Commentary on 40 lines of “The Igbo World and Its Art”

IB English
September 28, 2012

Commentary on 40 lines of “The Igbo World and Its Art”

             In his essay “The Igbo World and Its Art”, Chinua Achebe educates the reader about the attributes of the Igbo culture including the core beliefs of its people and the character and purpose of Igbo art. He makes clear that Igbo life and art are similar to each other by being non-permanent and in motion; Igbo art would interpret human experience. Eloquently, Achebe catches the reader’s attention by using original Igbo words and by clearly formulating Igbo concepts.
             Achebe grew up in a “dynamic world of movement and of flux (which is) never tranquil but mobile and active. (62)” Since he knows the Igbo culture so well, his essay flows with an intimate, caring atmosphere, yet he does not rave of or promote an ideal world view. Instead, he offers an alternative way of looking at life, the Igbo way, which involves “motion (...), agility,” and “a multitude of forces and demands. (63)” According to Achebe, “all extremism is abhorrent (63)” to the Igbo world. This view, implying freedom and detachment, appeals to the reader since it would save people from an identification with one sole object, i.e. allowing a broader perspective on life.
             Continuing with the gentle motivation mentioned above, Achebe informs the reader about the close connection between Igbo life and art, describing how “every occasion and every generation will receive its own impulse and kinesis of creation, (64)” supported by plenty of materials provided by the nature, and how “art must interpret all human experience (65),” especially the art of performing masquerades, a kind of dance. According to Achebe, “the masquerade would appear to have satisfied the Igbo artistic appetite most completely, (65)” a metaphor that suggests that the Igbo world craved for an art that could express their world. Indeed, Achebe states that “the practical purpose of art is to channel a spiritual force into an aestetically satisfying physical form that captures the presumed attributes of that force (64),” and dance with its often so passionate movements really seem to fit best to the Igbo view of the world.
             Through Achebe’s essay, a Western reader like me is enabled to learn something about a foreign culture that has different beliefs and traditions than the ones familiar to us. The Igbo world view that Achebe brought closer through his essay, especially the connection between art and life, is not only interesting to read about, but also very appealing in regard to lifestyle.