Name : Jeel j. Vyas
Roll No : 10
Paper No : 14. African Literature
Class : M.A. Sem – 4
Topic : Is Okoknwo Masculine or Feminine ?
Enrolment No : 2069108420190045
College : Smt.S.B.Gardi Department of English
Email ID : jeelvyas15@gmail.com
Submitted : Department of English M.K.B.University
Abstract : Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was published in 1958. It is regarded as a classic work not only in the African literature but also in the world literature, taught in African literature classes. That is because this masterpiece of Achebe is seen as the heritage of the next generation, as a record of the history of his culture. In the Novel certain key aspects of the novel’s meaning remain unresolved. At the heart of the problem lies the question of how to interpret the reasons for Okonkwo’s downfall or fate. The person who had lived life through out as a proud Masculine person at last he committed the suicide. His proud and Masculinity leads nowhere else but to commit Suicide. When we talked about his character we see that there are certain places where we can see that he also has feeling, love, emotions inside him. Which he considers as a feminine. Here in this I try to look that is he is actually a Masculine person the way he shows or he some of the feminine quality as well. Or he has both the quality.
If we talk about the character of Okoknwo we can see that he was Proud, ambitious, and ill-tempered, Okonkwo is the tragic hero of Things Fall Apart. An ambitious man who has risen from nothing to a man of importance in his tribe, Okonkwo rules his family with an iron fist. He is deeply dedicated to the traditions and social hierarchies of his people, and he is determined that his sons and daughters follow his demanding example. The indignities forced on him and his people by the British eventually prove to be too much for him. After an act of defiance which goes unsupported by his people, Okonkwo gives in to despair. He kills himself, partly so that he will not be executed under the white man's laws and partly because he is grieving for the death of his people.
Also The character of Okonkwo in the book is obsessed with the idea of being a “real man”. He is always trying to prove his masculine character which is actually the main reason for his own fall. He thinks he has proven his masculinity by beating his wives and son.
We can see all this from very beginning of the Novel. When the Novel began Okoknwo has won the wrestling match. He won the match against Amalinze The Cat. This is after seven years someone defeat Amalinze The Cat. And because of this reason he became famous among his Clan. People started talking about his muscularity.
Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino.”
Okoknwo was also the person who never afraid of war. For him Achebe says that, “He was man of action, a man of war, unlike his Father he could stand the look of Blood.” Here we also can see that Okoknwo don’t want to be like his father. Because his Father Unoka was a feminine person. Who love music, story. Also during his whole life he never won any title the way other people from Clan win.
This all things leads Okoknwo leads to one passion to hate every thing his Father love. The same happen with the case if his son. His son Nowye was also like his ( Okoknwo's ) father. That leads to difference in the relationship between him ( Okoknwo ) and his son. But slowly relationship between Okoknwo and Nowye started becoming good because of arrival of the Ikemefuna. Also Okoknwo was getting attached with him ( Ikemefuna ). But he never shows his emotions. He behave strictly with everyone because he doesn’t want to look like his Father. He also thought that expression of feeling is feminine. For this Achebe in novel says that,
“ Perhaps down in his heart Okoknwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, fear of failure and weakness”.
Even after killing Ikemefuna he was not able to sleep three days. He has guilt of killing him. This shows that though he try not to show his feeling to everyone he has feeling. He is not completely feeling less person. Actually in the world there is no one who is completely feeling less person. On the part of Okoknwo is that he just try not to show his feeling.
The binary masculine and feminine gender is central to examining Okonkwo’s mind-set and actions throughout the novel. We can deconstruct the masculine/feminine binary to show that the masculine gender typically holds the power in Igbo society while feminine gender represents the weak. From the beginning of the story, Okonkwo has to fight against these subversive powers which chafe against him and undermine his quest for impervious male domination - from his childhood onward he is haunted by his father's legacy of laziness, peace and music; then he loses the loyalty of his effeminate son to the missionaries and their feminine church and doctrine of acceptance and non-violence.
