Discussing the role of women in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart requires a thorough and unbiased reading of the novel. This might be a challenge for someone coming from a Western country as at first glance the women of Things Fall Apart may seem like an oppressed group with very little to say in Igbo society, which is true to a point. However, after analyzing the topic of gender thoroughly, it appears that Igbo women have various roles of great importance in the Igbo society depicted in the novel. In this essay, the various roles women play in Igbo society and why they are portrayed this way will be analyzed based on the role women play in Igbo religion, their role as caretakers and their role as educators. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, women play an important role in the Igbo religion. Women regularly take on the role of priestess as mentioned in the novel. A quote from the book reveals that during Okonkwo's childhood, “the priestess in those days was a woman called Chika. She was filled with the power of her god and was greatly feared. In the present time in which the novel is set, the priestess is Chielo. When Okonkwo's daughter Ezinma is ill, she visits Chielo and "Okonkwo begs her to come back in the morning because Ezinma was now sleeping." This is the first and last time in the novel that we see Okonkwo beg someone. Chielo not only ordered Okonkwo to give her Ezinma, but she also threatened him. This shows the power that a priestess possesses in Igbo society, and the fact that a woman can take on the role of priestess and spiritual leader shows us the possible esteem of women in Igbo society. Another example of women playing an important role in Igbo religion is the earth goddess, Ani. She is described as having "a more important role in people's lives than any other deity". It seems unlikely that in a society where women are inferior to men, the most powerful deity would be represented as a woman. Ani also plays an important role in yam harvesting. A quote from the novel reveals that it is important for all clan members to participate in the week of peace before the harvest, “to honor their great goddess, the earth, without whose blessing their crops will not grow.” Yams are often the symbol of masculinity in Things Fall Apart, so it is notable that men are so reliant on the blessing of a female being. Secondly, they are seen as the foundation of the clan and its people, as stated by Uchida. They can always be relied upon and they are the custodians of the Igbo clan. These, surely, are roles that display a form of power and meaning. Furthermore, just like the earth goddess Ani, women played an important role in the sweet potato production procedure. We are told that “the women weeded the farm three times at defined periods in the life of the sweet potatoes, neither early nor late.” Again it is notable that men depend on women to perform such an important task because if done incorrectly, the yam crop will fail. Finally, women play the role of educators for their children. The primary way Igbo women educate their children is through storytelling. As described in the novel, "Low voices, occasionally broken by singing, reached Okonkwo from his wives' huts as each woman and her children told folk tales." It is through this act of storytelling that Igbo children learn important lessons about the human condition, learn the myths of, 10(2), 4685-4702.