Things Fall Apart Research Paper
Culture, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the way of thinking, behaving or working that exists in a place or organization. Since culture is specific to a certain region it can vary in many ways from place to place. The Ibo culture found in the book Things Fall Apart and American culture have some similarities and some differences. In Things Fall Apart, we follow the life of Okonkwo; and we learn about how his society functions and the norms of his culture. His story really highlights the ins and outs of Ibo culture and makes it easy to contrast with American culture. Family structure and gender roles are two topics that these cultures have opposing values about; however, they have similar values when it comes to religion and
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Women are no longer confined to the solitary role of mother or caretaker. They are stepping out into the work force. Women can and are doing everything that men are doing. They still face many inequalities, though. For example, women get paid 79 cents to a man’s dollar (Hill). This isn’t as bad as the inequalities Ibo women face. In the Ibo culture, women are only responsible for child bearing and making food. They don’t work in the field, and they also are treated differently during ceremonies. During ceremonies, women are found in the back and men are in the front. In their society, men dominate everything. They have the most control. Some men are even abusive. Okonkwo definitely was abusive toward his wives. Achebe wrote, “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children” (10). His wives were scared of doing something wrong because they might receive a beating. However, terrible domestic violence may be, it is still also found in American culture. It is less tolerated or accepted, though. In American culture, it is highly frowned upon; unlike Ibo culture,where it is just the norm. While there are many differences between cultures there are also some similarities, such as
Women are no longer confined to the solitary role of mother or caretaker. They are stepping out into the work force. Women can and are doing everything that men are doing. They still face many inequalities, though. For example, women get paid 79 cents to a man’s dollar (Hill). This isn’t as bad as the inequalities Ibo women face. In the Ibo culture, women are only responsible for child bearing and making food. They don’t work in the field, and they also are treated differently during ceremonies. During ceremonies, women are found in the back and men are in the front. In their society, men dominate everything. They have the most control. Some men are even abusive. Okonkwo definitely was abusive toward his wives. Achebe wrote, “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children” (10). His wives were scared of doing something wrong because they might receive a beating. However, terrible domestic violence may be, it is still also found in American culture. It is less tolerated or accepted, though. In American culture, it is highly frowned upon; unlike Ibo culture,where it is just the norm. While there are many differences between cultures there are also some similarities, such as