Gender Influences Paragraph

Okonkwo’s character gives insight to the reader’s understanding by revealing his disability to see the balance between man and woman, unlike the conventions of his Igbo culture. His stubborn support for an anarchical society, turns him to be hyper masculine and dominant over women. This can be seen in his household where he shows his dominance over his wives, as well as his children. Furthermore, he encourages his older son, Nwoye, to follow on his footpath of being more masculine by working hard and doing manly chores around the house, rather than sit and listen to his mother’s silly fables, which he actually prefers. This is because Okonkwo found characteristics of his own father (Unoka), in his son’s personality, which is idleness and laziness. To Okonkwo, he categorizes these signs as weakness and failure because his father, who shared the same negative qualities, was called Agbala – a word that meant “woman”. His father was a failure who left a lot of debt in his life and therefore, Okonkwo did not approve of his lifestyle and therefore, changed his own to be a successful man in Umuofia to serve as a good role model for Nwoye. Although the inner dislike for women can be seen, Okonkwo expresses his dislike for women by physical abuse such as beating up his wife for example. Okonkwo had beaten up his wife during the Peace Week for not preparing his meal and also one time when he claimed the palm tree to be destroyed but in reality, only a few leaves were picked out by his wife to wrap up food. Unlike the Igbo culture which enhances the concept of duality and balance between the genders, Okonkwo does not serve to be a true follower of this idea and in fact, he is the opposite of it and doesn’t accept duality.