I do not know about you guys, but this novel is one of my favorite of all time. There is something so human in Okonkwo's struggle to be the best in his clan and the catastrophe that brings him down that I can't help but enjoy the story that Achebe is telling. I mean, the first time reading it was great, but everytime I have read it since, now that I know the ending, I pick up on little clues and nuanced events that could have been different.
I am particularly fascinated with the duality of manliness/womanliness in Okonkwo's black/white version of the world. Yes, the Yam is a manly crop (and those of you who think otherwise obviously just don't know). Yes, wrestling is the be-all and end-all of sporting events. Yes, we must all wear our masculine strength on our sleeves to get by. Oh, wait, this isn't tribal Africa, it is the United States...none of us have to live like this. Yet, this duality is the defining feature of the book. How can you possibly understand what is going on?
When Achebe was growing up, the colonial school he attended reinforced negative stereotypes of Africans and made the schoolchildren feel unwanted. Achebe's novel is a poetic gift of dignity to his people. There is skepticism about the superstitious and sometimes ignorant practices of the Igbo people, but Achebe is truly humbled by the strength and will of his ancestors. Whether we call it "manliness" or ordinary evolutionary drive, the tribespeople of Igboland (about a quarter of the country currently known as Nigeria) had an intense will to live and an organized and peaceful society. They had laws, courts, and education; however, these were not the laws, churches, and lessons of the English settlers, so they had to be "fixed."
What do you think of the Igbo society? Have you ever seen such an idyllic picture of African tribal life prior to colonization? Do you understand or appreciate the racial tension occuring in the second half of the novel? Do you understand why Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna?
Think on these questions and post a reply.
Happy Thinking,
Mr. B
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Quite honestly, I've only studied African tribal life minimally in part of World History. We never really looked in depth, so I can say I've never seen such an idyllic picture of pre-colonized Africa. That's why the novel was interesting to me, because while I was reading it I noticed the neutrality that Achebe tried to use. I think that was crucial because no one wants to hear their culture/heritage being endlessly trashed, so in order to get Western attention, he had to present the tale as a knowledgeable observer instead of an invested participant.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo killed Ikemefuna because he felt that it what he must do. He set aside any personal, "weaker," feelings that he had for the boy in which he was the surrogate father in order to be the macho man that he felt his tribe would respect. It was the woman's job to keep up with the cohesion and sensitive matters of the tribe, not the man. Okonkwo also wanted to be everything his father was not, his complete opposite, and that meant avoiding shows of emotion, publicly and even privately to his own family. The murder of Ikemafuna was not wrong because the tribe elders, the authority, had decided.
I think that it fits that Okonkwo is a tragic hero of Things Fall Apart. He was the epitome of what his tribe thought a man should be; he was successful, he was a protector, he was strong and forceful, and he could provide for and control his family. He aimed for the top, he wanted to gain as many titles as possible, but one fatal flaw, his unwillingness or inability to adapt, is what made him fall...fall apart.
Just like Kelly, I've never really studied African lifestyles and what we did learn in history class, I forgot all about it by now.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Okonkwo was so human for trying to be the best because in today's society, average just does not cut it. Everybody wants to be the best and everybody wants the best [employers, colleges, etc.]. I do understand that this book was written in a different society and that their customs are not quite the same as ours.
I'm not sure I understand this tribe as much as I think I'd like to, they seem to have no emotions and yet a lot of them at the same time. Okonkwo was afraid to show love for ikemefuna to seem weak. However, he was afraid to show his weakness which is weakness right there.
I'm not sure if that made any sense but it did in my head, either way, I don't think Okonkwo should have killed ikenemfuna, because whether or not he was his real father, he was the closest thing he had had and it worked for them.
The Igbo society seems very established to me. Basically, the rules that they have seem like they have been in place for a very long time, and nobody has any desire to change them, despite some of the negative parts of it (beatings, etc). Things Fall Apart details the Igbo tribal life in a much clearer and explicit way than I have seen before. History books and other related textbooks give a very broad picture, and Things Fall Apart is probably more detailed because Achebe knows exactly how things were. The racial tension in the second half of the novel seems to relate to the idea I had of how things were in Africa when the white settlers came, and I suppose that only heightened their aggression toward each other. As far as the killing of Ikemefuna goes, I think Okonkwo did it because he wanted to prove his manliness and what better way is there than to kill your own adopted son, right?
