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Umuofia Women

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It is clear that the women of Umuofia are treated differently than the men of the Igbo society. Women were considered weak and frail. Unintelligent and not worthy of “manly work”. The violent and supreme control men displayed was normal to the people of these villages. Women very rarely were allowed to have an opinion or decision on anything, as long as they obeyed those in a higher position than themselves, all was good. Not for the women but the men of course. Anyone that wasn’t a female was automatically in a higher position and would always be for the rest of their lives. Although many would find this offensive like myself, that was the way of life for them, women of Umuofia were clearly treated differently than men. Many examples will be given to support my thesis. On page 13 in chapter two the quote was written, “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper”. This quote is demonstrating the fear that women felt over men. Not only were they discriminated, but beaten as well. Men were given full control and as well could be aggressive in their households. Women often lived in fear of their …show more content…

On page 16-19 in chapter three, “He belongs to the clan he told her. (Okonkwo’s eldest wife) So look after him. 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. And so Nwoye’s mother took Ikemefuna to her hut and asked no more questions.” Okonkwo treats his wives as servants, demanding that they do whatever Okonkwo pleases without questioning him. Not only speaking to her as belittling her, but calling her by woman. Almost in the entire book, hardly any women are addressed by their names. They are just acknowledged as the partners of men, nothing

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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.

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Manhood is being treated as a human of mankind. Okonkwo, however, equates manhood to brute force and anger. Anything else was considered to be characteristic of a woman. It is this idea of manliness that pushes Nwoye into the hands of the missionaries. Okonkwo “wanted Nwoye to grow into a tough young man” and although Nwoye at times acted as if he was annoyed with the tasks the women would ask of him, “nothing pleased Nwoye now more than to be sent for by his mother or another of his father's wives” (Achebe, 36).

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The pre-colonial and postcolonial Igbo society has been observed to be male dominated. Men reign supreme in sociocultural affairs while the female figure has specific limited prescribed roles, a confirmation of absence of feministic ideologies. Motherhood, being submissive to the husband and generally domestic dutiesare some of the roles women are associated with. As the title of the novel by Buchi Emecheta Second Class Citizenimplies, the female figure has been treated as a lesser significant sexwithin the Igbo society considering that equalityamong women is limited by their fathers, husbands and the general patriarchy system. This is something Adah finds quite the same when she moves to England whereby with her African descent she continues to suffer womanhood struggles.

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Okonkwo was a big supporter of physical and verbal abuse in his home, especially towards his wives and Nwoye. To Okonkwo, physical abuse was another language. This is how he spoke, and punished, on the occasion of the abuse, and how he had handled the situation. Women was treated poorly in Umuofia because men believe that they were weak and in inadequate. “ Even as a little boy Okonkwo had represented his father 's failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was Agbala.

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As the british came into the picture, Okonkwo and his family were in his 7 years of exile. Many people loved Ezinma. Many people also wanted to marry her. She was the most beautiful woman in the motherland. “His future sons-in-law would be men of authority in the clan.

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Throughout this essay I will be explaining the gender roles, comparing them and how they affect the Umuofian society. In the Umuofian society, Women and men have different roles and expectations to live up to, men were believed to be superior and that women were inferior. One of the tasks that women were burdened with was dinner. They were expected to prepare dinner for their family in the Umuofia tradition.

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The way the gender roles in his society were set up was the women had to always obey the men. This causes Okonkwo to be strict so he can manage his household. But the effect

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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

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The Igbo village of Umuofia has specific standards for women, which is to be a wife, have children, and do chores, which is something they expect from only women. Achebe provides an example as to how women were seen by writing, “These women never saw the inside of the hut. No woman ever did. They scrubbed and painted the outside walls under the supervision of men. If they imagined what was inside,

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A struggle for power between any two or more groups of people in a society can lead to more damage and sever relations between people. Moreover, it can lead to tragic endings, much like the way Okonkwo’s relationship with Nwoye was lost forever. The concept of men being superior and women being inferior and weak is seen in many cultures, including Igbo society. Because gender roles have both advantages and disadvantages, gender-specific stereotypes are integrated in many different societies, similar to the ones prevalent in

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Okonkwo is a very well-respected and independent man in Umuofia due to his titles and hard work. Even though he seems put together and stern, his life is dictated by fear. His fear of becoming like his father led him to helping in the murder of Ikemefuna, beating his wives and children, and disowning his oldest son, Nwoye. As a main character, Okonkwo remains pretty much the same throughout the book, his biggest issue being his inability to have compassion. Who might he not have compassion for and why?

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Although Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart shows traces of gender equality among the Igbo, the European audience views the culture as sexist. In Things Fall Apart sexism is shown in many ways like the abuse of women, social expectations and the power of males. The Igbo people don 't look at women the same way as Europeans do. Europeans treat women with respect and dignity while The Igbo dismiss the importances of

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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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Similarly, Nwoye also resists the reputation of his own father by rejecting this masculine regime of Okonkwo and Igbo culture, showing feminine virtues instead. His intention to carry his beliefs on to his children is established when Okonkwo thinks to himself after he learns of Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity. Nwoye made the decision to leave Umofia after the realization that his views do not coincide with those of his society any longer due to the life time of exposure to the toxicity of Okonkwo’s masculine behavior. It is because he refuses to conform that Nwoye wishes to alter the reputation of himself and his family by joining a culture that he finds to reflect the values that he believes in, instead of those he was dejectedly forced into following by his

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His uncle, Uchendu, noticing Okonkwo's distress, eloquently explains how Okonkwo should view his exile: "A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. " A man has both joy and sorrow in his life and when the bad times come his "mother" is always there to comfort him. Thus comes the saying "Mother is

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