Things Fall Apart

Gustavo Brieva

English

March 2012.

Outline.

Themes:

Masculinity-Feminity and Inferiority Superiority.

Thesis:

Women are considered and treated as objects that don't have the respect they deserve in the tribe.

Arguments:

Okonkwo´s and tribe development:

▪ Explanation: During all the novel women are considered as objects that don't have authority in the tribe. Men are able to have more than 1 wife at the same time, if a man has more respect they "win" the right to have more rights.

▪ Example: Ekwefi couldn't marry Okonkwo once, because he wasn't respected enough, but later he gains more respect when beating Amalinze The Cat and she can go with him.

▪ Men are the only ones who have voice in the tribe, are allowed to take decisions.

▪ Mens are the ones who fight, who cultivate, who takes decisions. Women raise the child, help in the houses, etc. xw

Symbols and Traditions:

▪ During all the novel we can see symbols and traditions of the Umuofian culture. In many of them we can see how men develop and important role and women only accompany.

▪ Introduction of what symbols and traditions are, and how they affect the story´s course.

▪ One example is the Egwugwu, that men are the ones who take the decisions in the tribe, are the ones who put on the masks, the ones who dance, while the women are the ones who decorate and only see whats happening.

Literary Devices:

▪ The literary devices are very important because it lets the readers to infer things and to understand better the story.

▪ We can see similes, imagery and metaphors are very used along the story to give descriptions of the scenario, of the actions, etc.

▪ The literary devices help support the thesis that men are more important, for example, musicians are like women. Artist are like women, etc.

Conclusion:

▪ Personal opinion on men over women.

▪ The importance of this theme in society of now a days.

▪ The relationship between inferiority and superiority...