Okonkwos Masculinity Essay - 1344 Words

Igbo land, the land that’s known as Nigeria now. Okonkwo struggles with his masculinity and his strong ties to his culture that’s been destroyed by the british and their goal to convert everyone into christians. The missionaries make things hard for Okonkwo as he tries desperately to hold on to his traditions as his whole town that he once knew, is changing. In this analysis you will know the themes and the literary devices that contributed to the perfecting of the book. Okonkwo struggles with his masculinity throughout the whole book which makes it a dominant theme in the book. â€Å" When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he did pounce on people quite†¦show more content†¦The diction that Achebe used to describe such a sad scene that affected Okonkwo deeply and also gave us a glimpse of how okonkwo’s struggle with his masculinity and self image and how others view him. Achebe describes Ikemefuna, â€Å"His hands trembled vaguely on the black pot he carried. Why had Okonkwo withdrawn to the rear? Ikemefuna felt his legs melting under him. And he was afraid to look back†(60-61), Achebe described Ikemefuna’s legs as melting under him which shows us the latters feeling at the moment when he felt like something was not right. â€Å"Like a solitary walker at night who passes an evil spirit on the way†(Achebe 62). Okonkwo was described as a solitary walker who passes n evil spirit after the horrible incident that happened with Ikemefuna. Okonkwo was scared and felt guilt. The guilt and fear were the bad spirit that Okonkwo would pass by. Okonkwo could not share his feeling with anyone fearing the mere thought of him seeming weak. After the British invaded Igbo land, things started falling apart. At first there was a huge culture clash because Igbo people did not like the idea of changing their culture because their cultures and traditions were all that they valued. When the missionaries first arrived in Mbanta, all of the villagers came to see them. Their leader was a white man who spoke through interpreters. He informed the people that their gods were false and only theShow MoreRelatedIb English Written Task993 Words   |  4 PagesEssay Outline Prescribed question: How and why is a social group represented in a particular way? Title of the text for analysis: Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Part of the course to which the task refers: Part 3: Literature – text and context Key Points: †¢ Define masculinity in Okonkwo’s viewpoint †¢ Explore how Okonkwo never shows his emotions because of fear †¢ Describe the struggle of Okonkwo’s strength †¢ Discuss the importance of Okonkwo’s reputation of Umuofia †¢Read MoreThe Struggle Between Tradition and Change1056 Words   |  5 Pagescontains questions of personal status. Okonkwo, for example, resists the new political and religious orders because he feels that they are not manly and that he himself will not be manly if his agreements to join or even tolerate them. To some extent, Okonkwo’s resistance of cultural change is also due to his fear of being like his father, or in other words, loss his societal status. His sense of self-worth is dependent upon the traditional standards by which society judges him. 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One ting I know about women is that throughout time, especially duringRead MoreColonialism, Gender, Poverty, Exploitation, Domination, and Hegemony as Rendered in the Novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa.2223 Words   |  9 PagesRepresentations of Gender and Tradition in Things Fall Apart Osei-Nyame, Godwin Kwadwo, 1967- Research in African Literatures, Volume 30, Number 2, Summer 1999, pp. 148-164 Subject Headings: Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. Culture in literature. Masculinity in literature. In lieu of an abstract, here is a preview of the article. Wherever something stands, there something else will stand. —Igbo saying While Achebes early novels have been popularly received for their representation of an earlyRead MoreEssay on Gender Roles in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe2254 Words   |  10 Pagesthe demise of Okonkwo’s life and of the Umofia community on the imperialistic invasions of the white men. After all, Okonkwo seemed to be enjoying relative peace and happiness before then. He did have a few mishaps; one of them resulted in him being exiled for eight years. Nonetheless, he returned to his home town with high spirits and with prospects of increased success. However, everything has changed. The white men have brought with them a new religion and a new government. Okonkwo’s family falls