The Ibo Culture Of Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart

Cultures each have their own set of beliefs and morals and quite often these beliefs and morals vary greatly between each culture. Commonly, a culture has its own rules for women. The Ibo culture of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is one that gives its women power. They get their power through their roles as mothers and their contributions to their religion. Great power is also given to the women through the parts they play in agriculture for the clan. The women in Ibo society are misunderstood when their own African culture is compared to modern Western culture. The power given to the Ibo women, in the form of motherhood, is often overlooked due to the comparison, whereas by the Ibo, â€Å"women are viewed as the foundation of the clan and its people† (Hiatt). The women play educator in the Ibo villages. They pass on the morals, beliefs, and stories of the clan. This means that the women â€Å"are pivotal to the literal survival of the community and social normsâ₠¬  (Strong-Leek). It would be true to say that women in Western society also have this power; however, the power is not to the same degree. The Ibo women â€Å"are viewed mainly as child bearers† (Strong-Leek), therefore the Ibo children spend nearly all of their early childhood moments with their mothers. The lack of significant outside interaction means that these mothers control nearly all aspects of their children’s development. The mothers share stories that teach â€Å"important lessons about the human condition† (Hiatt) whichShow MoreRelatedA Civilization Falls Apart Essay1167 Words   |  5 Pagesun-dignified lion-chasing culture to that of a semi-dignified European society. The novel Things Fall Apart by Nigerian-born author Chinua Achebe, tells the story of a Umuofian villager named Okonkwo, and how Okonkwo has to come to grips with the changes that are happening in everyday Ibo life. The novel Things Fall Apart is not your typical tall African tal e. 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