Marshall1

PriceMarshall
Mr.MarkC.Ellis
Sociology210
28November2014
GettingStonedwithSavages:ATripThroughtheIslandsofFijiandVanautuisa
travelogbookwrittenbyJ.MaartenTroost.Troostisratherwellknownforhisworkintravel
writings,withhisfirstbookhavingthetitleTheSexLivesofCannibals,abooksetintheSouth
Pacific,whichdetailstheexperiencethatinspiredhisreturnvisitinthisbook.Histaleisthatof
escapismfrommodernsociety,discoveringaratheruniquesocietyalongtheway.
Inthebeginningofthebook,Troostpaintsusapictureofhiscomfortableyetboringjob
attheWorldBank.Hislifewasnolongerinterestingasithadbeeninhispreviousjourney.He
findshimselfwantingtoliveagoodlifeagain,enjoyingsmall,simplepleasures.Whilehewas
awayontheislandofKiribati,helongedfortheamenitiesoftheUnitedStatesthetangibles,
whichledhimtodelveintohisWorldBankjobinatesttoseeif,despitewhateverybodysays,
moneycouldbuyhappiness.Hedidnotfindhappinessatall.Infact,heputitlikethis:Itwasas
ifthesensoryoverloadthatisAmericanlifesomehowledtosensorydeprivation,agilded
weariness,whereeverythingispermittedandnothingappreciated(8).Troostdescribeshimself
asanunapologeticescapist,forheseekstogetawayfromcivilizationandlearntoappreciatethe
intangiblesinlife,simplethings.
Humorisoneofthosesimplethings,anditplaysaverylargepartinthisbook.Troost
usesadrywitinhiswritingthatcompelsthereadertocontinueonreading,whichmakeshis
writingeffectivebecauseweareabletoenjoyit.This,however,mayalsoservetofurtheroneof

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hismainpoints.Lifeistobeenjoyed.Heisproceedingtotakeusonaseatofhispantsaccount
ofhistimeintheSouthPacific,andhispurposeofthejourneywastoonceagainenjoythe
simplicityandinterestsoflife.So,themosteffectivewayforhimtoconveyhismindsetisto
writehumorously,totakeusonthisjourneywithhim,toexperiencethesenseofthingsthatare
almosthilariouslyunusualorunbelievable.Hewantstoopenthemindsofhisreaders.Itsnot
probablethathewouldencouragepeopletogoonthesamecrazyjourneysthathegoeson,butI
wouldmaintainthathewouldwanthisreaderstolearnhowtoenjoythingsandhaveexperiences
thatcanchangewhoyouareasaperson.ThatiswhatIbelievetobehismainpurpose.
Anotherpurposeofhismustalsobetoexposetheincrediblediversitythatexistsinthe
SouthPacific.WithinVanuatu,aseriesofislandshometosometwohundredthousandpeople,
morethanonehundredlanguagesarespoken.Thisisnotsimplyfromthemigrationofforeigners
totheislandsmanytribeslivedinisolation,sotheythusdevelopedseparatelanguagesand
dialects,whichwereundoubtedlyaffectedbythenumerousmissionariesofvaryingnationalities
thatvisited(andstilldovisit)theislands.ManyofthenativessurroundingPortVila,for
example,speaktheirownlanguageinadditiontoFrench,whichtheauthorfoundimpressive
consideringhehimselfwasraisedinCanadaandhisFrenchispassableatbestincomparisonto
theislanders.Thedifferenttribesalsopracticeddifferentformsofkastom,whichisthepidgin
wordforcustom.Sometribesfoundcurvedpighuskstobeofvalue,otherwouldelongatethe
skullsoftheirchildrentomakethemmoreattractive,andothersranaroundwearingnothingbut
leaveswrappedaroundtheirgenitals(aculturalaspectthatfeaturedasplitbasedoffofthesize
oftheleafmenwore.TheywereeitherBigNambasorSmallNambas,andtheyhatedeachother.
ThatsoundspositivelyAmerican).Alltribesfeaturedsystemsofchiefdomandnobility,which

