Igbo Gender Roles

It can be argued that every household raises their children differently with their own customs, and beliefs. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart the characters of children throughout the novel have a big impact. Each gender is raised according to Igbo gender expectations. In the colonisation era, male and female babies were greeted very differently in the world during Igbo times. Achebe shatters the stereotypical belief that male children were superior to females. In order to fit in Igbo society norms a man had to be successful. Okonkwo's greatest fear to become like his father a “titleless man”(4) lead him to become a tragic hero. In the novel children are represented and treated in a negative way to show power men have over them. The way the evil

Ikemefuna was a boy whose soul was used as a sacrifice by the Mbaino after a Umuofia girl was murdered. The boy had nothing to do with the death of the young girl. In Igbo culture it was common that out of spite and revenge the people would take innocent children, in this case a virgin girl and a boy know as Ikemefuna for revage purpose. Ikemefuna was taken away from his home and placed in Okonkwo's power. The boy was portrayed as an object that was used for the people's satisfaction. Ikemefuna finally adapts himself to Okonkwo's family, but misses his family. Ikemefuna was very attached to Nwoye, they considered each other as brothers. The boy also got attached to Okonkwo and viewed him as a father figure. In chapter 7 Ikemefuna is told he will be returning home, the following day he leaves with Okonkwo. “My father, they have killed me!” shouts Ikemefuna and runs to Okonkwo, Afraid to appear weak Okonkwo kills the boy with his machete. Here it's shown how the boy’s life wasn’t important to anyone. Man’s power came first over