ANTITHESIS OF MASCULINITY IN THE WORKS OF CHINUA ACHEBE THE STUDY OF THINGS FALL APART AND NO LONGER AT EASE

Abstract

The issue of masculinity has attracted the interest of the society in recent years.  Masculinity is founded on certain assumptions about the role and responsibilities of a male member of a household or community. However, the validity of the assumption is recently questioned by changes in context and circumstances.  The foundations on which masculinities have been built have regularly shifted over time and in different stages, although the overarching ideology of male power may not always have reflected these shifts or done so rapidly enough or comprehensively. This study examines the role of men in the society stressing out the positive and negative effects it has on the society. The study addresses the issue of masculinity, to see its effect on women, especially in the Igbo society. With reference to Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease, the study critically examines the masculine attributes of characters like Okonkwo and Obi respectively. This study argues that masculinity is used as a way of excusing violent men in the society. It also states that masculinity allows men to hide their emotions under the umbrella of being manly. The study concludes by drawing the attention of the society to the need for the study of womanism which gives room for the female gender to express themselves in the society.