Contextualizing the Trado-Afro Cultural Contents in Gloria Ernest-Samuel’s The Beautiful Masquerade

Abstract

This article seeks to explore the contextual depth of traditional and cultural elements that reflect the lived realities of African people and society, as creatively represented in Gloria Ernest-Samuel’s The Beautiful Masquerade. The text is examined as a cultural mirror that encapsulates the complexities of African traditional life, revealing not only enduring customs but also the ideological structures that govern communal existence. The Beautiful Masquerade thus functions beyond mere storytelling; it operates as a socio-cultural commentary that interrogates the conditions shaping traditional African communities and their modes of existence. The study focuses primarily on a close textual analysis of the narrative, paying particular attention to the depiction of the traditional and cultural universe embedded within the text. Through its portrayal of rituals, festivals, belief systems, and social hierarchies, the work foregrounds the continuity of African cultural practices across generations. Central to this cultural framework is the figure of the traditional ruler, whose authority and governance reflect the entrenched mentality of despotism often associated with patriarchal and autocratic leadership structures in traditional societies. The ruler’s actions and symbolic presence illuminate the power dynamics that shape social order and communal identity. Furthermore, the article critically examines how cultural practices such as ancestral worship, religious ideology, and customary laws function as instruments for maintaining social cohesion as well as reinforcing authority. In summation, the paper offers a nuanced critique of the uniqueness of African society by foregrounding its traditional and cultural practices, which encapsulate deeply rooted customs, belief systems, religious consciousness, norms, and values. Through this analysis, the study underscores the literary text’s role in preserving cultural memory while simultaneously questioning the sustainability of certain traditional power structures in contemporary African society.