Western and African Art Response

Western and African Art

Response

Which missionary poses the greatest danger to traditional African culture and beliefs, Mr. Brown or Reverend Smith? While Smith is the more personally unpleasant of the two Christians, and Mr. Brown seems to act out of his sincere convictions, however misguided, that he is doing the right thing in attempting to covert the native populace, Brown is the more dangerous of the two. Brown is able to sugar-coat his message with displays of tolerance, rhetorically equating the tribal god with what he regards as the one true God even though he does not really believe this to be the case. Brown does not actually believe that it is possible for people to worship his Christian God through Chuku. Achebe supports pluralism and cultural cross-pollination between African tribes, as exemplified in the positive but contrary influences Okonkwo is exposed to, during enforced stay with his wife's family and the positive incorporation of new children from other tribes that makes Okonkwo's son temporarily feel as if he as a future as a leader. However, the pluralism of Brown is a false pluralism, and has ulterior motives of eradicating the culture of another people. The failure of Okonkwo to change to help his people and the failure of pacifists like Obierika to rally support against the missionaries results in the death of Okonkwo and the death of African culture and faith.

Response 2

It is true that African art seems to show greater respect for cultural tradition than Western art. In the West, if someone wants to say that they are not an artist, often they say 'I'm not creative.' Innovation rather than replication is valued. But in Africa, if someone was frustrated with a work of art they were attempting to create, the African would likely be upset at the work's lack of resemblance to previous pieces of art. African art is about perfecting a craft and a technique to make something with a societal purpose, like the Ngady Mwaash mask, which is used in a religious ritual, not as an object to be admired in a museum. African art makes no distinction between art and crafts, as is common in Western culture. Arts and crafts are synonymous. In Africa, a practical craft like a piece of pottery designed to hold water can have artistic value in the terms of the society. A mask which might simply be decorative in the West is a useful part of the tribe's ritual language.