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Name:Pandya Riva
Roll no: 23
Paper: African Literature
Topic : Themes in Things fall Apart
“Things
Fall Apart” is a literary novel written by Nigerian author Chinua
Achebe in 1958. The story's main theme concerns pre- and
post-colonial life in late nineteenth century Nigeria. And it is a
novel about the clash between two cultures. It is seen as the
archetypal modern African novel in English, one of the first to
receive global critical acclaim.
Themes
in Things fall Apart:
Gender
Much
of the traditional Igbo life presented in this novel revolves around
structured gender roles. Essentially all of Igbo life is gendered,
from the crops that men and women grow, to characterization of
crimes. In Igbo culture, women are the weaker sex, but are also
endowed with qualities that make them worthy of worship, like the
ability to bear children. The dominant role for women is: first, to
make a pure bride for an honorable man, second, to be a submissive
wife, and third, to bear many children. The ideal man provides for
his family materially and has prowess on the battlefield. The
protagonist in the novel is extremely concerned with being
hyper-masculine and devalues everything feminine, leaving him rather
unbalanced. Much of the gender theme in the book centers around the
idea of balance between masculine and feminine forces body and
mind/soul, emotionality and rationality, mother and father. If one is
in imbalance, it makes the whole system haywire
Religion
The
Igbo gods are mostly manifestations of nature and its elements, which
makes sense because they are an agricultural society that depends on
the regularity of seasons and natural phenomena to survive. They
worship the goddess of the earth and are always careful to avoid
committing sins against her for fear of vengeance that might wipe out
an entire generation. The Igbo ancestors also take on a divine nature
to some extent. Family plays such a central role in Igbo life that
the spirits of their ancestors are consulted for almost every
decision and even serve as judges in legal trials (in the form of
masked elders). The Igbo emphasis on numerous gods associated with
nature and also on ancestors and somewhat divine contrasts sharply
with the single God of Christianity which seems far less directly
relevant to the Igbo lifestyle.
Man
and nature
As
an agricultural society, the survival of the Umuofia depends on the
earth and its predictable cycle of seasons. Thus we see frequent
worship of the earth and her bounty, especially at the new year and
during harvest season. The Igbo also reap the earth’s wealth in
rather economical and effective ways – tapping trees for palm-wine,
capitalizing off of locust plagues, and making medicine with herbs.
Human beings are implicitly viewed as the children of the earth,
though the conduct of the white men throws doubt on that assumption.
In addition to being generous, the earth can also be deadly and is
ruthless and not provide food and resources if offended in some way
by human actions.
Respect
and reputation
Reputation
is extremely important to the men in the novel. Personal reputation
is publicly denoted by the ankle bracelets men wear, which signify
the number of “titles” they have earned. Reputation is based on
merit – men gain reputation through bravery in battle, skill at
wrestling, and hard work as seen through the size of their yam
harvest. Reputation earns men positions of power and influence in the
community as well as numerous wives. Okonkwo, the novel’s
protagonist, is extremely concerned with reputation because he grew
up with a father who was shameful and lazy. Okonkwo overcompensates
by working tirelessly on his farm and taking every opportunity
available to prove his bravery and strength.
Family
For
the Igbo, there are a few key ideas that form the basis of an ideal
family: mutual respect for each other, a reverence for all past
fathers, and unity. The father is not only the provider for the
family, but defender of its honor and teacher of his sons. The
mother’s main duty is to add to the family line by bearing healthy
children and also to please her husband. Children are the inheritors
of the future and are raised to continue the values of the older
generation. This family unit is the most fundamental unit of society
and its structure can be expanded to fit a whole community or even a
pantheon of gods.
Sin
In
things
Fall Apart, sin is defined as a crime against the gods. Such
transgressions occur when a member of society violates the most
intimate bonds of family, especially with regards to one’s children
or somehow insults an ancestral spirit. These sins call for quick and
severe punishment, often including animal sacrifices, a heavy fine,
various symbolic gestures of atonement, exile from one’s
fatherland, or even death. Only when such payment is given can
justice be served. If punishment is not doled out, not only is the
sinner subject to divine wrath, but the entire community suffers.
Fear
Many
of the characters suffer from fear of some sort. Okonkwo fears
becoming like his lazy, shameful father, Ekwefi fears losing her
daughter, and Nwoye fears his father’s wrath. While most characters
fear events that are outside of their control, Okonkwo is consumed by
a terrible internal worry about himself and his identity. Rather than
mastering his fear, he allows it to dominate him and drive his
actions. Fear leads him to lash out in some pretty nasty ways:
beating his wives, abusing and alienating his oldest son, partaking
in the murder of his adoptive son, etc. Overall, fear in this novel
leads characters to behave in negative ways that can bring the wrath
of the gods, guilt, and the community disapproval upon them.
Society Complexity
From
Achebe's own statements, we know that one of his themes is
thecomplexity of Igbo society before the arrival of the Europeans. To
support this theme, he includes detailed descriptions of the justice
codes and the trial process, the social and family rituals, the
marriage customs, food production and preparation processes, the
process of shared leadership for the community, religious beliefs and
practices, and the opportunities for virtually every man to climb the
clan's ladder of success through his own efforts. The book may have
been written more simply as a study of Okonkwo's deterioration in
character in an increasingly unsympathetic and incompatible
environment, but consider what would have been lost had Achebe not
emphasized the theme of the complex and dynamic qualities of the Igbo
in Umuofia.
So
these are some important themes which reflects the life of Nigerian
people and their conditions . They struggle or fight for freedom .
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