Yams In Things Fall Apart
Unlike many other books Chinua Achebe allows the reader to see the world from a different perspective and see the real Igbo culture as opposed to the stereotypical African society than many see in her book “Things Fall Apart”. Although many themes are present throughout the story many connect back to the contrast between the roles of men and women. It is important to understand that in this historical context women’s rights are nearly nonexistent, and wives are treated more like property than people. Now living in a world full of feminists, it is interesting to read about how this particular piece of society was carried out years ago in a different part of the world. Because Achebe is attempting for people to see the Igbo culture in a new light
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The man always harvests the yams, but the wife always cooks them. This is a symbol of the connection man has to his wife, but also shows how separate their rolls are. Without one the other would be useless. “His eldest son, Nwoye, and Ikemefuna helped him by fetching the yams in long baskets from the barn and in counting the prepared seeds in groups of four hundred.” ( 34). This shows how in the planting and harvesting the yams are only given to the boys in the household; thus showing how they act as symbol of manliness and …show more content…
Unlike most other times when people are exiled Okonkwo is said to be able to come back in seven years. Similarly, after 37 years, King Jehoiachin from the bible is freed from prison and is able to “return to society”. However, his struggle to do so in the bible may be foreshadowing bad events to come for Okonkwo. Also it can be related to gender roles because we have seen throughout the book that the wives are very much dependent on Okonkwo, as well as the children are. This allusion allows us to also foreshadow a negative change for them as well. “His wives wept bitterly and their children wept with them without knowing why.” (134). The addition of not knowing why is what adds the tension to the story and allows us to foreshadow the bad things to come for them due to Okonkwo leaving. Without knowing this allusion a reader may not be able to see the depth of the situation. Okonkwo’s leaving is going to cause a world of difficulties for not only him, but his family as
The man always harvests the yams, but the wife always cooks them. This is a symbol of the connection man has to his wife, but also shows how separate their rolls are. Without one the other would be useless. “His eldest son, Nwoye, and Ikemefuna helped him by fetching the yams in long baskets from the barn and in counting the prepared seeds in groups of four hundred.” ( 34). This shows how in the planting and harvesting the yams are only given to the boys in the household; thus showing how they act as symbol of manliness and …show more content…
Unlike most other times when people are exiled Okonkwo is said to be able to come back in seven years. Similarly, after 37 years, King Jehoiachin from the bible is freed from prison and is able to “return to society”. However, his struggle to do so in the bible may be foreshadowing bad events to come for Okonkwo. Also it can be related to gender roles because we have seen throughout the book that the wives are very much dependent on Okonkwo, as well as the children are. This allusion allows us to also foreshadow a negative change for them as well. “His wives wept bitterly and their children wept with them without knowing why.” (134). The addition of not knowing why is what adds the tension to the story and allows us to foreshadow the bad things to come for them due to Okonkwo leaving. Without knowing this allusion a reader may not be able to see the depth of the situation. Okonkwo’s leaving is going to cause a world of difficulties for not only him, but his family as