Because of this he looses his control over Clan. For him having control things around him. To have power on that gives him feeling of Muscularity. And in order to have control over it he can do anything. Okonkwo's life is defined by his fear of being seen as weak or feminine. From his youth he is consumed with proving his own worth and gaining success and power. His actions are driven by his intrinsic obsession to be masculine and as different from the legacy of his father as possible. It is of utmost importance to him that others in his clan see him as in charge of his family and in control of his destiny. His main goal in life is to be well respected with titles in his clan and to hold power over his family and be feared by those who wish to harm him or his tribe. The drive within him to be strong and powerful is so strong that in turn it causes him great stress and forces him to make bad decisions out of his anxiety to be seen as a weak woman like his father. His idea of this muscularity and Feminine is because of his society and the culture and people around his.
Igbo society seems to believe in the ‘maleness’ and ‘femaleness’ of people, things, and actions. The latter is considered extremely undesirable in context of the former and there is a constant attempt to distance the two. The idea of bravery and heroism emanates from an accomplishment attained by overcoming of the ‘feminine’ by the ‘masculine’, the ‘passive’ by the ‘active’, ‘demonstration of affection’ by ‘apathy’, ‘domestic folklore’ by ‘the stories of war’. This is how masculinity in Igbo society is understood and defined — in a constant opposition with femininity, by keeping maleness in a domain separate from all things apprehended as female. The only realm in which the feminine is respected, its power recognised, and its voice heard is the realm of divinity — the earth goddess of fertility, the motherland.
Because of this he always wants to be a winner who is masculine, who have control over things around him. So that he can get power in his Clan. Thing that his father wasn’t able to do. And letter in his life he realized that he has loose his power and position in Clan; he wasn’t able to bars that things. His letter action in his life are not Masculine according to his people.
From the beginning of the story, Okonkwo has to fight against these subversive powers which chafe against him and undermine his quest for impervious male domination - from his childhood onward he is haunted by his father's legacy of laziness, peace and music; then he loses the loyalty of his effeminate son to the missionaries and their feminine church and doctrine of acceptance and non-violence. He ultimately loses influence and control over and his entire clan, mourns the loss of his society’s proud history of war, and ultimately is robbed of his defining sense of self to the powers of the colonizing British. Because he is unable to alter his personal identity traits and obsession with controlling masculine power - he in turn loses everything – tribe and family, along with his unrelenting pride and ultimately, his life. Although suicide was viewed as a sin and seen as a sign of being weak, he is driven to take his own life when faced with the lack of options left remaining in his post-colonial, oppressor-imposed, feminized gender role. He would rather be remembered as dying in weakness through suicide than allow the colonizers the power and satisfaction of murdering his physical body and defining his tribal status.
His choice of Suicide is not only against the rules of his claim but also leads reader to the question about his being Masculine. Which he claims throughout his life. For being Masculine he has done whatever he can do. Even in order to prove himself masculine he kills Ikemefuna the boy who consider him ( Okoknwo ) Father. It is not only Ikemefuna who consider him as Father but also Okoknwo loves him same manner. Though out life he has done thing that prove him Masculine apart from his act of Suicide.
His choice can be viewed as masculine or feminine. It could be a form of retaining control of his destiny or as giving over his memory to the colonizers and the converts. This complexity of gender and power and its interwoven power struggle show the strata of metanarratives Achebe created of oppressor/male/black juxtaposed against oppressed/female/black shift in the course of the novel to oppressor/female/white against the challenged and newly subjugated oppressed/male/black in a feminine realignment of power.
His last act contradictory to his life leads us to a question rather then any conclusion. His last act is question on his muscularity. Which he showed through out the life. This whole thing leads us to the question that is Okoknwo masculine or Feminine ?
Bibliography :
Erdağ, Burcu. "A Study on the “Things” in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart." The International Journal of Media, Culture and Literature, 1 (2015): 12.
Ferrell-Horan, Elisabeth J. "Okonkwo Between Two Worlds:Investigation of Masculine/Feminine Binaries in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe." 22 September 2014. https://www.academia.edu. 06 March 2020 <https://www.academia.edu/29259731/Okonkwo_Between_Two_Worlds_Investigation_of_Masculine_Feminine_Binaries_in_Things_Fall_Apart_by_Chinua_Achebe>.
Singh, Nidhi. Masculinity” in Things Fall Apart. 7 November 2017. 06 March 2020 <https://kalaharireview.com/masculinity-in-things-fall-apart>.
Veeraswamy, T. "Potrayal of Characters : A study of chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart." Shanlax International Journal of English 6.1 (2017): 7.
