Things Fall Apart Sexism
1. How did prejudice and discrimination, racism and sexism, contribute to the collapse of the group? In Part 1 of Things Fall Apart, The Ibo tribe was segregated in terms of gender roles. Only men could farm for yams and women could cultivate cassavas and beans. Men took part in the wrestling and women prepared for these events.
Specifically, Okonkwo had rigid roles that he feels he should play, as well as his wives and his children. These roles contributed to Okonkwo’s fear of being weak, which leads to his exile and eventual killing himself. These differences alone, though, did not cause the group to fall apart. They just tolerated what we call sexism. Religion was a major unraveling agent in Parts 2 and 3. The white Christian colonists …show more content…
Males were thus upwardly mobile within the tribe. Females, however, could only be mobile within the family, depending on which wife there were by age. Men could attain upward mobility through great physical labor in the fields, at war, and during the wrestling matches. Females have limited mobility and could only hope to marry a titled male. A wife will give birth to several male children who survive. Only then will she be granted her own obi and status among the other wives. For example, Okonkwo had three wives and several children who live in separate obis on his compound. He had an obi full of yams for which he has had to toil mercilessly. He had limited cowries, shells used for money, because he had need to repay his father’s debts. Okonkwo had two titles. These were the main status symbols in the tribe. Also, Okonkwo took five heads in battle. And, he first achieved fame by throwing the Cat during a wrestling match. Having been the son of an agbala, no title man, Okonkwo’s hard work had allowed him to move up the social ladder of the tribe to become one of its most respected leaders.
3. What were some examples of criminal behavior in the culture? How did they control
Specifically, Okonkwo had rigid roles that he feels he should play, as well as his wives and his children. These roles contributed to Okonkwo’s fear of being weak, which leads to his exile and eventual killing himself. These differences alone, though, did not cause the group to fall apart. They just tolerated what we call sexism. Religion was a major unraveling agent in Parts 2 and 3. The white Christian colonists …show more content…
Males were thus upwardly mobile within the tribe. Females, however, could only be mobile within the family, depending on which wife there were by age. Men could attain upward mobility through great physical labor in the fields, at war, and during the wrestling matches. Females have limited mobility and could only hope to marry a titled male. A wife will give birth to several male children who survive. Only then will she be granted her own obi and status among the other wives. For example, Okonkwo had three wives and several children who live in separate obis on his compound. He had an obi full of yams for which he has had to toil mercilessly. He had limited cowries, shells used for money, because he had need to repay his father’s debts. Okonkwo had two titles. These were the main status symbols in the tribe. Also, Okonkwo took five heads in battle. And, he first achieved fame by throwing the Cat during a wrestling match. Having been the son of an agbala, no title man, Okonkwo’s hard work had allowed him to move up the social ladder of the tribe to become one of its most respected leaders.
3. What were some examples of criminal behavior in the culture? How did they control