Les Maitre Fous

Issack 1 Prof Smith ANT 124 Midterm 1 05/01/2012 The mad masters. Jean Rouchs mad masters is revolve about around a solemnity by a religious sect- the Hauka- in the Ghanaian city of Accra in 1954. The ridiculous ceremony takes place in a remote rate; the participants take an hour bulky ride in a taxi and walk the anticipate of the way. The secluded location is specimen for the grotesque events that unfold there. The Haukas survive into a fancy and ar possessed by the spirit up of their colonizers; they embody the identities of colonial figures such as, the governor general, the engineer, the doctors wife, the wicked major(ip) and the corporal. In their trance like state, the Haukas make extraordinary acts such as reaching into a scum bag of boil water, burning oneself with actual fire, speaking in tongues, bubbly extravagantly at the mouth, cooking and consuming a wimp and a dog and drinking the blood of these sacrificial animals. In their trance like s tate these members body movements are notably different from when they arrived. They started out with graceful and slower gestures and as they got deeper into the trance, their gestures flummox more rigid and controlled; mimicking the actions of the colonial figures.

From the events of the ceremony, an attitude of both pasquinade and delight in for the colonizers- by the Haukas- is evident. The clicking together of pieces of wood that resemble rifles and the alimentation of a dog (consumption of dog meat is considered taboo in galore(postnominal) cultures) signify power, Issack 2 fearlessness and being above taboo. The c omic matching and ordering on the other hand! insert an air of arrogance, lack of rhythm and utter indifference. Society, although a preparation of individuals, is more than the sum of individual parts. In order to prod the actions of the Haukas, one has to take into account what was happening at the societal level at that time in that region. This part of the substructure was under colonial rule or influence from the late...If you craving to get a full essay, order it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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