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theauthorpointsoutprovedtobeacommongroundusedtobondwiththeBritishoncethe
nativesstoppedeatingthem.
Whilethenativeshavestoppedeatingotherpeopleasanicebreaker,thecultureotherwise
remainsveryaliveanddiversetheyrenotjustcannibals.Theyarealsomystics,believersin
blackmagic,creatorsofaveryuniquebranchofChristianity,andproducersofkava,which
createsastateofbeingthatinspiredthetitleofthebook.Kavaisatraditionalalcoholicbeverage
ofthearea,anditismadebychewingontherootsofaplantforotherstodrink.Itcanbe
incrediblyeffectiveontheauthorsfirstexperiencewithitinthebook,hebecameincredibly
drunkandbecamebrothersinspiritwitheverybodyinthekavabarintheprocess,whichislikely
thesocialpurposeofdrinkingkava.Kavabarsareastrongpartofthelocalcommunity.A
situationisdescribedwhereamanwhodoesnotattendhislocalkavabarhasallofhis
belongingsstolen.Oncehebeganpatroninghislocalkavaestablishment,achiefarrangedforall
ofhisbelongingstobereturned.Avibrantculturehasbeenabletomaintainitselfhere,which
maybehelpedorhurtbytheheavytourism.Thereistraditionalmatingceremonyknownasthe
Nekowiarwheretwotribescometogether,danceandsingtraditionalmusicfordays,mate,and
killmanypigs.Itisapparentlyaratherraucousoccasion,butIstillmarveledatthesheerculture
ondisplay.Ibelievethisisanotheroftheauthorspointsthatthereisstunningcultureoutthere
thatisjustwaitingtobewitnessed.Thisbookistrulyenjoyableandfascinating,andImgladI
selectedit.
AstowhyIselectedthisbook,IwentstraighttomyEnglishteacherandaskedfora
recommendation.Irequestedsomethingthathaduniquesociologicalaspects,somyteachergave
methisbook,andIcanseewhy.Iamfamiliarwiththetypicalaspectsofmodernsociety,which

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iswhatIexperiencedailyorseeonTV.Thisbook,meanwhile,defiedmyexpectations.Icannot
sayIwasfamiliarwithaspectsofsocietythatthenativesoftheSouthPacificwerefamiliarwith.
IamabletoenjoyaperspectivewithwhichIwasnotacquaintedandfindoutthingsIhadnever
thoughtaboutasking.Forexample,Iwouldntdreamoftryingtogetrightdowntothenitty
grittyaboutwhyagroupofpeopleusedtopracticecannibalism,butthatisexactlywhatthe
authordoes,andheapproachesitwithasociologicalmindset.Theanswerhefoundwas
stunninglyinlinewithwhatIunderstandconflicttheorytobe.FromwhatIgleanedfromhis
descriptions,cannibalisminitiallybeganasaresultofgeographicalseparationoftribeswhoare
stillallincompetitionforfood.So,shouldanymembersofarivaltribebefoundpokingaround
inlandthatdidnotbelongtothem,theresidenttribewouldcapturethemandeatthem.Two
birds,onestonetribeswereabletomaintainrespectandestablishauthoritywhiletakingcareof
theirfoodproblem.Itunifiedapeopleagainstacommonthreat(rivaltribes)andbredacultural
normallatthesametime.Quiteapeculiarandviolentinstitutionthatwascreated,butithassort
ofsimplisticreasoningandmotivebehindit.
AnotherthingthatIfoundastoundingwasthelevelofsocialinequalitythatexistedin
VanuatuandFiji,andhowmostofthenegativeprejudicewasaimedtowardsthenatives.Troost
comparedtheareaascolonialinitstendencies,andthatisareasonablecomparisonthe
foreignersseemtowinthepotandthenativesgetsquat.OnVanuatu,theNiVanuatuan,asthe
nativescallthemselves,aretreatednobetterthanhowmigrantworkerswouldbetreatedherein
America.TheyarealmostkeptseparatefromtheWesternersthatnowcalltheislandshome.The
authorsummeditupasthis:TheFrenchwerethefunctionaries,theAnglosthecapitalists,the
Chinesetheshopkeepers,andtheNiVanuatuthehiredhelp,admittedwhennecessarybut

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otherwisekeptoutsidethegate(53).RightbeforetheauthorandhiswifemovedtoFijitogive
birthtotheirchild,theauthormadearemarkthathewashappytogoalmost,becauseliving
therewiththatlevelofinequalityaswellasagovernmentthatwashopelesslycorrupt(the
president/primeministerfigureessentiallysoldcontroloftheislandinexchangeforaruby)was
bringingouthisinnerMarxist,whichisfair.Capitalismisgreat,buteverybodycouldusealittle
bitofsocialism,especiallythesepeople.Thenagain,Fijiwasnotmuchbetter.Afterarecent
coup,manynativefarmerswereforcedoffoftheirlandbytheIndianlandowners,andmany
nativeswereforcedtoresorttoprostitutionasaresultofshiftsinpower.Iwouldhopethingsare
betternow,seeingasthisbookissomewhatdated,with9/11beinganeventthatoccurredduring
theirtimeinFiji,butitreallyisanastonishinglevelofsocialinequalitytoexist,especially
consideringIwasunawareofit.
Inconclusion,IfoundTroostshumorousaccountofhisexperiencelivinginVanuatuto
beveryeyeopening.Helivedinanareathatwasasocialwonder.Suchasmallarea,yetan
extremelydynamicsocialsystemwaspresent.Thecountrywasthirdworldatbest,sure,andI
dontbelieveIwouldbewantingtofollowinhisfootsteps,butitwasadelighttobegivena
glimpseofthisfascinating,albeitincrediblyundeveloped,place.

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WorksCited
Troost,J.Maarten.GettingStonedwithSavages:ATripthroughtheIslandsofFijiandVanuatu.
NewYork:Broadway,2006.Print.
Henslin,James.EssentialsofSociology:ADowntoearthApproach.S.l.:Pearson,2012.Print.