Roll No : 10
Paper No : 14. African Literature
Class : M.A. Sem – 4
Topic : Is Okoknwo Masculine or Feminine ?
Enrolment No : 2069108420190045
College : Smt.S.B.Gardi Department of English
Email ID : jeelvyas15@gmail.com
Submitted : Department of English M.K.B.University
Abstract : Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was published in 1958. It is regarded as a classic work not only in the African literature but also in the world literature, taught in African literature classes. That is because this masterpiece of Achebe is seen as the heritage of the next generation, as a record of the history of his culture. In the Novel certain key aspects of the novel’s meaning remain unresolved. At the heart of the problem lies the question of how to interpret the reasons for Okonkwo’s downfall or fate. The person who had lived life through out as a proud Masculine person at last he committed the suicide. His proud and Masculinity leads nowhere else but to commit Suicide. When we talked about his character we see that there are certain places where we can see that he also has feeling, love, emotions inside him. Which he considers as a feminine. Here in this I try to look that is he is actually a Masculine person the way he shows or he some of the feminine quality as well. Or he has both the quality.
If we talk about the character of Okoknwo we can see that he was Proud, ambitious, and ill-tempered, Okonkwo is the tragic hero of Things Fall Apart. An ambitious man who has risen from nothing to a man of importance in his tribe, Okonkwo rules his family with an iron fist. He is deeply dedicated to the traditions and social hierarchies of his people, and he is determined that his sons and daughters follow his demanding example. The indignities forced on him and his people by the British eventually prove to be too much for him. After an act of defiance which goes unsupported by his people, Okonkwo gives in to despair. He kills himself, partly so that he will not be executed under the white man's laws and partly because he is grieving for the death of his people.
Also The character of Okonkwo in the book is obsessed with the idea of being a “real man”. He is always trying to prove his masculine character which is actually the main reason for his own fall. He thinks he has proven his masculinity by beating his wives and son.
We can see all this from very beginning of the Novel. When the Novel began Okoknwo has won the wrestling match. He won the match against Amalinze The Cat. This is after seven years someone defeat Amalinze The Cat. And because of this reason he became famous among his Clan. People started talking about his muscularity.
Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino.”
Okoknwo was also the person who never afraid of war. For him Achebe says that, “He was man of action, a man of war, unlike his Father he could stand the look of Blood.” Here we also can see that Okoknwo don’t want to be like his father. Because his Father Unoka was a feminine person. Who love music, story. Also during his whole life he never won any title the way other people from Clan win.
This all things leads Okoknwo leads to one passion to hate every thing his Father love. The same happen with the case if his son. His son Nowye was also like his ( Okoknwo's ) father. That leads to difference in the relationship between him ( Okoknwo ) and his son. But slowly relationship between Okoknwo and Nowye started becoming good because of arrival of the Ikemefuna. Also Okoknwo was getting attached with him ( Ikemefuna ). But he never shows his emotions. He behave strictly with everyone because he doesn’t want to look like his Father. He also thought that expression of feeling is feminine. For this Achebe in novel says that,
“ Perhaps down in his heart Okoknwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, fear of failure and weakness”.
Even after killing Ikemefuna he was not able to sleep three days. He has guilt of killing him. This shows that though he try not to show his feeling to everyone he has feeling. He is not completely feeling less person. Actually in the world there is no one who is completely feeling less person. On the part of Okoknwo is that he just try not to show his feeling.
The binary masculine and feminine gender is central to examining Okonkwo’s mind-set and actions throughout the novel. We can deconstruct the masculine/feminine binary to show that the masculine gender typically holds the power in Igbo society while feminine gender represents the weak. From the beginning of the story, Okonkwo has to fight against these subversive powers which chafe against him and undermine his quest for impervious male domination - from his childhood onward he is haunted by his father's legacy of laziness, peace and music; then he loses the loyalty of his effeminate son to the missionaries and their feminine church and doctrine of acceptance and non-violence.
