Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Empowerment through Creation and Protection: The Role of Women in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a depiction of the tragic life of Okonkwo, the main character. Many elements combine to result in the tragic end of the book, as well as the end of the traditional ways of Okonkwo's Ibo tribe. The major contributing factor to this demise is the arrival of Western missionaries. The foreign beliefs and customs imposed upon the tribe change them forever, effectively destroying the social structure they have built up. This traditional social structure involves specific roles assigned to men and women respectively. Men are to be involved in politics and hunting, while women are creatively involved in the household environment and childbirth. While to the western eye then it would appear that women are inexcusably abused in the Ibo culture, these women do use their traditional roles to wield subtle power in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Online articles by June Chun and Annie White are also considered for their interpretation of women's roles in Achebe's work.

It is undeniable that the attitude of the men, represented by Okonkwo, towards women in the Ibo tribe leaves much to be desired. Okonkwo for example views any kind of weakness or failure as a feminine quality, even if these do occur in men. Conversely, if a woman shows herself to be strong and capable, she is likened to a man. In Okonkwo's family, the first view is represented by his father, Unoka, who has made a failure of his life (Chun). Similarly, his son by his first wife, Nwoye, reminds Okonkwo of his father's weakness, and is therefore described as "effeminate" (Achebe 143). In contrast to this his favorite child is a daughter, Ezinma, who would have made Okonkwo happier had she been a boy (Achebe 63).

In addition to the psychological abuse of their cultural values, women are also physically abused in the tribe, with few repercussions for the abuser. Indeed, wife beating is used as a punishment for women who overstep the limits of their assigned roles. Okonkwo's second wife for example is a frequent transgressor, and Achebe describes two occasions during which she is severely beaten in the novel. The first offence is not coming home to make Okonkwo's meal, while the second occurs when she hints disrespectfully at Okonkwo's lack of male prowess. Okonkwo is punished for beating her only because his rage overpowers his respect for the tribal tradition of the Week of Peace. Otherwise wife beating is hailed as one of the tools for "keeping women in line" (Chun).

Despite this apparent insurmountable subordination and what White refers to as the invisibility of women in the tribe, women can and do nonetheless wield their power in more subtle ways than the men. Okonkwo's second wife is shown to directly oppose her husband. The consequences show that this fails to empower her in any way. Instead, women who respect the tribal boundaries do use the very roles seen by White as oppressive and limiting, to be creative and powerful. Indeed, the very survival of the tribe depends on the power and creativity of its women, regardless of oppressive practices and views.

Women play a powerfully creative role not only in terms of childbirth, but also in terms of the spiritual and psychological well-being of the tribe. A man's first wife is for example given a superior status to the other wives. At the Palm Wine ceremony for example the arrival of the first wife is awaited before the other wives can begin to drink (Achebe 22). Also, the creative role of painting the houses of the egwugwu is assigned to women. This gives women subtle power by association with the powerful counsel. In the home they are also the administrators of the household, taking care of important tasks such as preparing nutritious food and providing a pleasant environment for the physical, mental and spiritual rest and education of their men and children. The creative and spiritually powerful role of women is perhaps most prominently displayed in their capacity as mothers.

Okonkwo's mother is an example of this. He displays his usual attitude towards women in general by disrespecting her as "silly" when thinking of a story she told him as a child. Yet he nonetheless recognizes her powerfully comforting effect on him. She arrives three days after the ritual murder he commits (Achebe