Thingss Fall Apart Essay, Research Paper

Kellyn Gemma

Ms. Lewis Gemma 1

Awards English Per. 6

31 May, 2001

The Effects that Masculinity Plays in Things Fall Apart

The novel, Things Fall Apart, takes topographic point in the late 1800 & # 8217 ; s. It is set in a little tribal community called Umuofia, which is located in southeasterly Nigeria. During this clip, there was a major push from the British to spread out their power economically, politically, and culturally. The Umuofia folk has the repute of being a wealthy and powerful folk. A immature leader of this folk, Okonkwo, has to get the better of the failures of his male parent & # 8217 ; s past ventures to experience like a worthy member. His male parent, Unoka, had been known for his deficiency of duty and indolence, which is a serious claim to a folk with such a solid repute. Unoka dies a black decease and leaves his household nil but his debts. Okonkwo strives to get the better of this shame by being a ferocious warrior and a successful husbandman. His efforts to compensate the wrongs of his male parent impact his full folk and finally lend to his early decease.

Okonkwo is introduced to the reader as a adult adult male who is already good established in his community. Unlike his male parent, he owns two barns filled with yams. He besides has three married womans and many kids. Although he loves his household, he is unable to show this emotion, because he feels that this would be a mark of failing. He treats the members of his household with a & # 8220 ; heavy manus & # 8221 ; and was known to hold beaten his married womans.

& # 8220 ; Okonkwo ruled his family with a heavy manus. His married womans, particularly the youngest, lived in ageless fright of his fiery pique, and so did his small children. & # 8221 ; ( p. 13 )

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A major disclosure of Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s maleness is demonstrated in Chapter 2 when the Mbaino people murder a female member of Umuofia folk. The Mbaino folk was faced with a quandary of taking between war or paying damages. Payment could be made by offering a immature Mbaino male child, who is about 15 old ages old, and besides by offering a virgin to the adult male whose married woman had been killed. Knowing that the Umuofia folk was really powerful, the pick of paying damages was made. The immature adult male, named Ikemfuna, was sent to populate with Okonkwo, because he was considered a leader of the community. Ikemfuna remains with Okonkwo and his household for some clip ; and although Okonkwo refuses to acknowledge it, he begins to experience fond of the male child. Ikemfuna becomes particularly close with Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s eldest boy, Nwoye ; and the two male childs spend every minute together. As clip base on ballss, Ikemfuna is even considered to be one of the household ; until one twenty-four hours, Okonkwo receives word that it is clip for Ikemfuna to be brought back to Mbaino and killed. Although this is a clip of discord for Okonkwo, he shows no emotion and leads Ikemfuna and the Umuofia people back to Mbaino to take part in this barbarous ceremonial. When they reach their finish, Ikemfuna is hit by a matchet, and when he runs to Okonkwo for aid, Okonkwo delivers the concluding blow that kills the immature male child whom he considered a boy. & # 8220 ; He heard Ikemfuna call, & # 8216 ; My male parent, they have killed me! & # 8217 ; , as he ran toward him. Dazed with fright, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak. & # 8221 ; ( p. 60 ) This causes great upset in his household, and particularly traumatizes Nwoye ; but Okonkwo st

ailment seems unfazed. It is at this point in the novel where one can see merely how strong Okonkwo’s compulsion with maleness is.

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The camouflage of Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s emotions besides affects his position in the community. When the leader of the folk, Ezeudu, dies, a great funeral is planned to honour him. The whole Umuofia folk attends this luxuriant ceremonial, which is complete with membranophones and cannons. After a twenty-four hours of bereavement, the ceremonial begins to shut. Drums are beaten and the cannon is fired. Engrossed in the ceremonial, Okonkwo fires his ain gun, which explodes, hiting a piece of Fe into Ezeudu & # 8217 ; s boy & # 8217 ; s bosom. Since it is the jurisprudence that any adult male who kills an guiltless adult male be banished from his folk for seven old ages, there is no other class unfastened for Okonkwo to take. He instantly takes his household and several other properties and caputs for his fatherland. & # 8220 ; And before the prick crowed Okonkwo and his household were flying to his fatherland. It was a small small town called Mbanta, merely beyond the boundary lines of Mbaino. & # 8221 ; ( p. 124 ) A fire is set to his houses, non in penalty, but to cleanse the land of his error.

Seven long old ages easy go by, and Okonkwo is forced to populate off of his female parent & # 8217 ; s household & # 8217 ; s wealth, a quality that he peculiarly despised in his ain male parent. Later, Okonkwo was given a secret plan of land on which to farm, and with the aid of his female parent & # 8217 ; s relations, he builds himself an obeah ( a big life quarters for the caput of the household ) and three little huts for his married womans. He spends his yearss and portion of his darks working hard in his field, but his work is done half-heartedly, as his spirit was killed by the expatriate. While Okonkwo is in expatriate, six Christian missionaries arrive in Mbanta. Their sermon does non affect Okonkwo, but his boy, Nwoye, decides to change over to Christianity. Okonkwo is upset by this because the people of Mbanta believe that those who join the missionaries are the weak and worthless work forces of the small town.

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When the seven old ages have passed, Okonkwo receives word that he can now come back to Umuofia. He accepts the offer and throws a big feast to thank his relations for leting him to remain at that place. Then he heads back to Umuofia.

Upon his return to Umuofia, Okonkwo is faced with an unpleasant surprise. He realizes that he has lost his high topographic point and rubrics, and the Christian missionaries have taken over their folk. Many of the Umuofia people have joined the missionaries, including the worthy work forces with rubrics. & # 8220 ; Such a adult male was Ogbuefi Ugonna, who had cut the anklet of his rubrics and cast it off to fall in the Christians. The white missionaries were really proud of him and he was one of the first work forces in Umuofia to have the sacrament of Holy Communion & # 8221 ; ( p. 174 ) Not everyone is happy about the alterations and force frequently erupts.

These alterations overwhelm Okonkwo and do him to go crazed. He headlong kills one of the missionaries by decapitating him. When Okonkwo realizes that Umuofia will give up its rights and privileges to the Christian groups, he can no longer cover with all of the alterations in his life. The feeling of desperation and failure cause him to hang himself.

It is unfortunate that a adult male such as Okonkwo, who attempts to portray such strength and maleness, should invariably populate in fright of his image to others and eventually would yield to such a fearful decease.