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Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart
April 4, 2013

Civilization govern/have laws/discipline/maintain order assign roles to people based on status, class, gender, age language: culture/arts educate children (raise them) ritual behavior: religion/hospitality holidays and festivals regulate humans' relationships with gods/nature conduct international relations maintain armies; go to war control individuals/unify them create community/communal systems of identification control access to resources systems of class/provide for class mobility organizing individuals specialize economically conduct monetary policy

laws language no fighting laws respecting gods child discipline - hitting children polygamy Week of Peace carrying of water yams children carry on legacy believe in new beginnings respect and embrace nature superstitions strict gender roles gain respect from farming and good crops relationship between women - protection over each other April 5, 2013

How is masculinity constructed (e.g.. conceptualized) by the characters in this novel? How is it performed by them?

Okwonko - anger is the only emotion that he can use, no affection, control women

April 8. 2013

How is Emuofian religion divided along gender lines? Which parts of the spirit world are represented by women? Which are represented by men? How does this division illustrate Igbo ideas about gender roles and gender-based characteristics?

egwugwu - ancestor spirits

agtala - earth goddess

Men are represented as stronger forces of religion
Connected to culture because of the ancestry
More responsible for carrying out traditions

Women are more scared and timid
Represented as closer to nature
Birth oracle
Women are in charge of worship of nature: oracle of hull as and caves
Chielo - priestess of Agbala
Women are seen as connected with Earth
Repesentatives vs. emobiments
Women afraid of
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