The Savage Male

The Savage Male : Marvin Harris (1927 - 2001)

Summary

Marvin Harris's Anthropology essay explores the relationship between male chauvinism and wellbeing by looking at the lifestyles of the Yanomamo, a particular tribe of primitive military sexists. They are a group of 10,000 members of American Indian tribes who have settled near the border between Brazil and Venezuela. The primary Yanomamo ethnographer, Napoleon Chagon of Pennsylvania State University, has labeled them as the "Fierce People." One of the most violent, warlike, and male-oriented societies exists there.

No Yanomamo lady is exempt from the cruel mentorship of the typical drug-using, irate Yanomamo warrior spouse by the time a normal Yanomamo boy reaches the age of adulthood in their cultures and traditions. Drawing on the canes that ladies wear in their pierced ear lobes is a favorite method of buying a wife. A husband who is irate could pull so hard that the lobe is torn open. In times of rage, a husband may strike his wife hard with a piece of firewood, rub a lit piece of wood against her arm, or swing a machete at her. Similar to this, sister exchanges form the basis of marriage. The exclusive control that men exercise over the use of hallucinogenic drugs is a key component of Yanomamo male supremacy.

The Yanomamo people believe that Kanabroma legs can get pregnant, and that men and women both originate from the right and left legs, respectively. The Yanomamo, like other male-dominated traditions and civilizations, believe that a woman's menstrual blood is deadly and wicked. As a result, they imprison women during this time in a specially made bamboo cage and force them to go without sustenance. Yanomamo women believe that their husbands will govern them and that they may gauge their status as spouses by the frequency of light beatings they get. In a same fashion, daring guests are being slaughtered after a fantastic supper. As a result, we can assert that violence and threats against women have never been proven.

Application of Four Levels

• Literal Comprehension
  • The author aims to demonstrate to us that there are still barbaric and terrifying individuals in this society who can be deemed to be uncivil. They engage in such heinous behavior in their society. They are incapable of living longer than forty years because of their foolish behavior and deadly drugs. They go by the name Yanomamo and live near the border between Germany and Venezuela. In their society, fighting and war are compulsory. Nobody backs down from evil or war; instead, they go about their business of fighting, chest-punching, shouting, etc. People who have engaged in more physical conflict, have more physical scars and wounds, have killed more people, and engaged in more criminal activity are thought to be more powerful and energetic. After lavishly feeding them, they kill their visitors and steal their belongings. On the other hand, visitors have been known to murder hosts. Whoever kills first is considered strong and proud. They love the losers but have no feelings for them. They do not provide food and shelter for those who are living alone during a war. There is a culture where losers are expected to labor like donkeys to make the victors happy and satisfied. In their civilization, men dominate and have superpowers. They do not consider women to be living beings. They show no regard at all towards women. The majority of wicked deeds are carried out on women. Minor punishments are not taken into account if a guy becomes enraged with a woman; he may even kill her. Women also want their husbands to beat them. If they are not disciplined or beaten arbitrarily, they begin to suspect that something is wrong with their spouses. The older members of their society are men. If a brother abuses his sister without cause, the guardians will encourage him to become even more terrible and criminal, and if the sister strikes back, the guardians will punish her. Above all else, when little boys beat their parents, they smile and encourage them to beat even harder.
• Interpretation
  • Therefore, the author tries to show how such violent acts are occurring among the so-called civil people. People aspired to be seen as civilized, but can their behaviors really be considered civilized? Despite the lovely tales of love and emotion, the children of that culture are exposed to the violent acts from a very young age. Every day, they get crueler and crueler. On the one hand, science and technology are reaching higher into the sky every day, while on the other, cold-blooded action is likewise growing every day. People are not as susceptible to the effects of love as they are to violent acts. Therefore, given human nature and behavior, those vicious acts may have a greater impact on people. Therefore, the author may be attempting to convince us that these kind of actions ought to be halted. This essay demonstrates the relationship and connection between men and women in a society where men predominate. The Yanomamo, a member of an American Indian tribe, holds that men are superior. The author uses this essay to share the opinions of two separate male and female authors who, in common, believe that women are completely violated by the aggressive group of people. Men's pain and abuse of women are seen as a sign of their love for them. The writer's personality and physical appearance clearly set them apart from the general population.
• Critical Thinking
  • He used the words of Judith Sapiro, a female researcher, as well as the words of chignon, a man with a potentially biased attitude toward women. As a result, the essay's author has attempted to present a balanced viewpoint. However, some of the essay's arguments are not as strong. Do societies of this kind still exist anywhere on the planet? Why don't advocates for human rights intervene in such societies? Do women truly expect their husbands to commit atrocities there?
• Assimilation
  • I learned a lot about the male-dominated culture by reading this essay. Girls and women are often mistreated in this society. They must comply with the male's requests and orders. To prove that men are superior, they create myths. However, males are more aggressive and impressionable than females. When I consider the Yanomamo people's turbulent history, who were never at peace, I feel sorry.

Referance

(Subedi, K.P. and Bhandari, M.B. (2014). Business English. Kathmandu: Highland Publication P. Ltd.)