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Masculinity In Things Fall Apart

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Juliana Horowitz published an article with the statistic” “23% of U.S. men believed that, if needed, men should use violence to get respect.” This is a scary percentage of men who believe that violence is used to earn respect and demonstrate the glorified idea of toxic masculinity. Throughout the novel, the reader will learn about the culture and traditions held closely by the Ibo tribe. They will also learn how the treatment differs between males and females. Lastly, Achebe expressed the value of masculinity that the Ibo tribe expects. The novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, portrays a detailed version of the flawed idea of masculinity by including traditions, culture, and the expectations of masculinity in everyday life. …show more content…

Okonkwo, along with the rest of the tribe, views Christianity as a threat to their current customs. Members of the Ibo tribe who feel unsatisfied with their cultures and traditions start to follow Christianity, which diminishes the superiority Okonkwo, and others in his position of power feel over their tribe. If there are fewer people following their culture, who had lower-level positions, to admire their victories, those victories quickly start to …show more content…

An oracle had prophesied that Ikemefuna needed to die so the tribesman decided to execute this plan by telling him that he would be returning home. The oracle had instructed Okonkwo to not kill Ikemefuna as he is like his father, however, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down” (61). Although fate and oracles are a huge part of Ibo society and culture, Okonkwo chooses to go against the oracle's prophecy. He was willing to still follow through with his plan, even though he knew that it could fall under the crime of killing a relative just to avoid looking weak and feminine. Okonkwo is very depressed that he has killed Ikemefuna and Ezinma always brings him his food three times a day, constantly reminding him that he needs to eat. On page 64, Okonkwo thinks, “‘She should have been a boy,’” Okonkwo wishes that Ezinma were a boy because she is very spirited and brave, and more manly than his actual sons. He also has a close relationship with Ezinma whom he values very much. He wants to hold this special connection with his sons, but his value of masculinity prevents him from admitting these feelings. Masculinity is very valued in the Ibo culture, which oftentimes results in regrets and negative

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802 Words | 4 Pages

Okonkwo’s aggressive ways caused Nwoye to rely on Ikemefuna, A boy given to Okonkwo by a neighboring village, as an older brother who teaches him a more gentle form of masculinity. The bond between Nwoye and Ikemefuna was stronger than the bond between Nwoye and Okonkwo ever was because of Okonkwo’s refusal to demonstrate affection towards his son as it could make him appear weak. However, because of the death of Ikemefuna, Nwoye fears having to return to the harsh values of his father. Okonkwo’s stubborn ideas of masculinity ruined his relationship with his son beyond repair. Okonkwo’s refusal to show emotion towards his family pushed them apart which shows that Okonkwo is not willing to give up his stern values and reputation to be emotionally committed to his family.

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1083 Words | 5 Pages

Chapter 8 Pg 63- Okonkwo was very depressed after he killed Ikemefuna so he didn’t eat for two days and falls into a sickness , he can’t even sleep -I think that it’s crazy because he brought this upon himself since he actually liked Ikemefuna since he was teaching Nwoye to be more masculine but he went to kill him anyways since the Oracle said he had to die. Pg

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1034 Words | 5 Pages

At the end of the 18th century, Europe erupted a shocked the world revolution, this is the famous French revolution. This revolution is like a sharp sword, row away every shrouded in continental Europe over heavy feudal "iron curtain”. Although the revolution, which began operating in 1789 finally ended in napoleon proclaimed himself, finally it failed to achieve the goal of the establishment of a democratic republic, but, over the continent of feudal unfolds once was torn by the revolution, it is no longer to fill that hole, European irreversibly to the revolutionary road of again and again. During the French Revolution, there were many thinkers of the time that influenced the progress of the country. Therefore, The following I am going to discuss the

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387 Words | 2 Pages

Next, Okonkwo is warned that he will be told to kill Ikemefuna, a boy who has become like a son to him. When the time comes, Okonkwo, Ikemefuna, and a few other men set out on their journey. When the men move to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo trails behind them so he will not have to be a part of

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755 Words | 4 Pages

China Achebe demonstrates the disrespect the Ibo men had for woman in Things Fall Apart by depicting verbal and physical abuse within the community. The men have control over a woman through power of authority. This physical and verbal abuse lets the men of the society feel empowerment over the woman. “ Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” Achebe 12.

