Power In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Words: 1143

Pages: 5

Open Document

“Every man wears the thread of title on his ankle, and does not lose it even if he steals” (Achebe 70). Power is very valuable to the village of Umuofia. This is prevalent throughout the whole novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The people of Umuofia know that their worth and how they are treated is based off the power that they have. If they have power, they do not lose it. Throughout the novel, the power that an individual has greatly impacts the way they are treated.
Unoka is a lazy man and does not have power; He is treated like he is worthless.
Okonkwo's father, Unoka, is a lazy man and is treated poorly by the village. “That [is] years ago, when he [is] young. Unoka, the grown-up, [is] a failure. He [is] poor and his wife and children has barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he …show more content…
Okonkwo ruled over his household, his wives, and his children. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so [does]his little children”(Achebe 13). Okonkwo rules over his household leaving his wives with almost no power. Okonkwo does not have one wife, he has wives which is a sign of power and accomplishment showing that women are seen more as a prize than a human. Okonkwo rules over his wives leaving them with no power. Also, his wives are afraid of him. That shows that they are not treated kindly due to the women's lack of power in Umuofia. Okonkwo's wife Ojiugo, has left to get her hair done without telling Okonkwo. That angers him greatly. “And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he has forgotten that it [is] the Week of Peace. His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it [is] the sacred week”(Achebe 29). Ojiugo does not have the power to leave without Okonkows consent. Okonkwo has

Essay Achebe: Nigeria and Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart Achebe was born in the Igbo town of Ogidi in eastern Nigeria on November 16, 1930. His father was an instructor in Christian catechism for the Church Missionary Society. During the time Achebe was young Nigeria was a British colony and educated English speaking families like the Achebes, engaged a privileged position in the Nigerian power structure. (Ryan Geertsma 7). Two years before Nigeria achieved its independence a novel was published in 1958 titled Things Fall Apart…

Words 794 - Pages 4

Essay on Rough Draft TFA

Katie Van Horn Cheeseman English 2 Honors (7th) 26 March 2015 Okonkwo: Afraid of Change or Weakness? In Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe uses internal conflict and tragedy to diligently demonstrate his theme of how the power of fear affects relationships and feelings of those around you. Chinua Achebe portrays how the power of fear affects everyone in a community. This is displayed when she writes, “Without further argument Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping”…

Words 1619 - Pages 7

Weaknesses In The Film Hercules

Washington Irving once said, “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” Often, it is thought that showing weakness is a flaw. However, showing signs of weakness is actually an important thing that sets a strong person apart from a weak one. It is essential to know that there is a difference between a hero’s weakness and…

Words 858 - Pages 4

Things Fall Apart vs. Heart of Darkness Essay

African Colonization through Literature: Things Fall Apart Vs. Heart of Darkness History is an extraordinary mix of truth and fiction. The dichotomy that is bred from different historic al perspectives opens the eyes of those who study history to the semi-fabricated nature of much of humanities past. For most of recorded history, events have been recorded and retold through the eyes of the victors. Only recently have people had the opportunity to view both sides of issues. The Western practice…

Words 1619 - Pages 7

Things Fall Apart Rhetorical Analysis

have the ability to question their own cultures, religion, and traditions. It is one thing to go on living the life that a person was born into, but the ability to query and challenge the ways of their parents and ancestors is a true mark of intelligence. Throughout history, many people have encouraged transitioning from thinking in a traditional manner to thinking in an individualistic one. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe teaches the reader to contemplate why people question their cultures and traditions…

Words 1545 - Pages 7

Sexism In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, is about the Ibo tribe and how the colonists eventually come along and destroy their culture. Achebe’s protagonist, Okonkwo, is a male chauvinist who detests the weak and secretly fears change. Throughout this book, one also learns that women in this time and place were seen as inferior to men and were labeled by various stereotypes. The women in this book are led to believe that they are only good for housework and that they have no voice, especially if…

Words 939 - Pages 4

Chinua Achebe and White People Essay examples

Södertörns högskola | Institutionen för Utbildningsvetenskap Kandidat/Magisteruppsats 15 hp | Engelska med didaktisk inriktning| Vårterminen 2008 Chinua Achebe & Joseph Conrad – A comparison of two authors who present Africa in different ways. By: Martin Saffo Handledare: Kerstin Shands Contents Introduction 3 Chinua Achebe – Things Fall Apart 3 Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness 5 Criticism of Conrad 7 Criticism of Achebe 8 Colonialism, imperialism and politics in Africa 10 Realism…

Words 8707 - Pages 35

Things Fall Apart Essay

Chinua Achebe's first novel Things Fall Apart is a story about an Igbo village in the late 1800's. In the story, Achebe illustrates that women in Igbo society as sadly Women in the Igbo culture are portrayed as meaningless human beings and they aren't as important than a man. The womans role is that she gets married at a young, she is one of the many wives a man will have, and is the mother of two or more kids. Being a woman in the Igbo society is basically a nasty insult as ability to “kill a mans…

Words 426 - Pages 2

Okonkwo And Women In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Chinua Achebe’s novel called “Things Fall Apart” the author continuously associates weakness with women and there is also a mistreatment of women. In the beginning of the novel, there was a comparison was made between Okonkwo and his father. Okonkwo was greatly known for his courage, strength, and hard work which caused many to fear him. However, his father was known as a lazy man that had no power. The novel stated “Even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him…

Words 438 - Pages 2

Things Fall Apart Rhetorical Analysis

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (NIV Bible, Matthew 7:3). One would think that imperial Europe, having the bible as their moral compass, would have thought twice before immediately judging others. How could they have ever assumed that the African tribes they encountered were uncivilized when their own actions against them were so brutal and barbaric? Were they really so blind to the complexity of the Ibo culture? No…

Words 1148 - Pages 5