The Tragedy of Silence: Emotional Repression and Cultural Breakdown in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart


Authors : D. Anitha; Dr. B. R. Veeramani

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 8 - August


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5czymnkk

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yxfkkwxv

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25aug481

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Abstract : Chinua Achebe is a notable author who has portrayed the powerful consequences of Colonial influence in African literature, which often engages as a powerful voice for memory and resistance. Achebe examines more than only the exterior clash between European colonization and traditional Igbo society in Things Fall Apart. He also looks into his characters’ silent emotional conflicts. A strict definition of manhood that excludes tenderness and emotional transparency is fostered by Okonkwo’s inability to communicate his feelings. His conception of masculinity is significantly shaped by this repression of emotion. Cultural norms and colonial disruption have shaped this emotional silence, which exacerbates personal tragedy and communal disintegration. The analysis, which draws on post-colonial and psychological perspectives, demonstrates how suppressed emotions can serve as a mirror for cultural crisis. Achebe depicts silence as both a quiet resistance and a hidden destructive force. The discussion reveals how personal issues reflect a larger breakdown in identity, tradition, and emotional connection.

Keywords : Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Resistance, External Conflicts, Masculinity.

References :

  1. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. (Heinemann African Writers Series) 2008.
  2. Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 4th ed., Manchester University Press, 2017.
  3. Boehmer, Elleke. Colonial and Post-colonial Literature: Migrant Metaphors. Oxford University Press, 2005.
  4. Connell, R. W. Masculinities. 2nd ed., University of California Press, 2005.
  5. Gyekye, Kwame. African Cultural Values: An Introduction. Sankofa Publishing Company, 1996.
  6. Msiska, Mpalive-Hangson. Achebe’s Masculine Ideals and the Tragedy of Emotional Suppression. Journal of African Cultural Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, 2011, pp. 85-90.
  7. Pollack, William. Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. Owl Books,1999, p. 25.
  8. Sangthanzuala, Lalrinfeli Khiangte, Donna Lalnunfeli, Lalremsangi, and H. Lalzuithangi. “A Study on the Psychological Counselling Needs among Secondary and Higher Secondary School Students in Aizawl City: Gender Based Comparison.” Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR), vol.10, no. 3, Mar. 2023, pp.439 – 443. https://www.jetir.org.
  9. Siddique, M. H. “Portrayal of Masculinity in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.”  SMART Moves Journal IJELLH, vol. 8, no. 2, 2020, p.8. https://doi.org/10.24113/ijellh.v8i2.10378.

Chinua Achebe is a notable author who has portrayed the powerful consequences of Colonial influence in African literature, which often engages as a powerful voice for memory and resistance. Achebe examines more than only the exterior clash between European colonization and traditional Igbo society in Things Fall Apart. He also looks into his characters’ silent emotional conflicts. A strict definition of manhood that excludes tenderness and emotional transparency is fostered by Okonkwo’s inability to communicate his feelings. His conception of masculinity is significantly shaped by this repression of emotion. Cultural norms and colonial disruption have shaped this emotional silence, which exacerbates personal tragedy and communal disintegration. The analysis, which draws on post-colonial and psychological perspectives, demonstrates how suppressed emotions can serve as a mirror for cultural crisis. Achebe depicts silence as both a quiet resistance and a hidden destructive force. The discussion reveals how personal issues reflect a larger breakdown in identity, tradition, and emotional connection.

Keywords : Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Resistance, External Conflicts, Masculinity.

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30 - November - 2025

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