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An essay on: the igbo tradition
Igbo s culture, tradition, values and norm
An essay on: the igbo tradition
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More handpicked essays just for you.
An essay on: the igbo tradition
Igbo s culture, tradition, values and norm
An essay on: the igbo tradition
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Okonkwo constantly struggled to create the same masculine character in Nwoye that he made for himself and constantly found a reflection of his effeminate father, Unoka, in Nwoye. Chapter two describes the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye in Nwoye’s youth. “Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness... He sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” (13-14). Okonkwo’s efforts to change Nwoye’s resemblance of Unoka were causing their relationship to be pushed apart because of Okonkwo’s violence and Nwoye’s resistance.
In “Things Fall Apart” Achebe gives background information on Okonkwo saying “He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife.” (5). This quotation from chapter one demonstrates that Okonkwo’s nobility of prosperity is revealed by his success’ from his early years and forward. The villagers within Okonkwo’s clan love and honor him for his personal achievements, and he
In the culture of Umuofia these important lessons are most often passed from mother to child. To Okonkwo these folktales are considered effeminate while war stories are considered masculine. His eldest son, Nwoye, much prefers these “effeminate” folktales than the “masculine” war stories. These folktales are an integral part in helping one understand the beliefs and culture of the African people, and also in understanding the story as a whole. The next symbol I found is yams.
Throughout the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, there are many references to the protagonist’s necessity to be recognized for his masculinity. Okonkwo, the protagonist, despises his father for his unsuccessfulness, and Okonkwo is motivated to become a prosperous man. His fear of being weak determines his actions in difficult situations, which causes an internal conflict. Eventually, this fear overwhelms Okonkwo, and he commits suicide. Okonkwo’s desire to be masculine in opposition to his father creates an internal conflict established in his fear of being thought weak, which ultimately leads to his death.
The novel "Thing's fall apart" by Chinua Achebe is a complex work that masterfully establishes and develops characters through their experience with cultural collision. The way that Achebe accomplishes carefully weaving his implicit claim throughout the work is such a beautiful subtlety that it deserves to be analyzed. The Igbo's pride is constantly challenged by the colonizers as they gain increasingly more power in Africa. The idea of pride is constantly developed throughout the thoughts and actions of the novels protagonist Okonkwo. His response to the colonizers is influenced by his own views on pride and is used by Achebe to illustrate his own opinion on pride.
In the process of making a title, the man pays fees to the men who already has a title. In chapter 2, the ideas of masculinity and femininity is separated in the form of labor. Achebe lets the readers understand the significant positions women and men are ideal to in the Umuofian society. For men, respect and success are based on only manly activities and accomplishments whereas taking care of children and hens, on the other hand, are only recognized as womanly activities.
In Umuofia, traditions and beliefs are to be strongly respected. The line is clearly marked between men and women. Boys are taught to hide their feelings and be strong, while girls are expected to be more sensitive and caring. Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye is an example of that value which was taught : “Nothing pleased Nwoye
Similarly, Okonkwo’s misogyny is exceedingly apparent and eventually Okonkwo’s masculinity becomes a defensive resource, therefore, his adherence to a masculine philosophy will order his world (Osei-Nyame 3). Okonkwo’s character development is not a long path to a life-changing, mentality-transforming moment, but instead he essentially lacks character
Among those of the same culture, individuals who are adaptive and open-minded can be successful when there is cultural collision. When the Igbo and European cultures collide, Okonkwo gradually spirals out of control, losing everything he values and his own sense of self. From the beginning of the novel, Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a virile warrior and a successful farmer within the Igbo tribe. Reacting with violence to anything he considers “womanly” or “weak”, “He was a man of action and man of war” (10). Because of his reputation as a warrior he is highly respected by his community.
People all over the world worship many gods, goddesses, and other higher beings. Some religions are monotheistic, worship one god or goddess, others are polytheistic, worship multiple gods and goddesses. The Igbo tribe is polytheistic because they worship many gods, goddesses, and spirits; such as, they worship a god named Chukwu, two minor gods, a minor goddess, and six different spirits. The first and most important being they worship, as stated by world eras, is a god named Chukwu.
In the Ibo hierarchal society, women are the subject of unequal treatment and patronization. They are considered weak and are not given any power. As the novel, Things Fall Apart unravels, the author, Chinua Achebe reveals the distinct attributes of femininity. Feminine traits are also viewed with disdain in Umuofian society, especially by the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo. His past experiences shape his disposition and give rise to his stereotypical mentality; however, several events contradict the prevalent perspective of women, leading to Okonkwo facing conflicts within himself.
Q1: Explain how Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced his life. A1: Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced Okonkwo’s life because he had been a failure in life. Unoka was a lazy and improvident debtor. In his youth he lived a carefree life and would visit different villages and market to play on his flute and feast.
Fear is the core cause of the dramatic shift of lifestyle for both Okonkwo and Nwoye. Through the management of reputation and the avoidance of their father’s likeness, Okonkwo and Nwoye built new lives for themselves. Okonkwo sought power and authority to prove his masculinity and make up for Unoka’s reputation as a weak man. He did this to the point where manliness became his character. Fearlessness and violence were masculine qualities that in Igbo culture signifies strength and influence.
Feminist Theory In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, they recognize the life of the Igbos which are a tribe in the village of Umuofia during European colonization. There are many topics brought up in this book like the effects of colonization, culture and tradition, religion, race, etc. It is relatively easy to read “Things Fall Apart” as an anti-feminist text due to the face that the Igbo clan’s customs and traditions seem to side towards masculine features, such as power and strength. The novel is told through a male protagonist’s point of view in nineteenth century Nigeria, while women there do not have much rights, they do wield heavy influence over the leaders of the clan.
TFA Essay Our lives are centered around our culture and beliefs, we are influenced by our peers about our beliefs to the point where it may cause things to fall apart, with many up and down situations. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, we learn about an Ibo culture that believe in male masculinity and dominance, expected from a very young age for boys to be very masculine and rule over women.