Trustes Tropiques - Assignment Example

due: Tristes Tropiques Trustes Tropiques involves the origin of writing in Nambikwara tribe. In 1928, Sabane group had more than three thousand individuals. The number comprised of one hundred and fifty seven men plus women and children. That was before the influenza pandemic broke in 1929. The illness developed into pulmonary oedema that killed the natives between four to eight hours. The remaining few scattered. The writer organized a barter exchange in order to count them. The natives had neither written language nor drawing skills.

The writer gave them sheets of paper and pencil which ate first they did nothing with them. They later used them to draw wavy and horizontal line trying to emulate the writer (Strauss 1279). Their chief seemed to have grasped the purpose of writing because he requested for a writing-pad and continued. Each time the writer could ask a question, the chief would draw wavy lines on paper and hand them over before giving a verbal commentary. The writer together with the chief was to exchange some goods.

The chief took advantage to surprise his natives and convince them that he was an intermediary agent for the exchange of the goods and that he was in coalition with the white man and shared his secrets (Strauss 1280).Writing had been adopted in Nambikwara. It was a way of increasing authority and prestige rather than acquiring knowledge as it a social symbol and not for intellectual purpose (Strauss 1281). Chief used it acquire prestige at the expense of his natives. In conclusion, writing is a strange invention because its emergence brought about positive effects to human existence.

Writing brings forth ability to conserve knowledge, organize the present and predict the future. Writing has led to the expansion in the field of science. Although writing is beneficial to mankind, it is said that, during Neolithic age, man made a great move without the aid of writing. Work Cited Levis- Strauss Claude. Trustes Tropiques. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism Ed. Vincent B. Leitich. WW Norton and Company