Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart illustrates many aspects of Igbo culture that strike American readers as strange or even immoral; this includes the Igbo practice of polygamy.
Polygamy is the marriage of one person to multiple other persons. Traditionally, across many cultures, it involves one man marrying many women. American culture, and in fact law, prohibits the practice of polygamy, and it is considered unethical and sexist.
This American perspective aligns with a feminist...
Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart illustrates many aspects of Igbo culture that strike American readers as strange or even immoral; this includes the Igbo practice of polygamy.
Polygamy is the marriage of one person to multiple other persons. Traditionally, across many cultures, it involves one man marrying many women. American culture, and in fact law, prohibits the practice of polygamy, and it is considered unethical and sexist.
This American perspective aligns with a feminist perspective, albeit a Westernized one. From a gendered lens, polygamy as a practice reduces women to an inherently unequal role in marriage, in which one man is considered the equal of one, two, or more women.
It is important to note, however, that this feminist lens is the result of a specific cultural paradigm. Women who develop within Igbo culture might embrace this practice, perhaps finding religious or moral justifications for its preservation or finding a sense of community and support within their fellow wives.
It is vital to remember that every perspective is influenced by multiple elements, including culture, context, and gender in this case.
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