Igbo Women In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart depicts many details of how women shape and form the Igbo culture. However, throughout the novel women in the Igbo society are abused by their husbands due to trivial matters. Moreover, a woman in the Igbo society never has the opportunity to make a decision for herself, which makes them an object that is merely used as a pathway to success. Despite the toiling and dedication women put into helping the Igbo society, they are often left forgotten in the shadow of their husbands. Even though women are always mistreated and held at a lower standard than men, in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe displays that they help the Igbo society blossom and play a vital role in the success of the masculine figures.
Nonetheless, the women are never appreciated for the sacrifices they make in order to benefit others. When Ogbuefi Udo’s wife was killed, a girl was to be given up which caused a lot of commotion between clans. However “At the end they decided, as everybody knew they would, that the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife” (9). The girl was a replacement for Ogbuefi’s wife which shows that women are interchangeable and that it is acceptable to pass them around. Despite the mistreatment given to them, women still obey and devote their time to benefit their husband. For example, when Okonkwo left for Mbanta he took with him “his family of three wives and their children to seek refuge in his motherland,” and during this time period “Okonkwo and his family worked very hard to plant a new farm” (101). Without the help of Okonkwo’s wives, he would not have been able to be successful in his new village. Moreover, when Okonkwo is banished from Umuofia he learns that “A man belongs to his father land when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland” (103). Every man knows that despite his actions, his mother is always there to give him sympathy and forgiveness. Therefore, whenever a man is sentenced to exile for committing a crime, he is sent to his motherland. In addition, the daughters of any
Throughout the novel it is clear that there is no success in the Igbo society without the women’s contributions. Even though women are always mistreated and held at a lower standard than men, they are the essential building blocks of the Igbo society and the success of the masculine figures. At first sight, the roles of women may seem unimportant due to the way men are described, however beneath that statement lies the important and vital roles completed by women in order for the Igbo communities to