The duality of female characters in Things Falls Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe and set in Eastern Nigeria during the British colonial period of the late 1800s. It is about a clan that formerly adhered to the traditional ideals of the tribe. However, the entrance of colonists in the area with their new religious system and new 'civilization' progressively eroded the tribe's identity. Thus, the situation begins to deteriorate.
In spite of this, the primary topic of this paper is on female roles, which are typically seen as secondary, despite being one of the most important components of Things Fall Apart. As we examine the female's role as a mother and as the submissive companions of the traditional patriarchs, we find that in Things Fall Apart women are both respected and marginalized. This dichotomy highlights the self-awareness of women and how they engage in confrontation with patriarchal society's demands.
Women's duties are complex, and they have several responsibilities in preserving the maternal hegemony in the community. In accordance with their function as moms, women are concurrently housewives, teachers, and workers. In her book, Black Feminist Thought (1990:116), Patricia Hill Collins cites Barbara Christian's statement that "the notion of motherhood is important to the philosophy of both African and Afro-American peoples." The clan's idea that the mother is superior illustrates the centrality of motherhood in the narrative. (94)
A child does really belong to his father. However, when a father hits his child, the youngster seeks comfort from its mother. s hut. When times are good and life is pleasant, a man is devoted to his homeland. But when sadness and resentment strike, he seeks sanctuary in his homeland. Your mother is present to safeguard you?
The extract demonstrates how the position of the mother is respected as the ultimate shelter for sons and their guardians. Moreover, according to Collins, motherhood may be a place where Black women express and learn the power of self-definition, the significance of valuing and respecting ourselves, the need for self-reliance and independence, and a belief in the empowerment of Black women. (1990:118) Chapter 11 exemplifies how a woman goes on a path of self-discovery and learns about self-reliance and independence most effectively. For the sake of her love for her daughter Ezinma, Ekwefi takes the decision to pursue Chielo to Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, when he abducts Ezinma. The voyage is difficult for a female character deemed "weak" in the narrative.
Examining some of the symbols in Chapter 11, we may also connect them to the growing self-awareness of women. The mystical cave of Agbala represents the goal a woman strives to achieve, which is to effectively uncover her "self." The voyage of self-discovery is fraught with obstacles and solitude. Ekwefi feels completely alone as she follows Chielo. Therefore, she desires company and human compassion (75). The prevalent patriarchal structure is one of the most formidable challenges she must overcome. She immediately tells herself, "Woman, go home before Agbala does you damage" since she is aware of the role of women in an androcentric society. However, she does not yield to her dread and continues on her quest.
Sometimes she glimpses a glimmer of optimism, such as when "the moon was certainly rising, and while it had not yet shown in the sky, its brightness had already dispelled the night." Occasionally, though, she has doubts and believes that all of her efforts are in vain, for every time she thought she glimpsed their form, it vanished like a molten mass of darkness. Seventy-fourthly, it is clear that the biggest dread of the expedition is entering the underground caverns. when she reaches the cave's entrance. In the narrative, we learn that Ekwefi lacks the courage to enter the caverns and instead decides to wait outside. This means that women have the ability to reform and rise above the patriarchal system, but they must have the guts to make the correct choice.
Collins argues that the concept of motherhood may be utilized to assist female subjugation via its "controlling images." (1990:118) For example, the concept of the mother and the matriarchal society. Thus, even though the mother's role is revered in the story, we cannot ignore the underlying fact that the author confines women through the image of "mother" that he deliberately created in his cultural universe; that the ultimate position of women is what traditional chauvinists believe it to be — the home.
Collins cites Wade-1980 Gayles's assertion that "black women have been accused of failing to discipline their children, of emasculating their males, of defeminizing their daughters, and of retarding the scholastic progress of their children." (1990:115) Despite the fact that the mother is seen as dominant in the narrative, she comes with her own set of challenges. Okonkwo's fury is evident as he considers how he may have given birth to a female offspring. He considers it a misfortune to have a son who abandons his forefathers and worships the deity of the white man. Okonkwo attributes this to the mother of Nwoye. Nwoye's mother, whose name is never given in the narrative, "emasculates" her son and transforms him into a "woman," which Okonkwo viewed as unfortunate. In short, even the notion of motherhood in the novel contains its own paradoxes, which always force women to choose between incompatible alternatives.
The first wife is granted power and is the leader of the womenfolk in a household, as seen in Nwakibie's first wife, Anasi, who wears the title anklet that only the first wife may wear. (14) Nevertheless, regardless of respect for the first wife, the narrative reveals that women are both degraded and ignored. Are women permitted to participate in rites, discussions, meetings, and war councils controlled by men? The reply is paradoxical. In certain rituals, ladies are offered wine, especially the first wife, who could not drink before anyone else; nevertheless, after drinking the wine, they must leave the ceremony. (14) In addition, the author underlines that the ritual is for men only. As demonstrated by the following excerpt:
From the way the gathering stood or sat, it was evident that the ritual was for males. There were several women, but they stood on the periphery as outsiders. ? (62)
Thus, despite the fact that women are respected in certain respects, they do not have the same level of engagement as males in all rites; they continue to play the position of a bystander who is silent and detached from the community.
