The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief - ISBN:0307270734

The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief

Date: 14 April 2011, 05:55

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The title of this book deserves some scrutiny. "Masque" is not a quaint British spelling of "mask", nor a synonym. It's a verb in one sense, meaning 'to wear a mask'. It's also a genre of musical theater, popular in aristocratic circles in 17th C England, an entertainment for the Elite often performed by the Elite themselves. Both senses are pertinent to Naipaul's book. Again and again, as part of his elite itinerary, Naipaul is shown spectacles of African pagan 'superstition' and ritual, some of them in full regalia, staged for him and for more ordinary tourists. And he enjoys the show. I imagine you and I would, also. A large share of the book is devoted to Naipaul's conversations with his informants from various social classes, his drivers, his hotel servants, his hired guides, but also several extremely protected elites, people like Winnie Mandela, Jerry Rawlings, and the presidents of various banks, who would not be accessible except as part of the Masque. Naipaul seldom reveals his stage machinery, seldom discloses how his contacts were prearranged. He's a sly impresario, this masquer from Trinidad!
I don't imagine that everyone will be satisfied with Naipaul's stance in this book. Those with the most earnest humanitarian concerns and those with the staunchest political opinions will probably accuse him of dilettantish trivialization. Let me say it plainly: this is an entertainment, a masque as artificial as Henry Purcell's "Fairy Queen". If it also stimulates insights, that's "valued added".

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