Masculinity in Things Fall Apart

The theme of masculinity in Things Fall Apart can be seen extensively, and it can be said that the male characters involved in it are defined according to this theme. The most prominent of these characters is Okonkwo, whose personality can be said to be thoroughly masculine and who is used as an example from which all the other men in Umuofia are defined. There are instances throughout the novel where Okonkwo is described to do things which one would associate with masculinity, as opposed to femininity. Okonkwo himself is extremely hardworking and ambitious, whose aim is to build his reputation to the highest level that can be attained in his society. His ambition is because of the way his father, Unoka acted his whole life. Unoka can be described as a man who totally lacked ambition and was content to live his life as it was without any worry concerning the future. He is described as having been lazy and owed quite a number of people and extensive amount of debt, which he never bothered to pay. Okonkwo disliked the lifestyle which his father led, believing that Unoka was a lazy man who did not have the capability of developing himself to greatness. Okonkwo, therefore, chose to become as different to Unoka as he could and he did this by doing things which the society considered to be highly masculine such as the attainment of wealth and status as well as a large family. In this paper, we shall consider masculinity in the novel by analyzing the different characters within it, especially Okonkwo, and how Achebe has brought this theme to life in his work.

In the novel, the traditional Igbo society can be described as one which is unquestionably male dominated, with the men being seen as the most influential people within it. Because of the male dominance of society, masculinity in every form is highly emphasized to the extent of making femininity look inferior. Masculinity in the society of Umuofia is tied to the physical characteristics of the people involved, and it can be said that to be born a man in the society is an immense privilege indeed. That is the reason why in the novel, the instances where boys are born are greeted with greater joy than when girls are born. Furthermore, to be a male in this society has certain requirements that have to be met in order to prove ones masculinity. A man has to display in all the characteristics associated with being male not only physically but also in personality. People such as Okonkwo are tremendously respected in the society because of their achievements in the acquisition of wealth and status. Okonkwo, for example, is respected because of the great wealth in yams which he has managed to amass for himself and also because of his prowess in war and other physical activities which are associated with masculinity in the Igbo society. This is in stark contrast to his father Unoka who was looked down upon by everyone in society due to his laziness and easygoing nature that many considered to be feminine characteristics.

Okonkwo goes out of his way to be as different to his father as possible so that he can avoid the shame of being associated with femininity. It can be said that, in Igbo society, femininity is considered to be a characteristic to be ashamed of and which should not be encouraged especially among men in the society. Masculinity in this society is highly priced, and all men are supposed to behave in a way which enhances this characteristic. This is the reason why Okonkwo shows disappointment in his oldest son Nwoye, whom he considers not to display the characteristics which he considers to be masculine. Instead, Okonkwo sees a lot of his own father in the boy, and he believes that Nwoye may have inherited these characteristics from Unoka. What Okonkwo does not seem to realize is the fact that because of his success, he has come to develop extremely high expectations from his sons and if the boys do not achieve what he  has achieved, then he considers them to be failures. He believes that he has to be the embodiment of strength in all ways because if he displays any form of weakness towards anyone, then he would lose the respect of those around him as Unoka did. This is the reason why despite his not being a cruel man by nature, he treats his family with a heavy hand often displaying harshness towards them that he would otherwise not have displayed.

Masculinity is dominant in the society, and this makes every aspect associated with femininity to be looked upon as inferior. This is the reason why women in this society are inferior to the men and their role is tied to the service of their husbands and the bearing of children for them. Women in this society only gain respect through their production of children, with those who have more children being accorded more respect than those with fewer children. This is the reason why the childlessness of Ekwefi, Okonkwo’s second wife, due to from stillbirths and death at infancy, was a source of immense sadness for her. It can, therefore, be said that it was a source of immense joy for her when her daughter, Ezinma grew up past her infancy. Ezinma is throughout the novel, seen to be the favorite child of Okonkwo, and this is mainly due to her strength of character. One will note that Okonkwo tends to wish that she was a boy, and this displays the fact that the society of Umuofia puts more value on boys more than girls. Girls are considered to be more of property than as equals to boys, and they are seen to be only good for childbearing and as a source of wealth to their families. This belief ensures that the men continue to dominate the society and that masculinity continues to be the superior.

In the society of Umuofia, masculinity tends to be associated with violence and men gain the respect of society through their displays of violence. Wrestling is a sport in which there is often some violence as each of the contenders strives to defeat their opponent. The victor ends up being respected by society for their prowess in the ring in throwing their opponents. This was one of the displays of masculinity made by Okonkwo which ensured that he gained the respect of Umuofia. He did this by managing to throw the previously undefeated wrestler known as Amalinze the Cat, because of the fact that his back had never touched the ground during a match. Violence in the name of masculinity is also displayed when the men of Umuofia go to war. Okonkwo receives a terrific deal of praise from his society because when he went to war, he returned with five heads of the enemy, and in this way, it can be said that he established his manhood to the society. In addition, when the Oracle declares that Ikemefuna, a boy who was living in Okonkwo’s household be put to death, Okonkwo is the one who gives the deathblow despite the fact that he had grown extremely fond of the boy. He kills Ikemefuna not because he  had to, but because of the fact that he did not want to be seen as weak among his peers (Korang 15 para.70). Okwonkwo feels that it is his obligation not to show any kind of weakness because, in his society, weakness is associated with femininity. Despite his being a kindhearted man, Okonkwo displays his masculinity by ruling his household with a heavy hand, often beating his wives whenever they do anything to offend him. He is also seen to have a particularly bad temper as seen when he almost shoots Ekwefi after she insults his pride. In this society where masculinity is considered to be dominant, the worst insult to a man is to be called a woman because the latter is associated with femininity and, therefore, weakness. It becomes necessary for men to constantly display their dominance through displays of violence especially against the members of their own households.

In conclusion, it can be said that masculinity is what defines the lives of the men in the male dominated society of Umuofia. These men are obliged to display those characteristics which are considered masculine because to do otherwise is considered to be a sign of weakness. Despite the fact that some men, such as Unoka, are easy going and are often happy with their lives, their lack of display of such attributes that are considered masculine ends up making them to be seen as being weak. Moreover, a display of violence is one of those attributes associate with masculinity, and this is the reason why the men of Umuofia believe that a man is weak if he does not display some form of violence. It can, therefore, be said that masculinity in this society is regarded as a way through which men can retain their dominance.