Okay so I know we are supposed to be focusing on the tragic aspects of this story and I don't dispute that there are indeed many. However, what about other aspects of the story?...I can't just ignore them. Believe me, I have tried and thus far have failed. I think it's just that can never leave anything alone. If I get caught up on something I just can't drop it. Have you ever seen Columbo, that murder mystery show? He always gets stuck on small seemingly insignificant points and they turn out to solve the mystery. Now, I'm not saying the things I get hung up on are significant; they very well might not be intentionally purposeful and yet Achebe must have included them for some reason.
Take for instance the tribal treatment of women in the novel. Perhaps Achebe was just meaning to write about the culture of these people, or perhaps he meant it for shock value. Or maybe he was making a point. But what point? It's these kinds of things I turn over and over in my head. I'm wondering, does he think abusive husbands are okay? Does he think it is wrong? Or, is he just depicting the lifestyle, without trying to comment on it at all? It's probably my last idea, and yet I am still remembering passages. Like the one where the men are all talking and Okonkwo says, "The world is large. I have even heard that in some tribes a man's children belong to his wife and her family." Machi responds with, "That cannot be. You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the children" (74). And so I think, how sick and derogatory; it matters to them who is on top. Talk about controlling every aspect of the female society. Do the women have to ask permission when they have to piss also? And to me, women generally are more suitable to care for the children, especially if the child is young. These men are ridiculous in thinking that children are property. They are people who need to be cared for. Maybe men rightfully own the land or keep track of the money or whatever, but the kids are lives that cannot be, or should not be, considered possessions. Similarly women are lives as well. Okonkwo and his equally "masculine" counterparts obviously have overlooked this vital detail. Now, I understand that men are stronger and more useful in the tribe, but logically here, NONE OF THEM would be there if the women hadn't gotten knocked up in the first place so they owe their entire society to these women.
And then, the women just take it. I mean, it's like they don't even care that they are shat all over and beaten non-stop. It's almost like, "no harm done because the women aren't hurt or offended" but then you remember that this guy is beating the living shit out of his wife and you are all, "okay, something is definately wrong here." Then Okonkwo almost shoots Ekwefi and like, TWO scenes later she is recalling the first time they did it. Sweet, Ekwefi, why don't you just roll over and asked to be beaten?
Okay, I'm being rash. It's their culture and neither the men nor the women know any better. Which brings, of course, rise to the question, what is better? Is violence bad just because we say it is? And if everyone thinks spousal abuse is wrong, what about abusing animals? killing them for religious rituals? where do you draw the line?
you know what I wish? I wish Okonkwo would just admit how fucking lucky he is, that he has a beautiful loving daughter (Ezinma) and wives that he doesn't deserve and children he shouldn't "own" and land that says he a great man. Those titles he's so obsessed with, they mean nothing if he doesn't have but the townspeople to care about them. Does he even value family? I don't care what culture you are from, you can't hurt people and expect them to always come back.