Because of this he looses his control over Clan. For him having control things around him. To have power on that gives him feeling of Muscularity. And in order to have control over it he can do anything. Okonkwo's life is defined by his fear of being seen as weak or feminine. From his youth he is consumed with proving his own worth and gaining success and power. His actions are driven by his intrinsic obsession to be masculine and as different from the legacy of his father as possible. It is of utmost importance to him that others in his clan see him as in charge of his family and in control of his destiny. His main goal in life is to be well respected with titles in his clan and to hold power over his family and be feared by those who wish to harm him or his tribe. The drive within him to be strong and powerful is so strong that in turn it causes him great stress and forces him to make bad decisions out of his anxiety to be seen as a weak woman like his father. His idea of this muscularity and Feminine is because of his society and the culture and people around his.
Igbo society seems to believe in the ‘maleness’ and ‘femaleness’ of people, things, and actions. The latter is considered extremely undesirable in context of the former and there is a constant attempt to distance the two. The idea of bravery and heroism emanates from an accomplishment attained by overcoming of the ‘feminine’ by the ‘masculine’, the ‘passive’ by the ‘active’, ‘demonstration of affection’ by ‘apathy’, ‘domestic folklore’ by ‘the stories of war’. This is how masculinity in Igbo society is understood and defined — in a constant opposition with femininity, by keeping maleness in a domain separate from all things apprehended as female. The only realm in which the feminine is respected, its power recognised, and its voice heard is the realm of divinity — the earth goddess of fertility, the motherland.
Because of this he always wants to be a winner who is masculine, who have control over things around him. So that he can get power in his Clan. Thing that his father wasn’t able to do. And letter in his life he realized that he has loose his power and position in Clan; he wasn’t able to bars that things. His letter action in his life are not Masculine according to his people.
From the beginning of the story, Okonkwo has to fight against these subversive powers which chafe against him and undermine his quest for impervious male domination - from his childhood onward he is haunted by his father's legacy of laziness, peace and music; then he loses the loyalty of his effeminate son to the missionaries and their feminine church and doctrine of acceptance and non-violence. He ultimately loses influence and control over and his entire clan, mourns the loss of his society’s proud history of war, and ultimately is robbed of his defining sense of self to the powers of the colonizing British. Because he is unable to alter his personal identity traits and obsession with controlling masculine power - he in turn loses everything – tribe and family, along with his unrelenting pride and ultimately, his life. Although suicide was viewed as a sin and seen as a sign of being weak, he is driven to take his own life when faced with the lack of options left remaining in his post-colonial, oppressor-imposed, feminized gender role. He would rather be remembered as dying in weakness through suicide than allow the colonizers the power and satisfaction of murdering his physical body and defining his tribal status.
His choice of Suicide is not only against the rules of his claim but also leads reader to the question about his being Masculine. Which he claims throughout his life. For being Masculine he has done whatever he can do. Even in order to prove himself masculine he kills Ikemefuna the boy who consider him ( Okoknwo ) Father. It is not only Ikemefuna who consider him as Father but also Okoknwo loves him same manner. Though out life he has done thing that prove him Masculine apart from his act of Suicide.
His choice can be viewed as masculine or feminine. It could be a form of retaining control of his destiny or as giving over his memory to the colonizers and the converts. This complexity of gender and power and its interwoven power struggle show the strata of metanarratives Achebe created of oppressor/male/black juxtaposed against oppressed/female/black shift in the course of the novel to oppressor/female/white against the challenged and newly subjugated oppressed/male/black in a feminine realignment of power.
His last act contradictory to his life leads us to a question rather then any conclusion. His last act is question on his muscularity. Which he showed through out the life. This whole thing leads us to the question that is Okoknwo masculine or Feminine ?
Bibliography :
Erdağ, Burcu. "A Study on the “Things” in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart." The International Journal of Media, Culture and Literature, 1 (2015): 12.
Ferrell-Horan, Elisabeth J. "Okonkwo Between Two Worlds:Investigation of Masculine/Feminine Binaries in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe." 22 September 2014. https://www.academia.edu. 06 March 2020 <https://www.academia.edu/29259731/Okonkwo_Between_Two_Worlds_Investigation_of_Masculine_Feminine_Binaries_in_Things_Fall_Apart_by_Chinua_Achebe>.
Singh, Nidhi. Masculinity” in Things Fall Apart. 7 November 2017. 06 March 2020 <https://kalaharireview.com/masculinity-in-things-fall-apart>.
Veeraswamy, T. "Potrayal of Characters : A study of chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart." Shanlax International Journal of English 6.1 (2017): 7.
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