Things Do Not Entirely Fall Apart
Traditionally, Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, is considered feminist in its seemingly evident critique of gender issues surrounding the African community in both a pre-colonial and colonial context. While Achebe accurately presents the sexism existent in African tradition, ultimately the novel reproduces sexist discourse in its representation, or lack thereof, of its female characters. The paper I will present at the CSUN Honors Colloquium challenges the accepted notion that Things Fall Apart functions as a feminist critique and works to counter this claim.
Admittedly, the novel necessarily brings to light the boundaries placed upon women, particularly evident through the hyper-masculinization of the main character,
Okonkwo, and his unquestioning adherence to the patriarchal traditions of African ideology in its treatment of women. While this may seem sufficient enough to consider this text feminist, the novel itself ultimately functions to perpetuate a sexist ideology, perhaps unintentionally, by relegating the identity of “woman” to the margins and by placing the male identity front and center. Not only do the female characters throughout the novel lack development, but they also problematically function as a tool for the advancement of the main male character. In accordance, once the women can no longer provide assistance in the development of Okonkwo’s character, Achebe erases their identity from the text. This reproduces sexist discourse as it defines the identity of “woman” in her relation and relevance to the masculine figure, as well as deemphasizes the importance of her own development. One such example is explored through Okonkwo’s daughter, Ezinma. Though Ezinma is a defiant young girl who begins to challenge the traditional roles placed upon her by the patriarchal society in which she exists, her character is left undeveloped and eventually ignored altogether by Achebe unless it is in relation to Okonkwo. It is through this example and many others that my paper argues against the traditional notion that Things Fall Apart is a feminist work and proves the sexist undertones that the novel, as a whole, reproduces.
Okonkwo, and his unquestioning adherence to the patriarchal traditions of African ideology in its treatment of women. While this may seem sufficient enough to consider this text feminist, the novel itself ultimately functions to perpetuate a sexist ideology, perhaps unintentionally, by relegating the identity of “woman” to the margins and by placing the male identity front and center. Not only do the female characters throughout the novel lack development, but they also problematically function as a tool for the advancement of the main male character. In accordance, once the women can no longer provide assistance in the development of Okonkwo’s character, Achebe erases their identity from the text. This reproduces sexist discourse as it defines the identity of “woman” in her relation and relevance to the masculine figure, as well as deemphasizes the importance of her own development. One such example is explored through Okonkwo’s daughter, Ezinma. Though Ezinma is a defiant young girl who begins to challenge the traditional roles placed upon her by the patriarchal society in which she exists, her character is left undeveloped and eventually ignored altogether by Achebe unless it is in relation to Okonkwo. It is through this example and many others that my paper argues against the traditional notion that Things Fall Apart is a feminist work and proves the sexist undertones that the novel, as a whole, reproduces.
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