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Examples Of Patriarchy In Things Fall Apart

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The Igbo culture values masculinity, patriarchy, tradition, and hard work. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo grew up with a lazy dad so he had to be his own role model. Throughout the novel, he puts all his conflicts aside just to look brave and wise enough to be one of the village leaders and receive the highest title of the clan. The characters Okonkwo, Nwoye, and Ekwefi and their internal and external conflicts reveal Igbo values of masculinity, tradition, and following the rules even though they were broken a few times. Okonkwo shows the Igbo values of masculinity and patriarchy to live down his father’s legacy by fighting off the conflicts with himself, with society, with another person and the Gods or fate. To …show more content…

Dazed with fear Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” (61) The Igbo value masculinity and patriarchy so Okonkwo has an idea of how a man should act and that almost always conflicts with his feelings. By killing Ikemefuna, he “proved” that he is strong enough to even kill the people he is fond of even though he thought of Ikemefuna as a son. Another example is when Ikemefuna was brought to the village to replace the daughter of Umuofia that was killed in Mbaino, “‘Is he staying long with us?’ she asked. ‘Do what you are told, woman,’ Okonkwo thundered and stammered. ‘When did you become one of the ndichie of Umuofia?’” (14) This conflict is a person vs person, but at the same time its person vs society because it was Okonkwo against his wife, but it was to show the others that he will not be questioned. The question his wife asked was a simple one, but in Igbo traditions the wife does what she is asked without any questions because Okonkwo is the father of the house. The final example is when Okonkwo beat his wife during the Week of Peace, “His first two wives ran out in great alarm …show more content…

For example, when Okonkwo blamed her for killing the banana tree, “Without further argument Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping.” (39) This conflict is a person vs person conflict because she was beaten by Okonkwo. This reflects Igbo traditions because she did not fight back and acted like the woman the Igbo culture wants her to be. When Achebe talked about how Ekwefi was not angry at others for her bad luck “... that she did not blame others for their good fortune but her own evil chi who denied her any.” (79) This conflict is a person vs self and a person vs gods or fate conflict because she did not like that her chi did not agree with her. This reflects Igbo traditions because she always sacrificed to the gods, but the babies never stayed and she got really bitter and did not care anymore. Finally, when Chielo took Ezinma to the caves Ekwefi wanted to follow “she stood for a while, then all of a sudden, made up her mind… ‘I am following Chielo…’” (103) This conflict is a person vs self conflict. She was afraid that her only daughter will be hurt so she became desperate, worked up the courage and followed Chielo and Ezinma. Ekwefi is a strong woman that cares deeply for her child and shows the Igbo valued of doing what a woman is supposed to do in their

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