Things Fall Apart Sexism Analysis
A Sexist Lifestyle
Since the beginning of time, parents have taught girls how to clean the house and care for children and boys how to do the “manly” chores. One can argue either way whether this is sexist or not. Some may think that it is because women are not seen as capable of performing “manly” duties, while others may argue that it is not sexist since men and women both have their own duties, and different genders have different gender roles. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe depicts the Igbo culture in Africa. In the Igbo society polygamy exists, where men are able to have multiple wives and women cannot. Not only are women bound to one man while men have many wives, but also women do not have any power in the society. This, coupled …show more content…
Okonkwo feels entitled to beat his wives for the smallest infractions whenever he pleases. “As a matter of fact the tree was very much alive. Okonkwo’s second wife had merely cut a few leaves off it to wrap some food, and she said so. Without further argument Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping” (Achebe 38). Okonkwo’s second wife did nothing to deserve a beating, which shows that Okonkwo thinks that he is all high and mighty and can do whatever he pleases in regards to women. No one does anything to stop this behavior, but that does not mean it is an appropriate way to act. Judgement is passed on women if they cannot bear sons, and, as shown in Things Fall Apart, some women are not valuable enough to have names because they are only known for being their son’s mother. “Women are not only without protection, but also denied social status” (Kramer). Nwoye’s mother is not given a name because she is only known for being the mother of Nwoye. She is not significant enough to be called by a name. To conclude, Things Fall Apart is a sexist novel. The existence of polygamy validates that the Igbo society is sexist. The fact that women do not have any power in society also helps demonstrate sexism. Lastly, the culture despises women if they cannot bear sons, confirming that the Igbo society is undoubtedly sexist. Sexism is a problem that has been around forever, and it might always be a problem in some cultures. To view a specific gender as inferior to another, however, is not only abusive but also demoralizing to the targeted
Since the beginning of time, parents have taught girls how to clean the house and care for children and boys how to do the “manly” chores. One can argue either way whether this is sexist or not. Some may think that it is because women are not seen as capable of performing “manly” duties, while others may argue that it is not sexist since men and women both have their own duties, and different genders have different gender roles. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe depicts the Igbo culture in Africa. In the Igbo society polygamy exists, where men are able to have multiple wives and women cannot. Not only are women bound to one man while men have many wives, but also women do not have any power in the society. This, coupled …show more content…
Okonkwo feels entitled to beat his wives for the smallest infractions whenever he pleases. “As a matter of fact the tree was very much alive. Okonkwo’s second wife had merely cut a few leaves off it to wrap some food, and she said so. Without further argument Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping” (Achebe 38). Okonkwo’s second wife did nothing to deserve a beating, which shows that Okonkwo thinks that he is all high and mighty and can do whatever he pleases in regards to women. No one does anything to stop this behavior, but that does not mean it is an appropriate way to act. Judgement is passed on women if they cannot bear sons, and, as shown in Things Fall Apart, some women are not valuable enough to have names because they are only known for being their son’s mother. “Women are not only without protection, but also denied social status” (Kramer). Nwoye’s mother is not given a name because she is only known for being the mother of Nwoye. She is not significant enough to be called by a name. To conclude, Things Fall Apart is a sexist novel. The existence of polygamy validates that the Igbo society is sexist. The fact that women do not have any power in society also helps demonstrate sexism. Lastly, the culture despises women if they cannot bear sons, confirming that the Igbo society is undoubtedly sexist. Sexism is a problem that has been around forever, and it might always be a problem in some cultures. To view a specific gender as inferior to another, however, is not only abusive but also demoralizing to the targeted