Culture in Things Fall Apart Essay

Question 1:

In the novel things fall apart by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo society is not idealized or perfectly depicted. Achebe does not twist the truth about the Igbo culture. He educates the readers about African culture and battles against the disgraceful African cultural stereotypes through his work. In the same time, he does not approve Igbo culture blindly but criticizes some aspects of it.

Achebe let us grasp the Igbo culture before the white men arrived. He questions about the Igbo traditions, ritual and their tribal laws. He uses Nwoye to criticize the negative aspects of the Igbo culture.

In Ibo Culture, a sense of tradition was highly significant. The Ibo people would carry out the various traditions that had been passed down from their ancestors centuries ago in their everyday lives. These traditions or customs that came in the form of funeral ceremonies, ones manners, rites of passage, and more were the backbone of the Ibo culture. (1)

Igbo people would consult the oracles whenever something happens and they need to seek a solution. When someone from the village of Mbaino murders the wife of an Umuofia tribesman, Umuofia demands for a virgin and a young man from Mbaino. Or else the two villages must go to war. The young man, Ikemefuna is take care by Nwoyes mother. He becomes a part of Okonkwos family after living with them for three years. Ikemefuna is like an elder brother to Nwoye and a son to Okonkwo.

For three years Ikemefuna lived in Okonkwos household and the elders of Unuofia seemed to have forgotten about him. He grew rapidly like a yam tendril in the rainy season, and was full of the sap of life. He had become wholly absorbed into his new family. He was like an elder brother to Nwoye, and from the very first seemed to have kindled a new fire in the younger boy (Achebe, p54).

However, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves calls for the death of the innocent Ikemefuna one day. The death of Ikemefuna brings a profound impact on Nwoye. Also, Igbo society considers twins are being cursed so they would abandon the infants in Evil Forest. Once, Nwoye heard the crying of an infant in the thick forest while he was passing. He feels a snapping inside him when he realizes that Ikemefuna has died, just like how he felt when he heard the crying of the infant.

A vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell, like a solitary walker at night who passes an evil spirit on the way. Then something had given way inside him. It descended on him again, this feeling, when his father walked in, that night after killing Ikemefuna (Achebe, p.64).

These two incidents make him struggle and have doubt for the traditions of the Igbo society. They drive him to convert to Christianity after the white men come.

Besides, Okonkwos best friend, Obierika is an open-minded and wise man that thinks before doing. He accepts the foreign culture that is penetrating into the Igbo traditions. He does not deny the changes in the Igbo culture and beliefs that the white men bring it, but he receives the changes with positive attitude and is willing to adapt.

Like Nwoye, Obierika is doubtful of some of the Igbo practices while Okonkwo receives all the Igbo tribal rituals and laws without any opinion.

In this novel, Achebe uses Nwoye and Obierikas characters to express his doubt about some of the Igbo traditional tribal laws. He also portrays his disapproval of the significance of Igbo culture through these two characters.

In addition, Achebe seems to have doubt for the definition for masculinity among the Igbo society. In this novel, Okonkwo is seen as a strong man and manful warrior. He despises his father Unoka who is a lazy, useless, and irresponsible and weakness man. It reflects the coward, effeminate and soft among the Igbo society.

Unoka died in debt and humiliation; the memory of him gives Okonkwo a terrible fear of failure. (2)

Okonkwos fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. (Achebe, p13)

Form that, Okonkwo becomes a quite opposites way from his father that hardworking, ambition, brave and ill-tempered. He does not want people call him weakness

On the other hand, Okonkwos eldest son Nwoye is reluctant to accept his fathers masculine values. From here, the author makes the situation let us think use our own ways that what does manliness mean based on our experience and society. Is Okonkwo, the violent wrestler with three titles who is fearful of being thought weak considered masculine? Or Unoka, a skillful flutist enjoying life to the fullest is as worthless as Okonkwo and the Igbo society think he is? Is Nwoye who does not prefer violence being weak and feminine? Also, Okonkwo is afraid that he would be considered a coward if he refuses to accompany the other men in killing Ikemefuna. He even stabs Ikemefuna with his machete for fear of appearing weak. On the other hand, Okonkwos best friend, Obrierika refuses to join in this killing as he does not think that ending an innocent boys life would make one masculine.

You know very well, Okonkwo, that I am not afraid of blood; and if anyone tells you that I am, he is telling a lie. And let me tell you one thing, my friend. If I were you I would have stayed at home. What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole families.

The Earth cannot punish me for obeying her messenger, Okonkwo said. A childs fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm.

That is true, Obierika agreed. But if the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it.(Achebe, p67)