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ts in the clan come out together, it was a terrifying spectacle,' Achebe goes on to say, ' (the egwugwu) looked terrible with the smoked raffia body, a huge wooden face painted white except for the round hollow eyes and the charred teeth'(88). Since, the egwugwu are in fact members of the clan, this ritual seems to emphasize that the men of the clan are like gods, and that women and children should fear them. 

 

This religious rite seems like one performed by the American Indians. This ritual would not be done by anyone in today's society. No western religions practice customs as frightening or elaborate as the Umouofian one practiced here. 

 

The men and women of the village hold very set places and positions in the society. In Umuofia, men are considered the rulers and leaders of the village; and just like all patriarchies, the women are viewed as objects. One example of an Umuofian male is the novel's protagonist, Okonkwo. Okonkwo had done well in his life and earned a dominant role in Umuofia, he had three wives with many children, and was a successful farmer of yams. Yams were important because they 'stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed' (33). This would show that the people of Umuofia felt that as long as a man could feed his family in abundance, he was successful as the head of the family, and a leader of the clan. As long as Okonkwo showed the qualities of a man: strength, courage, and wealth; he could not be challenged by someone of lesser position. In one village meeting a man contradicted Okonkwo. Achebe wrote, 'Without looking at the man Okonkwo had said: `This meeting is for men.' The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That was why he had called him a woman. Okankwo knew how to kill a man's spirit' (26). This shows that Okonkwo knew that calling a man a woman would break his feelings of self-worth and value. Okonkwo's comment also seems to show that all men in Umuofia would be insulted if they were called women. Most of the men of Umuofia seem to hold the same ideals that Okonkwo has, that women were placed here to be objects and trophies, not for companionship and comfort.

  

The women of Umuofia are treated very poorly. Women were required to cook, clean and take care of the children. If these duties were not taken care of, the women of Umuofia could be beaten. The Ibo tribe not only allowed, but encouraged wife beating. Achebe's Things Fall Apart describes beatings on a few occurrences. The first happens when Okonkwo's second wife does not come home to cook him an afternoon meal. Achebe says, ' Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable anger when his youngest wife... did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal.' Achebe goes on to say, 'Okonkwo bit his lips as anger welled within him ... when she returned (Okonkwo) beat her heavily' (29). Okonkwo beats Ojiugo again when she calls him a 'gun that never shot.' Here is one severe case of beating in the tribe, but not involving Okonkwo, Achebe de本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。