Is femininity “central” to Igbo culture? Is there evidence in Achebe’s use of images, stories, and dialogue in Things Fall Apart to support...

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
presents such a strong depiction of manliness that his depiction of femininity largely
goes unnoticed.  Femininity is central to any culture, especially to the agrarian Ibo
culture.  But, the ways in which the 20th century Westerner defines femininity is very
different than the 19th century pre-colonial, tribal African.  As such, typical feminine
traits such as empathy, compassion, and sensitivity are not fully developed in the
novel.  Rather, the Ibo women are prized for their fertility, communal domestic roles,
and spiritual guidance.

In the agrian Ibo culture, survial
is key to life and agriculture.  Women must be able to bear and feed many children.
 Infertility and infant mortality are common.  Just as the yam is a tender and fickle
crop to grow, so too is a child in tribal Africa.  A famine, at any moment, could
destory a tribe.  Women also had to work within a family unit, serving the husband and
the other wives in rank order.  Preparation for guests, festivals, and feasts beckons
the Ibo woman to play her support role in the communal
culture.

The Ibo clan had segregated gender roles, which is
to say that the men do manly work (farm yams, govern, fight) and the women do womenly
work (raise the children, farm smaller crops, trade).  This is not to say that women are
not central to the culture; but, they do take on more domestic roles (stay within the
obi more).

Okonkwo's family has three wives and eight
children, with each wife living in a separate Obi with her children.  The first wife,
unnamed, was, when first married, the "vegetative goddess" (the most beautiful and
fertile woman of the tribe) who was won by the "vegetative god" (Okonkwo) after his epic
wrestling match.

The goal of Okonkwo's first wife is to
bear the future clan leader.  Ironically, the first wife bears a son (Nwoye) who is like
Okonkwo's father (Unoka), who is called "agbala" (womanly and weak).  It is Okonkwo's
second wife Ekwefi who bears a worthy clan leader in Enzinma.  However, because this is
a patriarchal society, Enzinma must take on a support
role.

The female who weilds the most power in the Ibo clan
is Chielo, priestess to the Oracle of the goddess Agbala.  In fact, she takes Enzinma on
her back in order to purify the sickly child and appease the gods.  Really, though, she
is likely grooming her to be the next priestess.  Only the priestess can "veto" the male
tribal leaders.  It is her spiritual powers which set her apart from the rest of the
domesticated women in the tribe.