The Stronger Gender in Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

â€Å"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. Your mother is there to protect you. . . . And that is why we say that mother is supreme† (p.134). In Achebe’s 1959 â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, female figures appear to have minor domesticated roles; however with these words Achebe calls attention to female strength within the tribe. Feminine power is recognized within the tribe, and fear of this power provides the foundation for the male obsession with displays of masculinity. Achebe highlights significant female goddesses, displays a solid feminine role in education, fully develops strong-minded female characters, and demonstrates masculine†¦show more content†¦In fact, the most significant tribal deities were feminine, and Achebe reveals tribal perceptions of feminine power particularly through Ani, the earth goddess, describing her as â€Å"a gre ater part in the life of the people than any other deity. . . [and] ultimate judge of morality and conduct† (p.36). Ani was feared within the tribe as much as celebrated. The Feast of the New Yam was an annual celebration honoring the earth goddess. Additionally, offerings were made to this goddess for good health and harvests. Punishments were instigated when violations against Ani were committed: violations against the earth or morality. Okonkwo continuously paid refuge to Ani for his extreme masculine behaviors. Such as, by breaking the Week of Peace, inadvertently killing a boy, and ultimately by taking his life. Indeed, this feminine goddess played a very strong role in tribal culture. Furthermore, the water goddess, while briefly mentioned, is representative of how Achebe illustrates feminine power within the tribe. In chapter eighteen, an osu kills the sacred python, the emanation of the water goddess, which creates distress throughout the tribe until the osu fa lls ill and dies, proving to the tribe â€Å"the gods were still able to fight their own battles† (p.161). His inclusion of this particular goddess was meaningful because she was not only considered one of the mostShow MoreRelatedSocial Organization, Leadership Roles, and Colonial Presence in Chinua Achebe‚Äà ´s ‚Äà ºThings Fall Apart‚Äà ¹1136 Words   |  5 PagesNatalie Clark Anth 2315/ Dr. Kennell July 26, 2011 Social Organization, Leadership Roles, and Colonial Presence in Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† Chinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† tells the story of Okonkwo, an ambitious man from the Igbo village of Umuofia, in modern day Nigeria at the onset of the Colonial era. Okonkwo is a rising member of the society until he inadvertently kills a kinsman and must flee for seven years to his mother’s clan so as not to offend the earth goddessRead MoreFeminist Literary Analysis in Chinu Acebes Thing Falls Apart670 Words   |  3 PagesFor several decades, females have been victims of sexism, violence and prejudice. 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