In the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, women play the role of oppressed housewives who are seen as weak and helpless second-class citizens, as child educators. , and as spiritual leaders of traditional Ibo culture. Through the life of Okonwo, the main character of Things Fall Apart, the roles of women in traditional Ibo culture are presented through various events that take place in the village of Umuofia. In traditional Ibo culture, women were expected to stay at home and care for and satisfy the needs of their husbands. Women were considered the property of their fathers and were then sold to the suitor willing to pay the dowry. A woman had no identity of her own, the status and position of her husband defined her. Women were considered inferior to men and should not challenge or question their authority. When Nwoye’s mother or Okonwo’s eldest wife asked how long Ikemefuna should stay with them, Okonwo was stunned that she would question him and furiously replied: “Do as you are told, woman. » When did you become one of the nchie of Umuofia? (14). So Nwoye's mother took Ikemefuna to her hut and asked no more questions. In accordance with the Igbo view of feminine nature, the clan permitted wife beating. The novel describes two cases where Okonwo beats his wives. The first case is when Okonwo beats his wife, Ojiugo, because she does not come home to prepare his meal. He beat her severely and was punished, but only because he had beaten her during Peace Week. In other times, people wouldn't have come to see why a woman was screaming, but this was during Peace Week, and beating someone during Peace Week was unheard of. The second instance is when he beats his second wife, Ekwefi over... middle of paper... values ​​they cherish and follow. Another social custom is the sharing of the Kola nut, which is a ritual of hospitality among the Igbo. The nut is passed between hosts and guests, each insisting that the other should crack it, but the host ends up doing the honors. The custom of sharing the Kola nut between neighbors shows the mutual respect that the Igbo show towards each other. By describing these customs, Achebe demonstrates that the Ibo have a unique and structured society with civilized customs that make up every part of Ibo life. The Igbo based almost everything they did on their strong religious beliefs. The Igbo had many gods whom they worshiped and respected deeply. The religion of the Igbo was involved in the way they governed, the way they interacted, the way they decided on war and other matters, and even the way they farmed..