Things Fall Apart Research Paper

Culture, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the way of thinking, behaving or working that exists in a place or organization. Since culture is specific to a certain region it can vary in many ways from place to place. The Ibo culture found in the book Things Fall Apart and American culture have some similarities and some differences. In Things Fall Apart, we follow the life of Okonkwo; and we learn about how his society functions and the norms of his culture. His story really highlights the ins and outs of Ibo culture and makes it easy to contrast with American culture. Family structure and gender roles are two topics that these cultures have opposing values about; however, they have similar values when it comes to religion and
food. In the book, Things Fall Apart, family structure is vastly different than the norms of American culture. Ibo people practice polygamy. This is something that is not typically seen in American culture. The polygamist population in America is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000 people (Allen). That is smaller than the population of Greensboro which is a mere 279,639 people (“Greensboro”). The United States even out laws polygamy, although that doesn’t stop it completely (“Is Polygamy”). In America, it is very uncommon and quite weird when you find a polygamist. It is completely the opposite in the Ibo culture, though. For them, it is uncommon and weird if someone practices monogamy. Take the main character for example, Okonkwo has three wives and eight children. In the Ibo culture, the first wife is the most respected. This concept is demonstrated when Okonkwo went to visit his friend Nwakibie. When he sent for his wives, and his first wife did not come right away, the others were not allowed to drink. Achebe wrote, “‘Is Anasi not in?’ he asked them. They said she was coming. Anasi was the first wife, and the others could not drink before her, so they stood waiting” (16). Anasi was the first wife, so she had a higher degree of respect than the other wives. If she wasn’t going to be able to participate, no one was. Along with being the most respected, the first wife also gets to wear an anklet of her husband’s titles. Family structure isn’t the only thing that varies from Ibo to American culture, gender roles also have vast differences. Today, in America, people are breaking down the barriers or gender roles and stereotypes.
Women are no longer confined to the solitary role of mother or caretaker. They are stepping out into the work force. Women can and are doing everything that men are doing. They still face many inequalities, though. For example, women get paid 79 cents to a man’s dollar (Hill). This isn’t as bad as the inequalities Ibo women face. In the Ibo culture, women are only responsible for child bearing and making food. They don’t work in the field, and they also are treated differently during ceremonies. During ceremonies, women are found in the back and men are in the front. In their society, men dominate everything. They have the most control. Some men are even abusive. Okonkwo definitely was abusive toward his wives. Achebe wrote, “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” (10). His wives were scared of doing something wrong because they might receive a beating. However, terrible domestic violence may be, it is still also found in American culture. It is less tolerated or accepted, though. In American culture, it is highly frowned upon; unlike Ibo culture,where it is just the norm. While there are many differences between cultures there are also some similarities, such as
religion. Religion is a key aspect of both cultures. Although Ibo culture has a single unifying religion, American does not. In American culture, people can choose from a variety of religions. Towards the end of the book, Ibo people were able to choice their religion, too. In chapter eighteen, the Christian missionaries began to get some converts. Achebe wrote, “These outcasts, or osu, seeing that the new religion welcomed twins and such abominations, thought that it was possible that they would also be received. And so, one Sunday two of them went into the church” (136). For the first time in their culture, they had a choice in religions; which is very similar to the American culture’s ability to choose. Their original religion still reigned supreme in followers, though. This is similar to American culture because Christianity reigns supreme. In America, eighty-three percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians (Langer). The Ibo dominant religion also believed in a supreme being that ruled over all, which is very similar to the Christian God. The similarities don’t stop there though; food in Ibo culture is very similar to food in American culture. Food is a necessity of life. Different types of food can be found all around the world. In American culture, when a person visits another’s house for a get together or party, they bring and drink wine and eat crackers. The same type of thing happens in Ibo culture. Whenever Okonkwo visited one of his friends in the book, they drank palm wine and broke a kola nut. Chapter three was a great introduction to this tradition. Achebe wrote, “He took a pot of palm-wine and a cock to Nwakibie. Two elderly neighbors were sent for, and Nwakibie’s two grown up sons were also present in his obi. He then presented a kola nut” (15). Okonkwo was a guest in Nwakibie’s home, so he brought the wine. Just like how a guest would in American culture. Nwakibie being the good host, he had a kola nut just like how a host would set out a cheese and cracker plate in American culture. While the types of food may be different, their uses are similar. American and Ibo culture are found in two separate areas of the world, but they have similarities in religion and food while they contrast in family structure and gender roles. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe explicitly explains the culture of the Ibo people. Following the life of Okonkwo highlights how similarities and differences of the cultures. These cultures shape the beliefs and daily lives of their followers, so it is important to understand these correlations.