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1027 Words | 5 Pages

Okonkwo hates change, and he feels that the missionaries have brought about change through their religion, which has started to affect other aspects of traditional Igbo life and its people. He feels that the men have gotten weaker, hence him feeling proud when the warriors start acting like warriors again in his mind when the village agrees some violent action must be taken against the white man. When the village crier announces that there will be a meeting to discuss what to do about the foreigners following Okonkwo and the other prisoners getting released, Okonkwo is very excited. However, once the meeting gets interrupted by court messengers during a speech about how the white man is desecrating their gods and ancestral spirits, things take a turn for the worst. As soon as the head messenger tells the crowd to disperse “Okonkwo drew his machete.

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786 Words | 4 Pages

Killing Ikemefuna shows that Okonkwo does not have absolute control over his emotions. As he sits in his obi afterward he is sad and defeated: “Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna” (Achebe 63). Killing someone close to him causes Okonkwo to fall into a deep state of depression. Starving himself because of his grief reveals that he has succumbed to his fear. Okonkwo has committed his life to avoid a situation that causes him to appear weak, but refusing to eat outwardly demonstrates his pain and sorrow of killing the boy that called him father.

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1359 Words | 6 Pages

Okonkwo wanted his tribe to fight back the missionaries in order to protect their Igbo culture but his persistence only led to his downfall. This can be seen when Okonkwo makes a rash decision to kill a messenger thinking Umuofia would fight back but ended up not fighting, “The white man whose power you know too well has ordered this meeting to stop.” In a flash, Okonkwo drew his machete. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless.

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881 Words | 4 Pages

Nonetheless, he repeatedly wishes she was a boy (Achebe 56) in order to fit their patriarchy gender role. Men in the Igbo tribe role are scrutinize by their masculinity, and if you do not exhibit a barbaric persona, you are categorized weak like a girl. For instance, after Okonkwo had murdered Ikemefuna, he was going through a period of depression, asking himself "When did I become a shivering old women" (Achebe 56) This demonstrates the gender stereotype in the Igbo society as if women were the only one allowed to empathize or have feelings. Also, gender roles in the Igbo tribe hinders men from having their own identity.

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1212 Words | 5 Pages

During those three years, Okonkwo and the tribute, Ikemefuna, become like father and son, but after the three years are over, the oracle proclaims that Ikemefuna must die. As Ikemefuna unknowingly walks to his old village with Okonkwo and some other men, they start to close in on him and when Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo, “Okonkwo drew

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855 Words | 4 Pages

Okonkwo’s values are restricted to physical strength, power, and prosperity, and when the Europeans suddenly arrive, the cultural convergence prompts Okonkwo to respond with even more violence. While the majority of his tribe, including his son Nwoye, is open to considering

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1774 Words | 8 Pages

The hatred that he had for his father he carried with him throughout his whole life. That hatred turned into him killing Ikemefuna and the messenger. Ikemefuna was thought of as a son and he killed him in fear of being considered weak in front of his clan members. That weakness was thought of his weakness which was considered a failure. At the end of the story Okonkwo ends up being just like his father which is ironic because he strived to be nothing like him.

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847 Words | 4 Pages

When Ikemefuna was alive, Okonkwo saw him as a son and allowed the boy to call him “father”. The first sentence following Ikemefuna death is, “[Okonkwo] was afraid of being thought weak,”(61) This line demonstrates that Okonkwo is aware that killing Ikemefuna is wrong, but his excessive need to be a strong man forces him to kill the boy. Okonkwo could have grown up to be a wise and ethical man if it were not for the pressures society put on men to be the strongest in the village. This actions proves that the fear of not fitting in often forces you to become someone

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895 Words | 4 Pages

His fear of weakness and failure is derived from his father, Unoka’s failures, which ignite Okonkwo’s misogynistic views. Throughout his lifetime, Okonkwo associates femininity with weakness because of Unoka, who was called an “agbala” or woman by the people of Umuofia. Since women have this reputation for weakness, Okonkwo lives with constant fear that he will be given the same title as his father. Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye’s effeminacy reminds Okonkwo of his own father. He says, "I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is much of his mother in him ."(Achebe, 66).

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702 Words | 3 Pages

He was a caring man down in his heart but “his whole life was dominated by the fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 13), and his mission to become one of the greatest men of his clan. Okonkwo was devoted to masculinity, he put it above anything else preventing anyone from questioning his masculinity. When he felt a slight sign of weakness it reminded him of his fathers failure to being a true man not providing for his family or ruling women and his children, therefore “he was not really a man” (Achebe 53).There were many traits to being a masculine man but to Okonkwo the main one was ruling his wife and children, if any of them had disobeyed him he would beat them without hesitation or regret. Although Okonkwo is influenced by masculinity it is because the Ibo culture believes in men dominating women which leads their society to fall

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