In the novel 'Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the story of Umuofia, a fictionalized village set in Nigeria, is told. The novel details Umuofia as a pre-colonized village, allowing the reader in on their customs and traditions, all the way to a colonized Umuofia; where the story ends. Throughout this story of colonization, many themes are displayed. Masculinity in 'Things Fall Apart is one of the first apparent and recognizable themes to the reader as the story is being set up. Masculinity in Umuofia creates divides between families, customs in the village, and overall sets up how respected each man is in the tribe.
The people in Umuofia were known and respected for their masculine tendencies and practices by other surrounding villages. “Umuofia was feared by all its neighbors. It was powerful in war and magic, and its priests and medicine men were feared in all the surrounding country” (Achebe 11). Though a literal war is never detailed in the story, the symbolization of war and being a warrior meant a lot to the townspeople of Umuofia. Being a warrior would not have masculinity attached to it if the women in the village also took part in this custom, however they do not. Being a warrior, and having warrior-like tendencies gained man respect, not so much for a woman. When Achebe describes the rituals of the village and folktales throughout the story, the tone of the novel changes when describing some of Umuofia’s practices. It almost comes across to the reader in a dark, chilling tone. This subconsciously helps the theme of masculinity because it stands out to the reader and helps them connect why Okonkwo does many things. Another method of showing masculinity in the customs of Umuofia is Okonkwo, the main character of the story, in a seven-year exile. Okonkwo got exiled from Umuofia because he fatally shoots a clansman inadvertently. Since Okonkwo did not have the intention to kill the clansman, and it was a pure accident he was only subjected to seven years of exile. “The crime was of two kinds, male and female” (Achebe 124). The custom of this crime is if you kill a clansman, purposely, you are exiled from the village forever. If you kill a woman, you are only in exile for seven years. Women were not valued the same as men, not only in this tribe but in this period. This is clearly shown by the degree of punishment associated with this custom. Women were seen as servants to men, and bearers of children; not as a person of true value to the community. The custom also sends the exiled person (and his family since Okonkwo was head of the house) to the motherland. Every person lives in their father's tribe in these fictional villages of Nigeria. The part of the custom where you have to return to your motherland seems to have no masculine undertones at face value. Going to the motherland allows the exiled the opportunity to get in touch with their feminine side and to acknowledge their maternal ancestors as a form of punishment. They do not do this to benefit the exiled, but to punish them for committing such a horrid crime. Many customs of Umuofia are set up with undertones of masculinity somewhere in them whether it is apparent on the surface or not.
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Okonkwo was a very respected man in his village before his exile. He is known for being the greatest warrior in Umuofia in his time, which held great value to not only him, but his community. “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages, and even beyond. His fame rested on his solid personal achievements” (Achebe 1). Okonkwo’s dad, Unoka, did not leave the best legacy for himself or his family due to his non-masculine tendencies. He was not good with money, he was emotional (and content with it), and he could not provide for his family through farming, as a man in this village should. All these attributes associated with Unoka made him as valuable as a woman. Since Okonkwo had so much resentment and did everything in his power to be the exact opposite of his father, it created a tone of toxic masculinity in Okonkwo. He was a very aggressive man who repressed feelings and emotions. He redirected a lot of the emotions he felt through abuse of his wives and sometimes even his children. 'Okonkwo, who had been walking about aimlessly in his compound in suppressed anger, suddenly found an outlet' (Achebe 38). His kids and his wives endured a lot of abuse from him because he thought feeling emotions were the trait of a woman, not allowing himself to cope with his feelings healthily. And though they endured such abuse from Okonkwo, it was accepted by all the wives because 'warrior-like' tendencies were valued in Umuofia. Okonkwo's masculinity in the story was very toxic and not viewed as something to respect by other groups of people, however, he was a very respected man in his community.
Lastly, masculinity created a divide between the two generations of Okonkwo's family in the story. Okonkwo did not appreciate the way his father Unoka went about his life but Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son did appreciate the way Okonkwo went about his life. Okonkwo showed his disapproval of his father by disowning his own family. He started feigning for himself before becoming a real adult and working to be the exact opposite of his father. The young men in the village are usually living and around their families until they become married. Okonkwo had such strong disapproval of his father’s life choices and the way he handled things, he broke away early. Similarly, Nwoye did the same thing to his father. Nwoye showed his disapproval later in life unlike Okonkwo but still broke away from his family before his due time. Nwoye converted to Christianity and was disowned by his father and family. The parallel in these two stories lies within the reason they had such disapproval of their father; their masculinity complex. Unoka was not masculine enough and Okonkwo was so masculine, it was toxic to Nwoye. Okonkwo and Nwoye's relationship was not strong, and they both had an inner dislike for one another's character. Note however internalized this for much of the story until his conversion to Christianity. “That was the kind of story Nwoye loved. But he now knew that they were for foolish women and children. And he knew his father wanted him to be a man” (Achebe 54). Personal views of masculinity in each of these men drove them apart from their families and loved ones. How a man was to behave in Umuofia was objective and not subjective. Different traits of men were not accepted if it is not what Umuofia viewed as a man. If you did not act masculine enough, it was frowned upon and you were not accepted as a man, but as a woman, in this village.
Masculinity is the first major theme shown through the tribe for a reason. While the story is being set up, it informs the reader why certain customs are in place, why some behavior is accepted and some are not, and how it affects them in the long run. Though many themes are laid out in 'Things Fall Apart, masculinity is one of the easiest to see and the most prevalent. From the first page to the last, the role of masculinity shapes the stories and actions of the character in one way or another. Masculinity drove sons from their fathers, created laws and customs, and even was the foundation for how respected a man was.
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