“Traditional African masks.” Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, 13 May 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.
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Igbo Masquerade Dance"Many regions of Nigeria have people who engage in masquerade dances. The Igbo tribe engages in this dance that represents an amalgamation of the human and spirit worlds. The Igbo culture teaches that the spirit springs up from the ground. By dancing on the ground, they are honoring the spirit and asking for continued harmony between their world and the spirit one. Masquerade dances can also honor specific attributes like youthfulness, warrior prowess, mystical powers and old age. There are a variety of dances to honor each of these tribal strengths while appeasing the spirits through dance."
Saunders, Jen. “Nigerian Religious Dance.” People.opposingviews.com. OpposingViews, 2016. Web. 30 May 2016. |
Insight |
The festival spirits in Purple Hibiscus are those from the Aro festival, which is a traditional Igbo parade of masquerading spirits called mmuo. They appear in the story when Aunty Ifeoma brings Kambili and Jaja to a "heathen" festival without Papa's knowledge and serve as a representation of their introduction to the traditional beliefs. Before this incident, Kambili and Jaja had never seen an Igbo festival because Papa had always forbidden them from going. However, Aunty Ifeoma secretly brings and shows the two what they have been missing all along.
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Placement |
The current placement of the festival spirits, which is third on the list between the Bible and food, is significant because after Papa stresses the importance of adhering to the Bible and not involving oneself with idols, Kambili and Jaja attend the Igbo masquerade festival. There, they learn about the traditional views and activities on their neighbors, and Kambili and Jaja become enlightened about what their father deems the "sinful" world.
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