In Chinua Achebe’s novel Other Things, the Ibo society is a male-dominated society that relies on masculine strength and strong devotion to tradition. Courage and fearlessness are the characteristics that a great man must have. The villagers can be greatly admired for their brutal manliness and daring spirit. He achieves fame by throwing the Amalinze Cat and bringing back five human heads from wars.
Throughout the story, Okonkwo is “afraid of being thought weak” and tries to eliminate any feminine traits in him and the people around him (Achebe 61). Unoka, Okonkwo’s serene and happy father who does not show any masculine features, is not respected in society and is completely despised by Okonkwo Okonkwo, the embodiment of masculinity in Ibo society, “rules his house with a heavy hand” even though “in his heart Okonkwo is not cruel” (12). Because of its manifestation of the participants’ strength, humanity, and to a certain extent violence, wrestling is an essential event in Ibo society. After the victorious wrestlers defeat their opponents, “the crowd roars and claps the lymph drums,” showing that physical strength is greatly appreciated in Ibo society (47).
Because of the high value placed on masculinity, women are largely inferior to men in Ibo society. The main duty of women is to serve their husbands. The value of women is directly linked to their ability to produce children, as shown by the fact that birth is “a woman’s crowning glory” (77). Wife beating and domestic violence are common practices. Okonkwo constantly beats his wives for the smallest things like preparing unforgettable meals for him. At one point, “Okonkwo [Ekwefi’s second wife] was nearly killed with his own guns” (48). Often times women are merely the properties of men who are even less yams. The quantity of a man is measured by the number of yams and wives, when he has more than these. When a man meets a woman, he acts as a dowry using “a little bundle of short brooms,” showing that women are treated only as properties and interests in Ibo society (76).
Finally, the lives of the Ibo people revolve around great traditions and supreme beings. The oracle on the mountain is highly respected and feared by the villagers. His judgments are regarded as decrees, and those who contradict them are condemned. The most powerful Umuofia strong nation never goes “to war unless its cause is accepted by the oracle of the mountains and the cave” (12 ).After Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo, despite his affection for Ikemefuna, obeys and kills Ikemefuna. When Chielo, summoned by Agbala, comes to Okonkwo’s hut to reach Ezinma, even Okonkwo gives in after Chielo’s constant pleas to allow Ezinma to stay.
Traditions also play an important role in Ibo society, as shown by the great communal ceremonies of egwugwu and the Mali Forest, “the most secret cult in the family” (88). People live strictly according to traditions like Peace Week, New Yam Festival and weekly markets.
Other things Achebe, Chinua. Anchor Books
