Behavioral Rules Based on Gender in Chinua Achebe's Novel 'Things Fall Apart' (Essay Sample)

Things Fall Apart
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The patriarchal civilization of the Ibo people in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart features a rigid set of behavioral rules based on gender. These traditions severely limit the liberties of Ibo women and perpetuate the myth that Ibo males are better than the women in their tribe through successive generations. Being a woman is strongly associated with the state of weakness among the inhabitants of this civilization. Being referred to as a woman is the ultimate affront to a man's masculinity. Okonkwo, the novel's protagonist, is often preoccupied with showing his manhood because he tries to escape the reputation of his father, who was seen as a coward by his peers.