Ibo War Dance example essay topic

In Things Fall Apart, power, strength, aggression, and force define manhood. The warriors, the workers, and the wrestlers are the most respected men in the village. The Ibo rituals and communal activities are manifestations of their definition of manhood. Wrestling tournaments in which the victor earns a title, wins a bride, or receives much respect draw the whole village, Ewefiki, Okonkwo's second wife, fell in love with Okonkwo for his wrestling skills. The Ibo war dance, an aggressive combination of foot work and rolling shoulders, stimulates feelings of force, power, and passion in the tribesman. This feeling is so ingrained in Ibo culture, that when invoked, it unites the present, future, and past into a single dance.

The Ibo War Dance is the manifestation of manhood. No Ibo man can resist the rhythm. The drumbeat actually communicates with the tribesmen; it urges them to a feverish state. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo demonstrated the urge when he danced to the rhythm. "It filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth. He trembled with the desire to conquer and subdue.

It was like the desire for woman". (42). The war dance is so powerful because, with the urgent pounds of the drums, it invokes courage, aggression, and force- three characteristics that define the Ibo sense of manhood and respect. Although it is titled the "war dance" this ritual begins as a commemoration of an individual's achievement. The dance leader, donning a headdress of animal and human heads that represent his strength and power, initiates the dance. Clothing and body decorations are the primary indicators of a man's success in the Ibo culture.

Warriors then join in as the tempo of the drum quickens. The dancers, their shoulders rolling and their feet side stepping to an accelerating tempo, achieve a state of undulation called Ofufu. This is the peak of the dance when the crowd, as Achebe describes it, "Rose to a frenzy, the people surged forward". (47).

The war dance transcends human boundaries and links tribesmen to their ancestors so that all dance together, or as Achebe describes: " [the rhythm] was no longer a mere disembodied sound but the very heartbeat of the people". (50). So many aspects of the Ibo way of life are linked to destruction and violent behavior. Physical displays of superiority (such as dancing and wrestling) are used to settle disputes, show dominance, attract women, and achieve respect in their culture. These demonstrations are greatly appreciated by the Ibo community, giving titled men, "great happiness" to watch (65). However, these shows of masculinity are not always for sport.

Okonkwo, for example, killed a boy who was very close to his family in order to demonstrate his manliness to his peers. Afterwards, he thought, "How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed". (65).

This awry perspective of gender is, for better or worse, an intrinsic part of every person in the Ibo community..