Cosmopolitan Solidarity: Negotiating Transculturality in Contemporary Nigerian Novels

In Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God, we are presented with an intriguing character, Ezeulu. In many instances, Ezeulu is portrayed as being ahead of his time. Among his special qualities is ability to recognize, very much like Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, that reality is in constant motion; only thing that is stable is change. For Ezeulu, the world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well you do not stand in one place (45-46). The typical African mask performance is a display of different masquerades in village square during festivals. In contrast with conventional Western theatre in which characters perform on stage and members of audience are seated, African masquerade performance involves movement of both actors and audience.