ReplyDeleteI think the Igbo people were very rich in tradition. Things are set in a certain way, and most of the people there are content with it. the only african studies that I've done, like everyoneelse, was limited to textbooks because I was more focused on the African-American studies here. TFA allowed for a more explicit view into the lifestyle. I think Okonkwo killed him because to prove that he still had "it" whatever that it may be.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, Okonkwo took many actions to diverge from being like his father, such as killing Ikemefuna. I believe he killed the boy to further solidify his masculinity. In solidifying this masculinity, Okonkwo felt it was necessary to exhibit a lack of emotions. Exhibiting a lack of emotions was another way in which Okonkwo was unlike his father, Unoka. Unoka was seen as weak for expressing his emotions. In attempting to be different from his father, I viewed Okonkwo as less of a person. I view Unoka with greater respect than I do Okonkwo. Although Unoka borrowed large sums of money and accumulated a long list of debts, he remained true to his character and did not formulate his personality with regard to outside sources. In addition, he found pleasure in what he knew he had talent, such as music. Unlike his father, Okonkwo strived to be popular among the individuals in his clan. Because of embarrassment of his father, Okonkwo formed his personality with the drive to be successful within his clan. In my opinion, Unoka was more successful than his son because he focused on the pleasures in life rather than the negative ideas exhibited by others. I disagree with the clan in claiming Unoka to be a coward. I believe Okonkwo to be a coward, as he based many of his decisions on the ideas of others.
ReplyDeletePeople see society as something that they must challenge themselves to be involved with. Okonkwo thought he should be "strong" and "manly" to represent himself and those in similar shoes. Anyone who should be like him, but isn't, shouldn't be allowed to be seen that way. To him, being sensitive and compassionate was something a man shouldn't do. Those that a man must not do, appeared as a woman's job.
ReplyDeleteHe killed Ikemefuna to prove himself to still be a man without showing sympathetic feelings. His conversation afterwards proved that he was fighting something emotional inside of him. I don't believe there should be a man or woman's job or personality, but it has become that way in society.
For all of history people have feared that which is not like them. Everything that is different has to be wrong and must be changed to that which they believe to be right. Although I do not believe the lifestyles of the Igbo people to be correct, that is because I have been raised as a Christian in the United States. My way of life is very different to their way of life because this is how I have been taught to live. The Igbo people lived how they were taught to and believed in a religion because it was the only one they had ever known and the one that they had been taught by their parents and all those around them. The English saw this civilization as wrong. But at the same time, the Igbo people saw the English way of life as being wrong too. So who is right? I believe the answer is no one. In order to be fairly judged on what you believe and how you live you have to have been educated in all possible ways of living and have chosen the one that you believe to be right. Without this, we all live in ignorance. We may think that what we're doing is right because it's what we've been taught is right. But when someone introduces a new way of thinking, a new way of living, will we listen with an open mind or just condemn those who believe it as evil? Without knowing all options, we cannot be condemned or praised for our choice because what if we would have chosen something different if we had had the chance to?
ReplyDeleteThe Igbo people were viewed as evil but if the European colonist had taken the time to learn and understand why they did that things that they did, maybe they would have been able to sympathize and accept an alternative way of life rather than almost completely wiping out an entire civilization.
