Gender Boundaries

The moralistic culture that people conceive and cultivate from generation to generation

including differences in gender, emotions, hormones, and physical appearances causes human

to be different especially women and men. These factors create sexual boundaries that later

lead to sexual inequality. Chinua Achebe is a novelist who expresses the majority of Igbo

culture obviously about gender. Achebe was born in Odigi, Nigeria in 1930 and grew up in

the Igbo town. He came up with his first novel, ​“Things Fall Apart” in 1994 which concerns

about the traditional Igbo culture of his homeland. Achebe illustrates the influences of culture

on gender roles in society, including one's perspective towards social expectation itself.

In Igbo culture, there are no liberty and rights for women. They are seen as just

accessories of men and act like they are not human such as an assault, revile or no respect

even human status. Every action that men perform with women is unfair. According to

Achebe (1994), “He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned

he beat her very heavily” (p. 29). The action of Okonkwo does not make sense. He should

have listened to his wife's reason rather than harm her. This assault is neither honor nor

ignorance of the person who has been as his wife. Women have no rights to argue or explain

their reason. The women are treated this way because of the implanted culture. Being a

woman is a shame, they have to cover themselves, close the legs and sit properly. This kind

of thought was blocked their idea which makes them cannot say what they desire, neither

express their thoughts, nor say what they truly think. Moreover the worst thing that happens

about cultivating this culture is when young girl grows up to be a lady, they are just a puppet

(Adichie, 2012). Women have no freedom as well as men by the way of being taught to be a

real man.
 Furthermore, fundamental of men is another culture that cultivates by ignoring

personal opinions or feelings. Men must be a strong leader and not allow to be weak. In the

novel, Okonkwo’s father, Unoka who was a failure, loafer and poor. This causes his life and

family become tribulations. Hence, Okonkwo does not want to be like his father so, he

become as a famous and powerful person as the text said “He was still young but he had won

fame as the greatest wrestler in nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full

of yams, had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and had

shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars” (Achebe, 1994, p.8). He is well known by

throwing the great wrestler who was unbeaten for seven years called Amalinze the Cat. For

this event causes people in the village praise him as a leader and identify him as strong and

dependable. Even though, being a superior gender does not mean that they can do whatever

they want as the text says “​That was the kind of story that Nwoye loved. But he now knew

that they were for foolish women and children, and he knew that his father wanted him to be

a man. And so he feigned that he no longer cared for women’s stories. And when he did this

he saw that his father was pleased, and no longer rebuked him or beat him. So Nwoye and

Ikemefuna would listen to Okonkwo’s stories about tribal wars, or how, years ago, he had

stalked his victim, overpowered him and obtained his first human head​” (Achebe, 1994,

p.54). Gender boundaries force Nwoye to hide his true identity and cannot express the feeling

he really feels. They have to hide their pain and problems because of being told that they

must act like a masculine. Overtime, the old culture in which women are inferior or men do

not have the freedom to live can not be used anymore therefore, it is contemporary changing

culture by coming up with gender equality.

Nowadays, there is declamation of equality in many societies and came up with laws

to protect women also the freedom of speech and expression. This makes people to have
more acceptance of the idea more than just judging people by their gender. As the time goes

on, gender inequality has been decreased. Men must be the leader and follow the thing that

the adults had set. They have no right to do whatever they like. As Olson (2015) says,

“Society needs to transform into one that provides role models who show boys emotion

doesn't equate to weakness, and exerting dominance leads to fear rather than respect.”

Compared to Things Fall Apart, there are events that convey a sense of masculinity which it

does not mean that men need to be hard all the time. Everyone have their own feelings even if

it is a male who is considered strong. ​The culture that preservation is what human beings

create which is constantly changing. When a culture is able to destroy lives of many people

just because of their gender or children who are unhappy, they do not have the right to live

their lives, and force not to say that they have desire a​ccording to Adichie (2012), ​“Culture

does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is

not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture.”

To sum up, the impact of culture that affects gender appearances is consisted of the

view of the people in society that associates to Things Fall Apart. The gender boundaries

cause women to be inferior and ​masculinity of men that cultivate follow by culture. ​Both

convey and contrast the gender inequality clearly and each one is profoundly transferred in

detailed from his homeland culture. However, in the modern world, there are many people

rise up against the unjust culture so, they raise up with a law to govern the equality of gender

in society. Presently, the respect and honor people are more shown in the society and also

reduces the problem of gender inequality. As a reminder, regardless of gender you are, you

still deserve the thing that you would desire.

 References

Achebe, C. (1959). ​Things Fall Apart​. New York, New York: Penguin Books.

Adichie, C. N. (n.d.). Transcript of "We should all be feminists". Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists/tr

anscript?language=en#t-1624177

Olson, S. (2015, March 23). Male Gender Stereotypes Are Ruining Boys' Futures.

Retrieved from

https://www.medicaldaily.com/what-it-means-be-man-how-male-gender-stereotypes-t

ry-fit-growing-boys-mold-and-fail-326450

Cassano, M. (2018, November 13). 34 Bizarre But Actually Brilliant Products That People

Are Buying On Amazon. Retrieved from

https://www.bustle.com/p/34-bizarre-but-actually-brilliant-products-that-people-are-b

uying-on-amazon-2961302