4 Racusin, Elliot Things Fall Apart

Aristotle once said, “The male is by nature, superior and the female inferior, and the one rules and the other is ruled.” In Things Fall Apart, the views are shown from a masculine perspective, showing no female dominance in the African novel. The women are portrayed not as humans but as objects, things to be traded, like common household things, and are put in their place whenever a male deems fit to. In the novel Things Fall Apart, gaining a title is a very important status among the native people. The main character actually strived to gain titles his whole life and succeeded in gaining a few, meaning he could have more respect, and more women. The more women a man had meant that he could breed with them thus having a larger family whom will go out and work for him, thus the women are seen only as tools, in a large scheme of things. The women are made to do the chores and are called upon every whim for their husband. “Go and bring me some cold water” (Pg54) and “When did you become a shriveling old woman” says Okonkwo to himself, placing himself as something horrible and demeaning, a man with no titles, so to speak.  As the story progresses, the men are at table discussing the events for the upcoming wedding and how the bride’s family have to pay the husband money in order for her to “not be a burden on him.” Also they discussed how it was ridiculous how a woman could be in charge of a man. “You might as well say that the woman lies on top of a man when they are making children,” shows how clueless these men are and how it is inconceivable to think that a man is ever inferior to a woman in that society.  Also when Okonkwo becomes furious, the wives are unable to help cope, rather than standing up to his bullying, they cower in fear, just as every other woman in that society. Therefore the actions displayed by the women in the society in Things Fall Apart show few or none feminist movements giving them no advantages to succeed in the society.