Things+Fall+Apart+Essay+on+Masculinty+draft+2

York Carter 11-01-09 12th Grade Honors English Essay

__What is a Man?__

In "Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe, there are variety of main ideas that are very prevalent throughout the story which affect the main character, Okonkwo. A very prominent aspect being masculinity. As a consequence of making a very strong effort to be different from his father, Okonkwo gave the concept of manliness a very strong presence in the story, and in fact, is the primary theme for this novel. The effort to avoid becoming like his father has made a Okonkwo a fearful character, and this fear is masquerading under the guise of masculinity.

Set in the late 19th century, the novel takes place right when the white colonists were coming in contact with the Igbo peoples in Nigeria. Though powerful, and respected, the constant obsession with being masculine was a very significant setback for Okonkwo. One main objective of his, was to not become like his father, who he perceived as being lazy, and fearful. This objective also contributed to his obsession with remaining masculine. In the society of the Igbo, the males were the dominant gender, and were also the ones who were respected, and feared. For Okonkwo, showing the slightest sign of compassion or gentleness was seen as a sign of weakness to him. This narrow-minded perception of manliness also was a great contribution to Okonkwo's demise. Okonkwo could be seen as being very traditional, and afraid of general change. Colonization would have to mean he was not a "top dog" any more, but a normal person. This was too much for Okonkwo to grasp.

In addition to what I previously mentioned, another factor contributing to Okonkwo's troubles is difficulty in making good choices. This would be a result of the constant need to appear manly. On instant of this is when he took Ikemefuna under his protection. Okonkwo had positive feelings the young boy; he liked him. However, despite these positive feelings, he still chose to not show any emotion, thus keeping his manhood. This lack of judgment went even further when he ultimately chose to murder Ikemefuna. "Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being weak." (61) This obsession with being masculine was a major cause for killing Ikemefuna.

Another contributing factor involving masculinity with Okonkwo, is the physical abuse he made his wives endure. This was an attempt to prove his manliness. When the white colonists arrived in Nigeria, he refused to obey their new guidelines, believing them to be weak, and unworthy to be followed.

Another flaw regarding Okonkwo's weaknesses, is his unwillingness to embrace a life of new possibilities and laws. In his opinion, cultural change did meet his standards of masculinity, seeing that tradition was the best way to go about getting things done.

In conclusion, Okonkwo's obsession with remaining manly interfered with his personal growth, and judgment. If becoming obsessed with masculinity causes one to commit murder, it's quite apparent this situation has gone too far. Okonkwo could have lived a peaceful, happy life, if it were not for being blinded by the ideal view of manliness.