Things Fall Apart

The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and the short story “My Parents’ Bedroom” by Uwem Akpan equally possess a dominant, female character. The major role of these women is that of a motherly nature as well as a supportive, strong and wise figure. Ekwefi from Things Fall Apart and Maman from “My Parents’ Bedroom” can be easily likened through major similarities in their strength, motherly traits and roles. By comparing and contrasting the common elements of these two women, the reader can make a connection regarding their place in their respective societies.
The most prominent female role within the novel Things Fall Apart and “My Parents’ Bedroom is that of a mother like figure. Okonkwo’s second wife - Ekwefi is the primary maternal character in Things Fall Apart. Ekwefi was considered the most beautiful woman in her village before she abandoned her first husband to marry Okonkwo after he triumphed in a local wrestling tournament. Despite this romantic beginning, their marriage soon turned sour, forcing Ekwefi to stand up for herself against the high temper and constant beatings from her husband. In addition to the strength she requires against Okonkwo, Ekwefi has also developed resilience through the constant string of bad luck that took place earlier in her life. Despite giving birth to ten children, Ekwefi has only one surviving child - Ezinma. Through the nurturing bond Ekwefi shares with her daughter, her character takes on a softer, more gentle strength as well as qualities of a devoted mother figure. The traits that Ekwefi’s character possesses are very similar to those of Maman from the short story “My Parents’ Bedroom”. Maman is a Tutsi woman - tall, light skinned and very beautiful - “Her skin is so light that you can see the blue veins on her hands.” (Akpan 2) Her character is painted as a sort of mysterious character due to the secrets she hides from her daughter Monique - the narrator of the story. Maman’s secret is that she has been hiding in the attic of their home, along with many of their Tutsi friends and neighbors, as to survive the brutal killings of the Hutu rebels. Maman is a caring character at the beginning of the story. She is painted as gentle and kind - key traits of a mother figure. As the the story progresses and the conflict is heightened, Maman’s character takes a more negative, harsh stance - something that is not seen in Ekwefi.
The family and social aspects of both Ekwefi and Maman’s lives are very similar. Although Ekwefi is a member of the Igbo tribe, some fifty years prior to the time in which Maman lived with her Hutu/Tutsi family, many of the values and traits of African customs can still be likened. Undeniably, the most profound role Ekwefi and Maman play is that of a mother figure. Although Ekwefi has only one child - Enzima - she has learnt through the ten deaths of her other children, that being a mother is her most important role. Ekwefi is compassionate and nurturing to her daughter throughout the novel. The pair seem to have a friend like relationship in some instances for example when Ekwefi allows Ezinma to eat eggs - a food meant for adults only. Ultimately, Ekwefi gives everything she possibly can do her daughter, ensuring she is loved and well cared for at all times. This paints Ekwefi’s character has gentle and loving as well as extremely protective - “At the mention of Ezinma’s name Ekwefi jerked her head sharply like an animal that had sniffed death in the air.” (Achebe 100) The mothers in Igbo society were required to teach their daughters the way of the culture as well as prepare them for their futures as wives and mothers themselves.
In “My Parent’s Bedroom” Maman is required to teach Monique about the happenings of the real world, although her method is far more harsh than that of Ekwefi. Maman and Monique have a unique relationship, one that is seemingly opposite to that of Ekwefi and Ezinma. As Maman is a Tutsi, she is high target for the Hutu rebels - extremists who made their points through the brutal machete slayings of innocent Tutsi people. Monique is half Tutsi half Hutu but has adopted many of the Tutsi traits such as a narrow face and lighter toned skin whereas her younger brother Jean resembles his Hutu father. It is because of this that Maman distances herself from Monique, favouring Jean. With the realization that Monique is just as much as target as she is, Maman does not show love or care towards her daughter for fear of loss. These actions paint Maman as a cold, cruel character but when further analyzed, one may realize that Maman also possesses protective, motherly traits that can be likened to that of Ekwefi. Maman is protective and fierce in regards to the safety of Monique in the same way that Ekwefi is towards Ezinma - the only difference being that Maman's method of expressing this motherly trait is seemingly cruel verses Ekwefi's gentle, nurturing way. Another similarity is that Maman was willing to sacrifice her own life in order to protect Monique and Jean just as Ekwefi sacrificed her own safety for the sake of Ezinma. Maman encourages Papa to kill her in a bid to save the innocent lives of her children. Ekwefi sacrifices her own safety for Ezinma on multiple occasions for example, when Chielo - the village priestess - comes to fulfil the Oracle through the collection of Ezinma. Ekwefi and Okonkwo both wait outside the cave where Chielo has taken Ezinma for hours on end, putting their own safety at risk in order to ensure their daughter's safety.
The Igbo tribe was very much male orientated forcing the women to develop a tough, resilient skin. Any one male figure could have as many wives as he pleased. Okonkwo - Ekwefi’s husband - has three wives. The wives are expected to serve their husbands without question, regardless of their own needs. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s first wife - Ojiugo - is at another tribe member's hut having her hair braided. When Okonkwo expects his supper and it is not cooked for him, he proceeds to find Ojiugo and severely beat her as punishment - "And when she returned he beat her very heavily.” (Achebe 29) The place of women in Igbo society was minimal compared to that of male figures and it is because of this that women are painted as, some would say, background figures to their male counterparts. Ekwefi’s character is rather submissive and quiet throughout the majority of the novel yet she is known as the most spirited of Okonkwo’s three wives. This attitude Ekwefi sports portrays her as a woman who can hold her own against a superior male. Her backbone grants her character a sense of independence and worth along with the idea that Ekwefi has the strength to stand alone without a man at her side. Maman from "My Parents’ Bedroom" also plays the secondary role to her husband. Through Monique's narrations, one can infer that Papa makes the major decisions for her family. For example, Papa decides that Maman must hide silently in the attic in order to keep her safe from the violence that takes place outside their home. Maman simply does as Papa says without question. Maman and Ekwefi show similarities in their possession of a strong backbone against their husband when needed. In one instance, Papa nearly reveals the secret of the Tutsis in the attic to his daughter Monique. In a bid to keep the information hidden, Maman quickly and almost spitefully hushes her husband. This reveals Maman's character as a sort of leader to her husband, given her ability to silence the male figure of the household - something unheard of in African culture.
In conclusion, by comparing the common traits of Ekwefi from the novel Things Fall Apart and Maman from the short story "My Parents’ Bedroom", one can make a connection between to two prominent female roles based on their places in domestic, societal and cultural atmospheres. By analyzing the traits of these two female characters as well as aspects of their lives that may tie their two separate personalities into one similar, one can gain an understanding of roles of women in African society - past and modern.