In the Igbo tribe they have their own set of ethics and government. They were not conforming to other ideas because they didn't have any other ideas to conform to it is not about wrong or right it is about their own wrong or right. To our inflexibility of other culture and our conformity to many European customs, even for me as a Jamaican/ African American it is hard to fully have the same feeling as a person growing up in that part of Africa because I am comfortable in the state which I am living and the customs that have developed in me
ReplyDeleteA question that sometimes runs through my mind is even though I feel comfortable in this state is will I feel more naturally comfortable in living like my ancestors if I was confined to living that way. I know there are many traits to me that some Americans find weird but that because I grew up Jamaican and only knowing that as my tradition I have different customs. Something I found amusing when reading Things Fall Apart was that there were some parts that I drew towards because it reminded me of some customs that are in Jamaica not 100% but it is slight traits that I saw in Jamaica. Anyways I guess the things that stand out in me because of my Jamaican heritage is not fully understandable to others in America and seen sometimes even awkward to some also; the fact that I have been living here most of my life and still have traits that are not comprehendible. That mean to try to fully comprehend an entire country that for generations have been living there own way of life isolated from our common traits is extremely hard and almost impossible to fully comprehend. Therefore it is not about right or wrong it is about their culture and their cultural values.
In Okonkwo's mind, killing Ikemafuna was not a "bad" thing to do. He felt that he was just fulfilling his responsibility as a man in the tribe. The men were not supposed to be the ones that had feelings and showed those feelings. That job was left up to the women. Okonkwo was trying his best to accomplish his duty and I respect him for doing that. Killing a child that is basically your own would be an extremely difficult feat.
ReplyDeleteObviously we are going to think that some of the things the Igbo people did were not okay or weird. That's not what we grew up doing and knowing. We have learned to deal with the same situations in different ways. To them those actions were "normal" and a way of life. So, I respect the Igbo tribe. They have come up with a way to live that fits them perfectly. If it works for them...great. Unless we are put in their same situation we're not going to know if that's how we would have done/handled things.
This is the first novel I have read in which African tribal life is detailed on a day-to-day basis. Previously, I had only read stories with a few glimpses into tribal life. I am fascinated by Achebe's presentation of the story's events. I kept waiting for him to present the story with a commentary- say that something was morally right or wrong. His neutrality was especially beneficial when dealing with the racial tensions. Achebe presented the reader with an understanding of why some of the Igbo people viewed the new church as a threat, and why others were eager to join. The two views resulted in conflicting thoughts for me as a reader. Throughout the novel, I was shocked by the killing of twins. I applauded the English church for attempting to teach the Igbo people that this was murder. However, what right did the church have to make declarations on another culture?
ReplyDeleteKnowing that the Igbo tribe is part of a different culture helps assuage some of my negative feelings regarding Okonkwo's participation in killing Ikemefuna. However, I feel that Achebe presents Okonkwo as being overly concerned with his masculine image. I think his need to assert his masculine power is extreme, even for the Igbo people.
Despite not knowing much about tribal Africa, because well frankly day to day we live according to our own society and its exemplum of what is right or wrong, I think it can be somewhat relatable to some other the other cultures I have a little more knowledge on. We can credit to even remotely understanding what is going on due to Achebe’s simple writing style and the way he describes certain things; although we may not fully understand the Igbo society as a whole we can definitely understand the book which is about their society. But getting to the main point, the Igbo society seems like a typical society, well structured in their own beliefs and norms, despite there being some aspects I may not agree on, even so I do not agree with certain aspects of our own society and clearly seen the Igbo people do not agree on aspects of our own such as Christianity. Even some of the members of the Igbo tribe questioned their own beliefs such as Okonkwo’s friend but he still accepted them. Nonetheless, it is their cultural beliefs and I think that is what we need to understand, such as Okonkwo killing Ikemefuna was done for cultural belief reasons. What may not be understood by this is why he does such a thing when the Oracle told him he should have no part in Ikemefuna’s death, but I think this represents the defiance in authority that is typical in any society. Still Okonkwo loved Ikemefuna very dearly even not having shown it and still followed his cultural beliefs despite the pain it caused him and his son. I guess I haven’t seen such an idyllic picture of African tribal life prior to colonization but I do see cultural understanding and almost take pity that colonization can become destruction to this culture because of misunderstanding.
