WEEK 2 : Women in Things Fall Apart (Part 1)

Question:

Based on your reading (gender differences), reflect on how these women are treated in the novel. the following questions can help you as you write your reflective piece: 

• How are the women treated in the novel? Do all members in the community agree with the status quo? Why? 
• What contributions are made by the Igbo women to the survival of their culture?
• What are the changes of women's role in the present world?

NUR SAFAWANIE BTE MOHD. SYAHRIL

One of the themes in the novel Things Fall Apart is gender differences.  According to the Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology, “sex differences are used to create gender differences which are then explained as sex differences which, in turn, require gender differences, and so on. This may be no more than circular reasoning, but it is socially very effective. For example, in our own patriarchal society males enjoy a socially dominant position. Thus, from an early age, boys are helped to acquire a masculinity that allows them to assume and maintain that position. By the same token, girls are taught to cultivate a submissive femininity. The resulting difference in the male and female character is then described as inborn and used to defend the existing power arrangement”.

In the novel Things Fall Apart, women have no power and represent weaknesses while men represent a great power and dominant. In chapter 2, it clearly stated that, “In the Igbo world, men are the dominant sex and they “rule” over their families, including their wives. Women are relegated to a more or less servile position, often living in fear of their husbands. Though Okonkwo’s quick temper with his family is never portrayed as admirable, he unquestionably has the right to be aggressive at home.” From this extract text; we can see how women are treated in the Igbo culture. Another example is, Unoka was described as agbala which is a woman because he is a man with no title. This showed that women are sign of weaknesses. Men were supposed to be active and aggressive, while women were expected to be obedient and passive. This is reflected even in the Igbo ways of farming. Only men were allowed to grow yams, and a man's wealth was determined based on his land for planting, his yams for feeding his family, and his stores of seed yams for planting in the next season; therefore, the yam was seen as a symbol of power and manhood. Besides, in this novel, Okonkwo treated his wives badly. It is proven when Okonkwo hit his younger wife just because she was late to prepare his meal. All of the members of community are agreed with this status quo since it has been practised by their ancestors.

However, not all of the women among the Igbo people were treated badly. An excellent example of powerful women in the Ibo village is found in the role they play in the Ibo religion. The women perform their role as priestess. It is stated in the novel, the present priestess is Chielo, "the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the hill and the Caves" (49). Chielo showed her power when she has come for Okonkwo and Ekwefi's daughter Ezinma. In the novel, we can see how Okonkwo pleaded her to come back in the moring because Ezinman was asleep. However, Chielo ignored what he was trying to say and went on shouting that Agbala wanted to see his daughter. There is no other point in the novel in which we see Okonkwo "plead" with anyone, male or female, for any reason. The fact that Okonkwo allows this is because of the priestess's power. The ability of a woman to occupy the role of a priestess, a spiritual leader, shows a great power of women in the Igbo society.

We also see women in their role as maintaining their culture. One of Okonkwo wives always tell a story to her children before they go to sleep. It is through storytelling that the children learn important lessons about the human condition and from this also they learned about the Ibo creation myths, such as the birds and the tortoise story. The Igbo women are playing a significant role in the maintaining the Igbo culture.

In this era, there are changes in the women’s role. The women started to work by themselves and have an opportunity in education. They have a similar chance with the men in order to prove their ability in various areas. However, these changes are still being doubted by the society of South Africa.

References:

Magnus Hirschfeld Archieve for Sexology (2013), Retrieved from

http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/the_social_roles_of_men_and_wo.html

Wood and Eagly (2002), Gender role,  Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role

SITI AMERAH BTE RAMLI

       Based on the novel Things Fall Apart, the women were not treated well by the society. One of the evidences is when they allowed wife-beating. Okonkwo has beaten his second wife when she was late to come home and make his meal. Okonkwo beat his wife severely for such a small mistake like that and did not even give any chances for her to explain. In fact, the women were treated as the possessions of their husband. They have to stay at home and took care of the children. They have not been given any rights to choose what they wanted in their life but instead, they must follow the words of their husband. In other words, they need to serve their husband as they were slaves. From my point of view, I think that all the members in the community agreed with the status quo as it was part of their culture. They saw woman as a sign of weakness. For example, Okonkwo’s father, Unoka had been called as agbala which means ‘woman’ or ‘a man with no title’. This showed that they underestimated women and put them at the low level, same as the man with no title.

      However, there are some of the contributions made by the Igbo women to the survival of their culture. For example, among the Igbo people, the art of conversation is regarded very highly and it is the role of the women to be the educators for their children. The women taught their children about the important lesson in life as well as their culture through storytelling. By doing so, the history and culture of the Igbo people are able to be passed and maintained through the generation. In fact, the society also viewed that “a man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland.” It showed the women will be the one who will comfort them during hard times. Without the presence of women to comfort and be there for them, the society may fall apart as they cannot survive during the difficult times. Thus, comes the saying “Mother is Supreme”.

       In this present world, we can see that the role of women had changed a little bit. Women are no longer viewed as a sign of weakness but they can stand at the same level with the men. They also had given chances to choose what they wanted in life. As a matter of course, women are becoming more independent and have more freedom compared to before. Instead of being housewives all the times, they can have carriers of their own. Besides, the society does not practises wife-beating anymore. It also had become a crime for a man to beat woman like that. In conclusion, women are treated better nowadays.

REFERENCE:

http://voices.yahoo.com/a-feminist-analysis-chinua-achebes-novel-things-3187491.html

HAMZAH SHIBLI BIN ISMAIL FAIROZ

In the novel Things Fall Apart, the women were treated badly. Their status quo in the society was really low. They were the people who became slaved to their husband. The husband can do anything to the wife. He can beat the wife if he wanted to. In the past, men were the supposed to be aggressive and active while women were supposed to be passive and subservient. This can be reflected even in the Igbo culture where the men were the only person who can grow yam. According to the society, the land for their planting was the symbol of power and manhood for the people. The larger the area, the larger the power hold by one man. While women were supposed to take care of the family heir. Women were supposed to work in the kitchen, do all the house chores, taking care of their child and their husband. A little mistake, the women can be punish severely as shown by Okonkwo where he beat his wife badly for only a small mistake. His wife always get scolded and beat even for small mistake. It showed us that the power of men was over the power of women. Women were treated as slave for them. 

Although the women were treated as slave, women were the person who took care of the needs of the family. Women also were the people who continue the society legacy. They were the people who gave birth to the society`s child. Women in Igbo society were a small group with no power who were to be mothers, stay home and had no respect from the men. Women played the role of a typical house wife and always stayed at home and were not always heard of or were to be seen. The authority of women did not shown much in the culture. One of the wives of Okonkwo who represents this was Ekwefi; second wife, and forced to stay home, life filled with sadness and with terrible luck with keeping a child. Giving birth to ten and only one surviving who is a girl, though she keeped a strong relationship with Ezinma. Achebe describes Ekwefi as a higly devoted mother.

The changes in the women`s role in the present world was the women also have job in the office instead staying at home or only taking care of the house work. Women nowadays have become independent. They can live by themselves and survive without the help of men. They also can overcome the power of the men by being a leader in some company or society. This shows us that women`s job also changing according to the time. Women also gain more respect as the men gain.

References:
Metacognizant (2001), Everything, retrieved from http://everything2.com/title/Women%2527s+Roles+in+Things+Fall+Apart+and+Heart+of+Darkness