PAPER 2

3- Discuss the significance of social status in Things Fall Apart, and comment on its contribution to characterization.

Social status plays a remarkable role in Things Fall Apart. In the Igbo culture it is seen how they determine how much a man should be respected depending on their successes. These successes rely on various things such as how big a man’s barn is and how many crops he is able to produce, how many wives he has and children. A wealthy man in Okonkwo’s village, Nwakibie was known for having three huge barns, nine wives and thirty children. He was known for having taken the highest a man could get in Umuofia. So titles are gained by men through their successes in their life. Okonkwo’s dad, Unoka, had never earned any titles in his lifetime, he was the laughingstock of Umoufia and no one had any respect for him because he was considered a man of lower social status. Looking at the protagonists, Okonkwo has known to for winning the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams and had married three wives. He had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars and such a thing was revered in the Igbo society. A proverb used in Umofia is: “If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings” and Okonkwo had this privilege. This helped develop Okonkwo’s character in regards for him aiming higher and trying to become even more and better than he is but therefore this lead to him having a bigger ego and develop a harsher more violent and brutal persona and later led to his downfall as he was eagerly trying to oppose his father’s ways as he was considered of a low social status.

Another notable character who shows social status is Ezeudu; he was the oldest man in the village who had been a great and fearless warrior in his time, who had earned titles and was now accorded great respect in all the clan. When he died, due to him being of such high social status and great power he was to be buried after dark with only a glowing brand to light the sacred ceremony. It is seen how a man with titles was placed significantly higher in the social structure of Umuofia. This can be compared to Unoka and his time of death which was his fated doom. He suffered from swelling which made the Earth Goddess angry and therefore he wasn’t allowed to die in the house and had to be carried to the Evil Forest and left there to die and wasn’t given any type of burial.

Another perspective of social status is one between men and women. It is seen in the book that women don’t hold up power but instead are used as a statement for men’s statuses. Crime and accidents that happen are categorized into female and male crimes. If a man commits a severe and planed crime then it is considered a male crime whereas when a man commits a crime that isn’t severe and was accidental such as Okonkwo had committed during Ezeudu’s funeral where he accidentally killed Ezeudu’s 16 year old son, is considered a female crime which again displays the inferiority women hold against men in the Igbo society and what some role they play in having a social status.  

In conclusion, social status is defined by a man’s wealth which is defined through his success of things such as barns, wives and especially titles which leads a man to be respected by his fellow clansmen and village. They’re given their deserved respect by their achievements. The more achievements and wealth a man has the higher his social status is in his society therefore gaining him more respect. Therefore we see the significance social status plays in Things Fall Apart and how the interact with characters.