Throughout the Things Fall Apart it is made very clear that a social status is both earned through the various achievements, such as wives and wealth, and also a very important part of life in the Ibos lives. A good example of your titles and your social status playing a huge part is when Ezeudu died in the story and because he had no titles he was only entitled to a ceremony late at night that would not be public. When Unofa was dying, because of his lack of titles, he had no social status and was therefore not allowed to die in the house, he was taken to the evil forest to slowly die.
Throughout the story it becomes clear that although women may have titles and do lots of work around the village, it is virtually impossible for any female to come above a male when i comes to the social status. The highest socially ranked woman is still lower than the lowest ranked man and that shows a sense of gender equality in Umuofia. Throughout the whole story women are bossed and told what to do which is a good indicator that being a women in its self is already a back track in the task to try and have a high social class. Okonwo as an example, has 3 wives, all of which he talks to as if his pet and orders them around ect. The only time anybody had any problem with him beating them was when it was the week of peace, and therefore it isnt even merely frowned upon normally, that is a clear indicator of how women are percieved in Umuofia. Okonwo wasnt the best father to his many children and also wasnt the best husband to his 3 wives but, he had many good titles and therefore still lived a very good and succesful life which he enjoyed to an extent. His work with the yaps for example was something that allowed him to be able to buid up his reputation himself and therefore his social status was gained by himself and his own actions.
Throughout the story it becomes clear that although women may have titles and do lots of work around the village, it is virtually impossible for any female to come above a male when i comes to the social status. The highest socially ranked woman is still lower than the lowest ranked man and that shows a sense of gender equality in Umuofia. Throughout the whole story women are bossed and told what to do which is a good indicator that being a women in its self is already a back track in the task to try and have a high social class. Okonwo as an example, has 3 wives, all of which he talks to as if his pet and orders them around ect. The only time anybody had any problem with him beating them was when it was the week of peace, and therefore it isnt even merely frowned upon normally, that is a clear indicator of how women are percieved in Umuofia. Okonwo wasnt the best father to his many children and also wasnt the best husband to his 3 wives but, he had many good titles and therefore still lived a very good and succesful life which he enjoyed to an extent. His work with the yaps for example was something that allowed him to be able to buid up his reputation himself and therefore his social status was gained by himself and his own actions.
