How Does Okonkwo Rule His Household

It is important to the man in any patriarchal society to be able to control his household; otherwise he will lose respect among his people. This is the case in the Igbo society, men are challenged to rule their households. The fact that okonkwo's father was not a very respected man caused Okonkwo to be and act more manly, just so he can prove that he can be a better person than his father; this leads him to rule his household more strictly, and in a harsher way than others. "Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children” (Achebe, 13). Okonkwo’s wives fear him, and his fiery temper shows that he is not very gentle with them, especially when he is mad, and that he treats his wives
The use of the word “heavy hand” externalizes personification, which is meant to add more meaning to the quotation to show how he is not a gentleman in his household. Okonkwo is this harsh in his household because he is challenged to prove his powers, and make his wives fear him, otherwise all of his prestige will disappear. In the Igbo society, women are obligated to fear their husbands, and this is because they live in a patriarchal society, where if the woman does not fear her husband, he will lose respect in the society, and among his people. This causes the men to act more strictly, and to mistreat their women, in order to make their wives fear them and respect them. Women in the Igbo society are regulated to a submissive position, where men are considered the protectors and the rulers of the household (Gender and the Reproductive Rights of Tarok Women in Central Nigeria). The fact that women are not looked at as men in the society shows that it is a patriarchal society, where only men are respected, and are treated