Igbo Clan Essay

Their is a force in the Ibo tribe called the egwugwu. The egwugwu are seen as a sort of god within the tribe, but are actually masked elders. These elders serve as judges in the tribe and are thought to be the spirits of Umuofian ancestors. The egwugwu represent the spirit of the clan. When an egwugwu spirit is unmasked, the egwugwu dies, which caused distress and confusion among the people. An Ibo tradition has again been broken due to the missionaries. Before this tragic event though, there is a switch in leaders of the missionaries. Mr. Brown, the first leader, was one missionary who cared about the culture of the Ibo. He passes his role on to a Reverend James Smith. Regarding Smith, Achebe writes, “Mr. Brown’s successor was the Reverend James Smith, and he

Again, due to the missionaries, a change has occurred within the tribe that was not foreseen. Finally, on page 191, Achebe writes “Mr. Smith stood his ground.” To give some context, the egwugwu, as revenge, want to burn the church. But Mr. Smith is standing his ground and not allowing them to without a fight. Achebe continues, “But he could not save his church. When the egwugwu went away the red-earth church which Mr. Brown built was a pile of earth and ashes. And for the moment the spirit of the clan was pacified,” (191). At last, the Ibo, more specifically the egwugwu invoke a change of their own. They destroy the church prove that the land the missionaries were on was the land of the Ibo. So in an act of defiance against the missionaries, the Ibo cause a change to fight back for their home and their land. The Ibo fight for their tradition as too many had been broken by the Westerners. Unfortunately, the missionaries continue to inflict their values upon the people. When the spirit of the egwugwu is unmasked, turmoil occurs within the tribe. The tradition of the Ibo is overlooked by the missionaries who do not respect the culture they threw themselves