is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize‚ accept‚ and celebrate those differences‚" (Lorde). Reading books placed in different countries can open eyes to observe and appreciate other cultures and societies. In Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe in 1958 Igbo culture is introduced to the reader through setting precedents in the protagonist and the characters around him. Igbo culture‚ practiced by Okonkwo’s tribe‚ contains polygamy‚ tolerates domestic abuse and
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After reading the introduction of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe‚ the reader is meant to view Okonkwo‚ the book’s protagonist‚ as one who gives off the image of being hard and tough but still has feelings for others on the inside. Okonkwo‚ as one of the most well respected men in Umuofia‚ must uphold the appearance of a tough man. To “be a man” in his society was to rule his house with a heavy hand and not express weak emotions‚ such as affection‚ pleasure‚ and many other positive feelings. The
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In Things Fall Apart‚ many points are made on the account of culture and those include talking about the ibo culture and the missionaries culture. These events of discussion on each culture can either cause a change in the society towards the society being seen as a positive or a negative‚ but it depends on the point of view it’s seen in. So while‚ Okonkwo has a sense of himself through the ibo culture while Nnwoye didn’t understand himself in the Iibo culture‚ yet did in the culture of the white
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe “Women are taught to mother‚ while men are conditioned to dominate and control.” This book is about the story of a man‚ Okonkwo‚ who is a member in the Igbo community. You gain an insight on the life of their village as well as the certain roles in their society. In Things Fall Apart‚ the women are portrayed to do the stereotypical aspects of womanhood and men are portrayed to do the expected duties of men. First of all‚ with the female characters‚ they are
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discriminated in several other ways‚ they still possess significant roles‚ such as householders‚ educators of the children and caretakers of crops. Women also function as spiritual leaders and other important roles in the Ibo religion. Women in “Things Fall Apart” are in general thought of as the weaker sex. At a first glance‚ women are the laborers‚ and the producers of children. They are not respected as real people‚ but are more just the men’s property. All they have to do is to be good housewives
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe depicts masculinity highly as a virtue. In the Igbo culture‚ masculinity is bravery and control and every other good thing one needs to possess to become self-sufficient. For Okonkwo‚ his masculinity is strongly interconnected with his self-worth. A distinct contrast between men and women is seen throughout the structure of the book. Women are to be weak and controlled‚ and men are to be strong and be the controllers. Okonkwo’s father‚ Unoka‚ is an agbala‚ term
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a group of characters is motivated by emotion. In Chinua Achebe’s Nigerian novel‚ Things Fall Apart‚ Okonkwo is motivated by the fear. Throughout Things Fall Apart‚ Okonkwo’s actions take place because he is afraid of becoming "A Woman" like his father. Not only does he act masculine to appear manly to the villagers‚ he does it to satisfy his own conscious. Okonkwo portrays a short temper in this book. Small things such as his supper being late and remarks about his hunting anger him‚ and lead to
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In addition‚ Chinua Achebe employs symbolism and figurative language to convey the theme that one faces near insurmountable odds when attempting to overcome one’s own destiny. Okonkwo‚ besides meeting Miller’s definition of a tragic hero‚ to such a degree connects with his tragic flaws. This is clearly evident when Achebe states “You drove him to kill himself‚ and now he will be buried like a dog.” (Achebe 208) Achebe’s comparison of Okonkwo‚ one of the most respected members of the tribe‚ to an
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to stopping a tornado and they proceed rapidly with high intensity. As an ivory trader in Africa‚ Kurtz from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness loses self-restraint and becomes murderous as his appetite for ivory grows. From Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart‚ Okonkwo‚ an acclaimed warrior of the Umuofia tribe‚ fears failure and dedicates his life to advancing his rank and power in the clan. Although one may argue that Okonkwo and Kurtz’s greed for power helped them achieve success and widespread
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years.” In his typical satirical tone‚ Twain makes an unmistakable point; maturity enables individuals to recognize and appreciate the experiences of one’s elders. In stark contrast‚ Okonkwo‚ the narrow-minded protagonist of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart‚ not only fails to acknowledge his father’s insights with age‚ but also goes as far as becoming his antitheses. Although Okonkwo’s father‚ Unoka‚ deserves condemnation by Ibo standards‚ Okonkwo’s embarrassment exceeds reasonable bounds by manifesting
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