ReplyDeleteTo answer to your question about how to understand Ibo society, the best way is to block out "yourself", so to speak, while you read, and base your reactions to those in the culture, similar to what you do as a child, you take your cues from others. As to what I think of Ibo society, I think, like all cultures, that it has its merits and its faults, but the merits do outshine the faults. African society, much like Mezo and Native American society, has never really been presented in a fashion other than at best indifferent. That truely is the one major flaw of the American public education system, they don't really try to kick the "status quo" of beliefs of groups that have traditionally been viewed in a negitive or insulting manner. Anyway that's off topic. Ikemefuna's death is a very symbolic moment in my view. He represents all the dear things that our culture leads us to sacrifice, sacrifices that seem normal if not required. To the Ibo, our policy of paying taxes to a government would seem foolish and weak, but to us it is a normal part of life. Everything in culture in contextual, and to Okonkwo, any sign of weakness was to be avioded because that is what the culture frowned on, he had to be the pinicle of an Ibo man, to escape the shadow of his father. The Orcle said that Ikemefuna was to be killed, so killed he must be, and if Okonkwo stod against that (despite the fact that that shows strength) he would be seen as weak, letting his feelings get in the way of what needed to be done.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like the society at first. It was repeatative and drowning in demeaning habits against women and children. But as I read, i realized that Okonkwo was the one who didnt fully understand women's role in life or children's fragility, but not everyone does. His reaction to things such as his son's acceptance of a different religion was the same reaction many parents deeply rooted in their faith would have. I felt the racial tension was accurate and honest; it showed each sides' true colors, both good and bad and it evoked emotions of compassion for each side; the tribe for their lost culture, and the first missionary, who simply wanted to offer an alternative fate in the after life and not a harsh imprisionment into "civilized" behavior. I'd never seen intimate depictions of an African tribe. it's always been an "overview" so to speak of a culture sterotyped to be uncivilized and unintelligent, like the native americans or the aztecs and mayans. But this book illustrated a close view of a world misunderstood only because it wasn't taken into consideration; the time wasn't taken to truly appreciated the ideals and concepts of a people that survived for generations. THe beginning of the book was filled with so much Igbo culture that one had to stop judging the society and it's people and had to acknowledge the beautiful success of the culture and notice the commn practices that dwell in everyone's life, no matter their origin, skin or culture; this book not only brought out the truth about a robbed society, but it identified the connections between all people, the common necessities, challenges and habits of every creature, no matter their "God".
ReplyDeleteI tried to read Heart of Darkness once and only got 30 pages in. That being the case, Things Fall Apart is really the only African literature I've read. It certainly puts things into perspective. I guess the most we learn about Africa is what we know about the slave trade: primitive people selling prisoners of war to the white men to become slaves. Even today, we see Africa as a third world CONTINENT. Sure Egypt isn't really bassackwards, but we don't think of them as Africans anyways. It was really eye-opening to be able to see into the culture and the sophistication of some rituals and customs of pre-colonial Africa.
ReplyDeleteThe only study I have done on African tribes was probably only a day or two in World History. But the likeihood that I actually studied anything then is very small. So this novel has given me my first real understanding of the African tribes before colonization. When readig this book I had to do exactly what Brenden suggusts to understand it. I had to take myself out, not thinking of our modern culture and society, where such actions would not be acceptable. I think that the Igbo society is very complex and well establsihed for its time. At first it was hard for me to get past the ways the woemn were treated and all the strange traditions. But after our discussions in class, I came to the realization that women did play an important roe in this culture and that their traditions and customs were based of belief and the knowledge they did have.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo kill Ikemefuna becasue if he didn't he would given the unofficial title of "weakness". Since the strength of the man in the Igbo tribe was the basis of their rank or position he just couldn't possibly be known as "weak". Having a good yam crop that season and being the top wrestler played as an important determint in granting high ranks to the men. Okonkwo already had this. He didnt want to risk it all by appearing weak.
I think TFA gives us a different view of a rich African culture than what we read in textbooks. I enjoyed reading about the realistic struggles within the culture; a struggle not always depicted in textbooks. I think Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, because he believed he would be considered weak and lose his honor if he didnt.
