Hernandez, Sergio
English II / Period 2
Literary Analysis Essay
22 May 2018
Things Fall Apart
In the book named “Things fall apart” by the author Chinua Achebe, it talks about tribes in africa before the European colonist came in to try and colonize the people in Africa. This novel takes place around the same time that world war 1 when European countries invaded Africa. In my opinion I believe this novel was mainly written to introduce us to African tribes we might not have known about and their religion along with their beliefs. In a way I believe the author also showed us the positive aspects of their culture but also the negatives. In this book I believe that what men do, only men can perform those certain actions compared to women they have very little freedom over their own life and this connects to the role of Gender Expectations.
Part of the novel’s appeal lies in its compelling themes which strike chords that resound throughout time and across linguistic barriers.In order to sculpt a literary monument to the human condition and these universal themes, the author, Achebe, employs a broad variety of literary tools.This cultural clash can be seen throughout life and history anytime two groups of people hold differing views that cannot coexist.In addition to cultural clash, Achebe explores the theme of masculinity versus femininity, and in doing so, reveals Okonkwo’s fatal character flaw, hyper-masculinity. It is safe to say that Things Fall Apart has earned widespread acceptance as a quality piece of literature.
In Things Fall Apart the Igbo society is dominated by gender roles. Husbands beat their wives just for bringing food a few minutes late. Women are completely discriminated against. Okonkwo looks down upon everyone who has a visible weakness because, in his opinion, weaknesses are woman-like.
