6/17/2017 MyAssignment's:Themesinthingsfallapart

Themesinthingsfallapart
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Name:PandyaRiva

Rollno:23

Paper:AfricanLiterature

Topic:ThemesinThingsfallApart

ThingsFallApartisaliterarynovelwrittenbyNigerianauthorChinuaAchebein1958.The
story'smainthemeconcernspreandpostcoloniallifeinlatenineteenthcenturyNigeria.Andit
isanovelabouttheclashbetweentwocultures.ItisseenasthearchetypalmodernAfricannovel
inEnglish,oneofthefirsttoreceiveglobalcriticalacclaim.

ThemesinThingsfallApart:
Gender

MuchofthetraditionalIgbolifepresentedinthisnovelrevolvesaroundstructuredgenderroles.
EssentiallyallofIgbolifeisgendered,fromthecropsthatmenandwomengrow,to
characterizationofcrimes.InIgboculture,womenaretheweakersex,butarealsoendowedwith
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qualitiesthatmakethemworthyofworship,liketheabilitytobearchildren.Thedominantrole
forwomenis:first,tomakeapurebrideforanhonorableman,second,tobeasubmissivewife,
andthird,tobearmanychildren.Theidealmanprovidesforhisfamilymateriallyandhas
prowessonthebattlefield.Theprotagonistinthenovelisextremelyconcernedwithbeinghyper
masculineanddevalueseverythingfeminine,leavinghimratherunbalanced.Muchofthegender
themeinthebookcentersaroundtheideaofbalancebetweenmasculineandfeminineforcesbody
andmind/soul,emotionalityandrationality,motherandfather.Ifoneisinimbalance,itmakes
thewholesystemhaywire

Religion

TheIgbogodsaremostlymanifestationsofnatureanditselements,whichmakessensebecause
theyareanagriculturalsocietythatdependsontheregularityofseasonsandnaturalphenomena
tosurvive.Theyworshipthegoddessoftheearthandarealwayscarefultoavoidcommittingsins
againstherforfearofvengeancethatmightwipeoutanentiregeneration.TheIgboancestors
alsotakeonadivinenaturetosomeextent.FamilyplayssuchacentralroleinIgbolifethatthe
spiritsoftheirancestorsareconsultedforalmosteverydecisionandevenserveasjudgesinlegal
trials(intheformofmaskedelders).TheIgboemphasisonnumerousgodsassociatedwithnature
andalsoonancestorsandsomewhatdivinecontrastssharplywiththesingleGodofChristianity
whichseemsfarlessdirectlyrelevanttotheIgbolifestyle.

Manandnature

Asanagriculturalsociety,thesurvivaloftheUmuofiadependsontheearthanditspredictable
cycleofseasons.Thusweseefrequentworshipoftheearthandherbounty,especiallyatthenew
yearandduringharvestseason.TheIgboalsoreaptheearthswealthinrathereconomicaland
effectivewaystappingtreesforpalmwine,capitalizingoffoflocustplagues,andmaking
medicinewithherbs.Humanbeingsareimplicitlyviewedasthechildrenoftheearth,thoughthe
conductofthewhitementhrowsdoubtonthatassumption.Inadditiontobeinggenerous,the
earthcanalsobedeadlyandisruthlessandnotprovidefoodandresourcesifoffendedinsome
waybyhumanactions.

Respectandreputation

Reputationisextremelyimportanttothemeninthenovel.Personalreputationispublicly
denotedbytheanklebraceletsmenwear,whichsignifythenumberoftitlestheyhaveearned.
Reputationisbasedonmeritmengainreputationthroughbraveryinbattle,skillatwrestling,
andhardworkasseenthroughthesizeoftheiryamharvest.Reputationearnsmenpositionsof
powerandinfluenceinthecommunityaswellasnumerouswives.Okonkwo,thenovels
protagonist,isextremelyconcernedwithreputationbecausehegrewupwithafatherwhowas
shamefulandlazy.Okonkwoovercompensatesbyworkingtirelesslyonhisfarmandtakingevery
opportunityavailabletoprovehisbraveryandstrength.

Family

FortheIgbo,thereareafewkeyideasthatformthebasisofanidealfamily:mutualrespectfor
eachother,areverenceforallpastfathers,andunity.Thefatherisnotonlytheproviderforthe
family,butdefenderofitshonorandteacherofhissons.Themothersmaindutyistoaddtothe
familylinebybearinghealthychildrenandalsotopleaseherhusband.Childrenaretheinheritors
ofthefutureandareraisedtocontinuethevaluesoftheoldergeneration.Thisfamilyunitisthe
mostfundamentalunitofsocietyanditsstructurecanbeexpandedtofitawholecommunityor
evenapantheonofgods.

Sin

InthingsFallApart,sinisdefinedasacrimeagainstthegods.Suchtransgressionsoccurwhena
memberofsocietyviolatesthemostintimatebondsoffamily,especiallywithregardstoones
childrenorsomehowinsultsanancestralspirit.Thesesinscallforquickandseverepunishment,
oftenincludinganimalsacrifices,aheavyfine,varioussymbolicgesturesofatonement,exilefrom

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onesfatherland,orevendeath.Onlywhensuchpaymentisgivencanjusticebeserved.If
punishmentisnotdoledout,notonlyisthesinnersubjecttodivinewrath,buttheentire
communitysuffers.

Fear

Manyofthecharacterssufferfromfearofsomesort.Okonkwofearsbecominglikehislazy,
shamefulfather,Ekwefifearslosingherdaughter,andNwoyefearshisfatherswrath.Whilemost
charactersfeareventsthatareoutsideoftheircontrol,Okonkwoisconsumedbyaterrible
internalworryabouthimselfandhisidentity.Ratherthanmasteringhisfear,heallowsitto
dominatehimanddrivehisactions.Fearleadshimtolashoutinsomeprettynastyways:beating
hiswives,abusingandalienatinghisoldestson,partakinginthemurderofhisadoptiveson,etc.
Overall,fearinthisnovelleadscharacterstobehaveinnegativewaysthatcanbringthewrathof
thegods,guilt,andthecommunitydisapprovaluponthem.

SocietyComplexity
FromAchebe'sownstatements,weknowthatoneofhisthemesisthecomplexityofIgbosociety
beforethearrivaloftheEuropeans.Tosupportthistheme,heincludesdetaileddescriptionsofthe
justicecodesandthetrialprocess,thesocialandfamilyrituals,themarriagecustoms,food
productionandpreparationprocesses,theprocessofsharedleadershipforthecommunity,
religiousbeliefsandpractices,andtheopportunitiesforvirtuallyeverymantoclimbtheclan's
ladderofsuccessthroughhisownefforts.Thebookmayhavebeenwrittenmoresimplyasastudy
ofOkonkwo'sdeteriorationincharacterinanincreasinglyunsympatheticandincompatible
environment,butconsiderwhatwouldhavebeenlosthadAchebenotemphasizedthethemeofthe
complexanddynamicqualitiesoftheIgboinUmuofia.

SothesearesomeimportantthemeswhichreflectsthelifeofNigerianpeopleandtheirconditions
.Theystruggleorfightforfreedom.

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