UNEARTHING PARENTHOOD IN THE NIGERIAN CULTURE THROUGH THE EXAMPLES OF THE PARENTAL FIGURES IN THE NOVEL THINGS FALL APART BY CHINUA ACHEBE

This essay aims to unearth parenthood in the Nigerian culture through the examples of parental figures in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This paper will be citing various studies about Nigerian family structure, bonds and relationship it will also be analysing various incidents throughout the course of the novel. The paper will also be discussing the short term and long term effects of parenting on a child. The paper will take a deeper look into the familial relationships in the Igbo society and the parenting style that they usually followed. It will outline the failure of parental figures in certain incidents with reference to the attachment theory. The paper will be analysing the relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo and its long term effect on Okonkwo, the relationship between Ikemefuna and Okonkwo and the relationship between Nwoye and Okonkwo. The paper will be discussing major events in these relationships and will compare it with the ideal style of parenting. To conclude, the paper would finally unearth parenthood in the Nigerian culture through the examples of parental figures.