Women contribute to the farm's workforce, which provides males with the means to sustain their families. Some of the symbols dualistically establish female roles. In particular, the yam and the deity. In Umuofia, the king of crops is yam, which represents virility. Okonkwo is chastised for beating his youngest wife during the Week of Peace, which commemorates Ani, the great soil goddess. If the goddess is insulted, she may refuse to increase the harvest, and as a result, "we shall all die." (22) The goddess in the myth embodies the power and strength of women and so represents the valued position of women. They supervise the yam harvest, which is analogous to manliness. In actuality, women are the primary contributors to the success of a man's farm (identical to his manliness). In addition, women's duties as mothers are significant since they give birth to men's biological children (the sons and the yam), who will be the head of the family to inherit his father's glories and to maintain the androcentric society. But who is responsible for Okonkwo's violation during the Week of Peace? Ultimately, his wife and female is also a victim of the crime. It is essential to recognize that the patrilineal society of Achebe's cultural cosmos can only exist via the contributions of women that it excludes. In contrast, women have been denied a role in society due to the denigration and silencing of their voices.
What's the story?
The focus of chauvinism is how males decide what roles women should or should not perform in the community. Despite facing direct pressure from the patriarchal environment, women, via their growing self-awareness, attempt to oppose and breakthrough oppressive conventional societal constraints. Ekwefi, the second wife of Okonkwo, is a bold and strong-willed lady who represents the subtle opposition of women within the patriarchal system. Ekwefi, a country beauty who enjoys wrestling, flees her ex-husband in order to live with Okonkwo. A lady who finds wrestling appealing has rebellious blood in her veins. She is the only wife who has the courage to disobey Okonkwo. The trip and obstacles that Ekwefi faces reflect females' growing understanding of the circumstances and situations she met, and so provide the reader with the bravery and self-assurance that might lead to a revolution to free women from subjugation.
Okonkwo shoots his rifle at Ekwefi when he overhears his wife discussing "weapons that never fire" with Ikemefuna. (28) She is alluding to the fact that Okonkwo has never used his pistol to kill a rat. What causes Okonkwo to lose his composure and shoot a pistol at his wife? Because Ekwefi undermines his authority by revealing his femininity, he carries but never uses a firearm. For a masculinist like Okonkwo, the term 'gun' may represent virility or the weapon that dominates women in the community and must not be disputed.
When discussing duality, which of the females? Strength is the subtle resistance and rebellion of the patriarchal system via emotional and psychological rather than bodily manifestations. They inspire terror in men despite their attempts to suppress it.
Throughout his whole life, Okonkwo, the protagonist of the novel, is tormented by a huge, unfathomable terror. He fears being connected with his apathetic father, Unoka, whose name connotes femininity. The clansmen refer to him as a lady, or?agbala. When Okonkwo is upset about Ikemefuna's death, he asks himself, "When did you become a shivering old woman?" And Okonkwo, you have definitely become a lady. (45) Men appear to view women as weak and inferior, and their biggest concern is being perceived as frail like women. They are ironically the so-called victims due to their phobia of women. After accidently murdering Ezendu's kid, Okonkwo is exiled to his native country. This means that women are men's sanctuary in times of difficulty, regardless of how much they may pretend to dislike anything related to women. Rose states in her web post titled "Women in Achebe's World" that women in Achebe's cultural universe are subjected to a disproportionate emphasis on virility and gender stereotypes. I would say that women exhibit a subtle kind of resistance and disobedience towards the patriarchal community.
In the narrative, women are victimized by the prevalent patriarchal society's gender discrimination. Okonkwo, representing African males, has the chauvinistic view that women belong in the home. (Ure mezu, Rose) A decent wife for men must be responsible and trustworthy.
leaving no domestic tasks undone. Ojiugo, Okonkwo's youngest wife, forgets to return home to prepare his midday lunch (Carey, Mathew). Consequently, her spouse beats her severely throughout the Week of Peace. In the paleocene-centric culture, where female subjugation is clear, this demonstrates that women must adhere to the constraints established by men. It is the wife's obligation to satisfy her husband's desires. Okonkwo's wife provides his favorite foods for him (Carey, Mathew). In addition, the narrative demonstrates that a wife should not strive to dominate or appear to rule her husband. Therefore, when his senior wife asks Okonkwo if Ikemefuna would stay with them for a long time, she is reprimanded for seeming to be the?Adichie? (elders) of Umuofia.
"Follow directions, lady" Okonkwo thundered, and stuttered. ? When did you become one of Umuofia's Adichie? (10)
Questioning is a type of challenge, and males will not tolerate being degraded by women. Despite this, we never encounter female-initiated conflicts in the narrative. This implies the absence of women's voices in communities dominated by men. Women's perseverance and discontent are rarely acknowledged. When they defy their husbands or do not comply with their demands, they are handled violently.
In conclusion, the narrative reveals the dichotomy of female roles when we consider their duties as moms, housewives, and laborers. Occasionally, women are admired in particular contexts, but they are also ostracized. Even if Achebe's narrative is chauvinistic in terms of gender disparities, the emergence of female self-awareness and their voice cannot be overlooked.