Discussion Topic
Egwugwu and Evil Forest Symbolism in Things Fall Apart
Summary:
In Things Fall Apart, the egwugwu are masked dancers representing the ancestral spirits of Umuofia, acting as judges in village disputes and symbolizing Igbo culture and independence. They embody the community's traditions and authority. The Evil Forest, a dark wilderness beyond the village, symbolizes fear and malevolence, where social outcasts and diseased individuals are left to die. Both elements highlight the Igbo's complex cultural practices and the tension with colonial influences.
Who do the egwugwu represent in Things Fall Apart?
The egwugwu are masked dancers that represent the nine ancestral spirits of Umuofia. These masked ancestral spirits are enigmatic in nature and comprise of nine revered village elders, who ceremonially gather to administer justice. The nine masked egwugwu are respected and feared throughout the clan and symbolically represent the Igbo culture and Umuofia's independence. Achebe also suggests that Okonkwo is one of the masked egwugwu. In the novel, Enoch, a zealous convert, unmasks one of the egwugwu, which prompts the villagers to react by burning a Christian church. The European colonists end up arresting the village elders and mock them as they sit in a cell. The masked egwugwu are one of the many lively features of the Igbo culture, which Chinua Achebe illustrates as vibrant and complex.
The Egwugwu are ancestral spirit masqueraders who play a significant role in the religious traditions and rituals of the Igbo people of...
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Nigeria (inThings Fall Apart, the Igbo are called "Ibo"). The novel follows the Igbos in pre-colonial Nigeria, when traditions and rituals maintained a more important place than they do now. The "secrets of the Egwugwu" are associated with a young Igbo man's coming of age ritual.
What are the egwugwu and the evil forest, and what do they represent in Things Fall Apart?
The egwugwu are the judges of the village, who decide sentences in cases brought before them. The eguwugwu are prominent citizens of the village who wear masks when hearing the cases. The masks represent the ancestral spirits of the village, who pass judgment upon the accused. Each person who brings a suit to the egwugwu gains a trial, during which both sides plead their cases, much like prosecutors and defenders in contemporary legal courts. After hearing the case, the judges will confer together, then decide the best course of action. Often, if the case warrants punishment, it will be a very public one, usually carried out by all members of the village.
The Evil Forest is land beyond the village considered desecrated by the Ibo. People who contract infectious diseases or the bloating disease (like Okonkwo's father), are considered unclean and cursed by the village. Thus, they are taken to the Evil Forest and left to die. It is same for twins who are born in Umuofia. Twins are seen as a sign of evil as well, and thus are taken to the forest and left to die of exposure when they are born. This practice is one of the traditions that turns Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, away from from the Ibo and into the arms of the newly established Christian church.