ReplyDeleteI have never studied the tribes of precolonized Africa, however i have lived in small town southern America which i believe to be an accurate prallel. The people of the Igbo tribe are clse and often related, they put religion, pride, and sucess above all else. So i believe that i can appreciate and understand the motivs and actions of these people
ReplyDeleteI want to know one thing, did Achbe let his education influence him? Not just writing this book, but also when looking at his family at tribe. I know he adored his tribe, but did he look down at them or respect them more?
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly sure that's why Okonkwo had a masculinity complex.
The definition of intelligence, psychologically speaking, is when people have an agreement on what is correct, whether the correct way of doing something or answering something.
If a test is made that questions fruit, such as:
Is an apple or pear a fruit, and why?
An "intelligent" answer would be because of where the seeds are stored.
If a child answered, because it tastes good, they would be incorrect and seen as stupid.
Though both answers would be dubbed correct, one is more intelligent than the other.
So, does Achebe find his tribe "intelligent" in the terms of his education? Or "intelligent" in their own way? Or does he have mixed answers on the subject?
Like Dakota, I can identify with the Igbo lifestyle, not directly, but somewhat... The Igbo society was very tradition-oriented. If any change occured, it took a while, sometimes centuries to come about.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in a close-minded society, and believe me, it aint open to change any time soon. Okonkwo was a firm believer in the Igbo traditions and ways he'd seen handed down generation to generation, and he was by no means going to see himself, or his, become anything like his father.
The Igbo society is not at all different from our own identifiable societies filled with binding traditions, we just consider them to be "different" because they're outside our own direct understanding.
It took me a good while to even somewhat "understand" Okonkwo's motives as far as the killing of Ikemefuna. Okonkwo was dead-set against any sign of weakness, be it in his family or the clan. Such firmness in belief's have driven men to things we as observers consider ruthless and completely immoral.
But hey, think about it this way: Hitler committed some awful crimes against the human race. But have we ever delved into why he did such things? Hitler had Jewish blood in him, saw it as weakness. Perhaps he saw it fit to erradicate the weakness from the world.
I don't see this, however greater in scale, as different from Okonkwo's killing of Ikemefuna. Terrible deeds, but founded somewhere. And motive is extremely important as far as understanding why people do such things.
I don’t know much about Africa. Aside from Egypt (which, until the 5th grade, I didn’t realize was in Africa), South Africa, and a bit of the Congo, African life was never really defined for me. But when reading TFA, it’s nifty (in a Twilight Zone kinda way) how the Igbo’s society was reminiscent of any other “civilized” society. Sure it’s different and certain things just didn’t make sense, but that happens with any culture. Even when taught about the colonization of Africa in school, the Europeans are depicted as cruel people who disregarded the existing societies. If feel that that isn’t the ONLY reason. Ignorance, the drive to benefit themselves, patriotism, and self righteousness are other…less generalization-like possibilities. Plus things got lost in translation as per usual.
ReplyDeleteIn my sociology class, we just learned about the three categories of suicide.
ReplyDelete1. Altruistic; person feels overburdened by society's expectations
2. Egoistic; Person is not regulated/integrated enough by society, "Nobody cares if I'm here or not"
3. Anomic; Society undergoes a rapid social change, causing a person to feel left behind
I think Okonkwo's suicide was of the Anomic type. The Ibo society was changing, and Okonkwo could not, or would not, change with it. As we discussed about identity, losing one's society is a devastating event and takes away a persons identity. Without that, you might as well kill your self.
New subject: I thought this book ended a lot like Lord of the Flies did. The man who comes to the rescue of the boys completely misses the intensity of what has transpired because he holds the boys to the standards of his own culture. (I'm assuming that the culture the boys left behind is no longer their own) Likewise, the District Commissioner fails to grasp the significants off what has happened because his own culture is so different.
What I took away from this book is that while societies differ, human nature has always been and always will be the same.
The Igbo society was not barbaric as the British/ other colonial powers did in Africa. The French did something very similar, only they tried to actually integrate the colonies into French society.
ReplyDeleteThe Igbo society was very fluid, with few problems in social structure/hierarchy. The elders weren't overthrown in coups, or anything that represents Africa on the world stage today. They had something that worked for them, and it is something that can't be brought back. Although I freely admit I laughed a little when they had the court of the forest...