Men and their Yam, Women and their Cooking in the Book Things Fall Apart - Essay Example

4 December Men and their Yam, Women and their Cooking While early European colonizers described Africans as either heathens or noble savages, Chinua Achebe dispelled these notions by illustrating Africans as being part of a rich and proud culture. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe focuses on the life of a titled African leader at an Ibo village, Okonkwo. Okonkwo worked hard to achieve his socio-economic status, although his fear of failure has led to his greatest failures. The novel traverses several themes, including gender roles in Okonkwos time. This paper analyzes and describes the roles of men and women in the novel. Men hold political, economic, and social leadership roles, while women dominate reproductive roles, and at the same time, they also handle supportive economic and religious responsibilities. Achebe shows that Ibo is like any other patriarchal society, where men possess political roles, a sphere where women are disenfranchised. Men are the only ones who have titles, for instance. The Ibo village even have a term for untitled men, agbala, which also means “woman” (Achebe 26). It is a derogatory title that indicates that women are not seen to be worthy enough to have titles, or have political power in their villages. Okonkwo once called a man agbala, which others rebuked, because he unnecessarily humiliated a clansman. If the village decides to go to war, men are also the ones who make decisions. Their sons can also come and accompany them, but not their daughters. Boys, thus, are prepared for their political roles early in life, while women are relegated to secondary social positions. Men also hold economic leadership roles. Okonkwo once had the difficulty of taking care of his mother and his fathers wives and children. As a man, he is expected to provide for his family. As the men in their families, they are further expected to plant yam, which is a symbol for manhood. Achebe illustrates yam as the “king of crops,” because it is a “very exacting king” that only men can take care of and harvest (Achebe 33). Unlike other plants, yam “demanded hard work and constant attention” from sunrise to sunset (Achebe 33). In the same manner, men also demand attention from their wives and children as king. Okonkwo particularly maintains a patriarchal social order in his house in such a severe manner that when Ojiugo did not bring her share of food to her husband, he beat her a great deal, though it was the Week of Peace. He is ready to disregard customs, if that will prove to his family and clan that he is not the kind of man who will condone female fancies. In the tribe, grumbling about women is a sign of manhood. It means that he will be able to control his women, which is vital, because a man who cannot control his wives and children is “not really a man”(Achebe 53). He will be compared to a man in the song “who had ten and one wives and not enough soup for his foo-foo” (Achebe 53). A real man asserts his dominance and his wives are expected to submit to their husbands and other male members in their families. Ibos patriarchal culture also emphasizes that only men can make social decisions and lead social gatherings. Women do not have the authority to make decisions for their families and clan. For instance, when Okonkwo went to Nwakibie to loan some yams, only men participated in the gathering. Nwakibies wives came, but only for ceremonial purposes, where they drank some wine and left (Achebe 20). Women did not mingle with men, especially when they make important decisions. Furthermore, men lead social gatherings, such as meetings and even social activities, like wrestling matches and weddings. They call meetings and end them. They are the blood of Ibos outward social structure. Things Fall Apart demonstrates the secondary roles that women hold, such as supporting economic activities. While their husbands plant yams, women also plant “coco-yams, beans, and cassava,” all of which are called “womens crops” (Achebe 22-23). Women, in addition, assist in the planting of yams. For instance, they plant corn, melons, and beans between the yam mounds and weed these mounds three times at particular periods of the yams life (Achebe 33). Weeding cannot be done earlier or later or the yams will die (Achebe 33). Women also hold high religious roles. Though there are male gods, there are also female gods and powerful female priestesses. Ani is the earth goddess and fertility. Agbala, the Oracle, has a priestess. Only she can see him and priestess takes care of religious rituals. When Okonkwo was still young, the priestess was Chika. Achebe describes her power: “She was full of the power of her god, and she was greatly feared” (17). Priestesses heal the sick and curse evil people and beings. They are feared for their mystical powers. Achebe also show that women dominate the reproductive sphere of life. Women support other women in their reproductive roles, such as cooking and preparing the house during weddings. They also act as entertainers , by being the singers and dances in social events. Moreover, society also demands that women bear the fruit of their husbands loins. They should be married and give birth to children, particularly sons. The village gives high regard to “producing” sons that when mothers give birth to several consecutive sons, great ceremonies were given to their honor. When Okonkwos first wife bore her third son in succession, Okonkowo killed a goat for her, which was the “custom” (Achebe 79). These customs reflect the underlying attitudes of a culture that value boys over girls, and in adulthood, men over women. In addition, women also conduct household duties, such as cooking, cleaning the houses, and taking care of their children. They are known for being the sanctuary of their children, even men. When Okonkwo was exiled for seven years, after accidentally killing a clansman, he was sent to his motherland. This grieved Okonkwo greatly. Uchendu, his mothers youngest brother, consoled him. He reminded Okonkwo of the significant role of women as the mothers. He stresses that “Mothers are supreme,” because “...when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland” (Achebe 134). This is an important lesson that celebrates mothers as people with hidden social value in times of stress and despair. Women are the ones who hold the clan together, when it seems that men are being terribly unfair to each other, or when they feel that the gods are against them. Things Fall Apart depicts the social hierarchy in African societies, where men are leaders of the productive sphere, while women hold responsibilities in the reproductive sphere. They are separated by their gender, because their culture ascribed specific values for the man and the woman. The man shall lead and his woman will follow him. On the one hand, women are seen as secondary members of society. On the other hand, Achebe also recognizes the unspoken reverence for womens mystical powers of birth and spirituality. They may not be the actual power centers, but their roles hold the center intact. Achebe shows that without women, there is no Ibo or Okonkwo. Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1959, 1994. Print. Read More