Okonkwo and his wives, women are taught to be obedient and silent. During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo had “been provoked with justifiable anger”(Ch. 9) when one of his wives had failed to prepare him his meal in time. This highlights the roles that women have in Igbo society, and their worth as an individual as a whole. Seen as nothing but possessions of men, referring to a man as an agbala (or woman in the Igbo language) is seen as …show more content…

Agbala, a god that can predict the future, is known to have appointed priestesses by which shared his words with the Igbo people. The Igbo people refer to the priestess as god-like and listen to every word she has to interpret. Making a sacrifice to appease the gods is one such example of her power and influence. Ani, the goddess of earth and harvest, is believed to ensure a good harvest for the village. Animal sacrifices are made to bring blessing to the village’s crops, and all the people of the Igbo society, as well as men, make sure to keep the goddess please by following her

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