Ancestors In Things Fall Apart

Ancestors can hold a physical and or spiritual presence in term of daily life styles within a culture. Nonetheless, one should understand that many cultures throughout the world have their own interpretation of the word ancestors. Therefore each culture, depending on the definition, holds their ancestors to a certain esteem; which in turn influences the presence of that ancestor(s) within that culture. When reading the poem Prayer to Mask by Leopold Senghor and the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The overall theme that was obtained from these two stories is that ancestors are typically viewed as a source of dependency when facing some type of obstruction in life; whether the help stems from guidance and or protection. Both stories
Nor you the least, the Lion-headed Ancestor
To clarify, each of these mask represent an ancestor of the four cardinals to which they all meet at one single location. One can appreciate the respect this man has for theses ancestors by just the tone of the quote. Furthermore, within the African culture mask bare great significance as they can be seen as the embodiment of the ancestors. However, it’s imperative to understand the seriousness that L.Senghor is portraying in this poem. His people are in dire need of help; help that can only be given by the ancestors. Within the story Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe as stated before in the introduction the reader begins to understand the importance of the ancestors within African culture because they are viewed not only as the building blocks of that culture but absolute rule. The ancestors within this book are represented differently in comparison to the poem Prayer to Mask; as the ancestors there are masks. While in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the Egwugwu are the ancestors. In Things Fall Apart its
He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart”(Achebe, p13). What stems from this quote is how outside influences have cut the tradition and culture within the African society creating disunity. This quote bare a resemblance to what Leopold Senghor was stating when he wrote Pray to mask. As for the dependency one can say that by taking away the traditions of the African people you not only strip them of their sovereignty but there ancestry as well; which in turn are the building blocks within the African culture. As a result, this create a domino effect causing that society to crumble from the inside. Additionally, the book states,
It is customary to understand the phrase “after the midday meal” as really “in the evening, when the sun’s heat has softened.” Only a member of the Igbo would understand this discrepancy between word and