Egwugbo Masks Analysis

Since Okonkwo stood out more than all the other men he was seen as Umuofia's most powerful man. Although Okonkwo is the most powerful man in Umuofia he also has weaknesses. One of those weaknesses is his father, he doesn’t wanna be a weak man and careless like his father. As the white missionaries moved in into their home land, the Igbo people who are unsure of how to react to these traditions either switched to their ways or stayed faithful to their faith. Many people became persuaded of the new religions authorities, however Okonkwo who is an warrior at heart refuses to accept the changes that were taking place in his community.

Masks have held countless uses and meanings throughout history. Masks have been used in plays, like those of Shakespeare, traditional dances, social gatherings, even as a form of casual or corporal punishment. Although masks have several different uses in different cultural situations, the meaning of the masks is generally the same. Masks are used to conceal an appearance and assume the identity of another. Metaphorically, masks can be used to hide feelings, to protect oneself, and to block out the outside world. Many of these examples are shown in Art Speigelman 's Maus.

Before the arrival of European influence, villagers of Umuofia had a single option for a way of life. It was a place to be feared, dominated by war and violent practices. Ibo culture is centered on a patriarchal system based on hierarchy; the highest titles held by male egwugwu in the legal system and the osu at the bottom. The main character, Okonkwo, represents the ambition to strive for a higher position in society in order to gain status: “His life had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan” (131). Another aspect in Ibo culture is the representation of women. They are undermined in order for men to achieve success; bride prices are used to able men to marry more than one wife and husbands are

Umuofia’s culture honors both female and male genders, yet inequality exists as males are considered superior. Throughout the book, drums represent the men in the community as the heartbeat of the village. The heartbeat exemplifies in a nearby village’s celebration where the rest of the communities can hear. Even though far away from Umuofia, it filled them with excitement, "It was like the pulsation of its heart. It throbbed in the air, in the sunshine, and even in the trees" (16). Likewise, Okonkwo's enthusiasm when, he "moved his feet to the beat of the drums. It filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth" (16). Drums illustrate the society is core considering it is, "One of the things every man learned was the language of the hollowed-out wooden instrument" (44). Thus, the drums overpower the flute due to the majority who play. The essence of learning the drums first indicates the inequality Umuofia has on pipes. However, flutes display powerful through the sacred ceremony of the egwugwu.They symbolize the highest significant

Masks gave life to various mythological, primitive, bird and animal figures which the tribal members claimed as their ancestors from long ago and were to believe to invoke supernatural powers. These mythical beings gave way for privileges and special powers to individual tribal families and helped to form a family's crest, song or dance. The family would then personify distinct mythological figures as part of their heritage. The animals and mythological creatures represented in the masks and a host of other carvings derive from the Northwest Coast's rich oral tradition and celebrate the mythological origins and inherited privileges of high-ranking families (Gardners, 864). The majority of the masks displayed intricate and mastered use of line in their smooth concave and convex curves, with crisp sharp lines used to bring focus on a specific feature of the mask. The features usually being brought to the forefront were delineated nostrils, eyes and lips that were accentuated by deep cut carving and the use of contrasting color which helped to add form and realism to the mask. Geometric and organic lines were used to contrast between the parallel lines which would help create to enhance the features of the mask. The paint colors typically used by the

By using different proverbs, folktales and song that is originally written in the Igbo language, the author has managed to convey the beauty of his native language to the readers. In the book, the colonial masters have ridiculed the said language and called them "superfluous words", showing no appreciation at all of the beautiful and expressive language of the Umuofians. They have even come to the conclusion that their tribe was a "primitive" one. They have also said that the native customs are "bad" and their ceremonies and sacrifices as "frivolous". In the Chapter Twenty of the book, there's a conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika in which the latter rightly stated:

The novel Things Fall Apart, speaks of the life of Umuofia2, a fictional Nigerian village, and its traditions before colonization and then the changes it faces at the initiation of colonization. It is based around the life of a man named Okonkwo before the colonists come and the struggles he faces when they arrive. Just as all other regions, Umuofia

What are masks? One usually thinks it is an object the individual puts on and takes off.

Furthermore, Masks is another great example used by Sam Gill. He clearly reveals that often times we misinterpret the meaning of mask: that they only hold a space on a shelf among others like itself, otherwise known as a collection. However, masks hold a bigger significance than that. To the Natives, masks are living and when masked performances take place, the deities are present. To view mask as art alone is to minimize the actual beauty and value behind the entire mask and its' function. There is a reason for its existence and it's not just to be creative and productive. Typically, we consider masks as objects that hide or conceal something. In the Native Americans' case, this is the furthest from the truth. Performing a mask in a ritual is

Polygyny sets social role in the culture of the igbo people, which ranks are first inherited from father to son along with a farm. The festival in which the tribe celebrates the new coming of their primary food source and to praise the earth goddess which proves their peaceful bond with nature. Although others may include that the igbo tribe may be disruptive towards nature because of the sacrifices that are made as offerings to the earth goddess, Ani. And the fame for their unique and interesting culture around

In the beginning, we are told that Umuofia is considered one of the strongest tribes in the lower Niger. However by the end of the novel, it is suggested that the villages are broken internally.

Throughout the novel, the egwugwu are mentioned on several occasions. These “spirits” are really just masked men of the clan, but instead of them being seen as just symbolic figures, they are believed to be actual spirits of their past ancestors, “The egwugwu house was now a pandemonium of quavering voices: Aru oyim de de de dei! Filled the air as the spirits of the ancestors, just emerged from the earth, greeted themselves in their esoteric language” (88). These men or “spirits” are seen throughout various rituals in the book, but their true effect upon the Ibo is not fully seen until a court proceeding at which the egwugwu decide a man’s punishment for breaking a law (87 – 94). In most, if not all, predominantly Christian countries, the citizens have some sort of judiciary system where he or she is punished for their crimes. The Ibo would not be any different if it were not for the reason that the jurors are believed to be the spirits of dead ancestors but in actuality are just men. This practice allows the select few egwugwu to judge their peers as if they themselves were gods. Not only does the judiciary process differ between the two religions, but as does the judgment of one’s actions that effect their spiritual lives. The Ibo believe that one man’s transgression has the potential to cause punishment towards the entire clan. This fear is observed when Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace, and he is commanded to make a sacrifice to Ani

African masks were to establish a different identity for the wearer in order to amuse, teach, or sacrifice.

The Egungun costume is used to bring blessing, good health, and prosperity. It is accomplished by having a masked dancers spin and twirl around the town, by spinning and twirling the costume panels fly out in all sort of direction. This ritual is practiced once a year. The stupa is used by monks for meditation and prayer. Both have one thing in common, the thing that they have common is that it valued by a group of people, and will never lose it value. The Yoruba people hold the Egungun costume and ritual close to their heart because it been past down from generation to generation. The spupa might not mean anything to the the Yoruba people, but it means something to the monks who hold it dear to their heart. Both the stupa and the Egungun

The first mask is from the Kuba (Bushongo) tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo;