The Protagonist’s Masculine Perceptions in Things Fall Apart as the Sign of Igbo Society Breakup

Jean-Marie Ngendahayo

doi:10.7176/jlll/75-02

Abstract

Things Fall Apart (TFA) is the novel written and published by Chinua Achebe in 1958 for recounting all social and cultural life and beliefs as well as the arrival of British Colonizers in the Igbo society of Nigeria. This paper aims at identifying the effects of the protagonist’s masculine perception in Things Fall Apart as the sign of Igbo society breakup. Okonkwo, the protagonist of the TFA is said in the whole novel and his different behaviors are still analyzed until now. This study elucidates the Okonkwo’s resistance against the British colonizers where he refuses to submit himself to them after slaying their messenger and prefers to die as a man by hanging himself, the act the Igbo society consider like an abomination. Along with that, the research analyzes how much Okonkwo scorns the women by considering them like weak people. Based on the analytical findings, this research reveals how his masculine perceptions portray the breakup of Igbo society socially and culturally as it has been noticed from TFA where he often blames those who behave like a woman among his clan members. The protagonist’s suicide openly exhibits the end of traditional Igbo society for the benefit of the British colonizers. Keywords: Masculine, perception, Protagonist, Gender Abuse, Society breakup DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/75-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Highlights

The village of Umuofia is the symbolic heart of Things Fall Apart, as well as the setting for much of the novel's action
The present paper aims at identifying how the masculine perceptions of the protagonist of Things Fall Apart which lead to the breakup of the Igbo society
RESEARCH METHOD In order to address this problem of masculine perception of Okwonko regarded as the sign of his Igbo society destruction, the research uses the analytical approach which is based on literary criticism upon the masculine perception of the main protagonist, Okwonko, of the Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Summary

Introduction

The village of Umuofia is the symbolic heart of Things Fall Apart, as well as the setting for much of the novel's action. “Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered” (8) It is through the strength of his own achievements that Okonkwo gains his prominent social position. In the first book of the Holy Bible, Genesis 1, God stated that men and women were created in the image of God and neither attained more of the image of Him than the other. This concept which was introduced based on religious views was wronged in time when people began to react in a stereotypical manner towards women. People started having views on women which placed them at a much lower level than men

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Conclusion