Okay, so I don't know if this just kind of went over my head in the reading or not but the more I read Benedict's writing, the more I feel like she's an untrustworthy narrator. Take her tellings on the Dobu for instance. Kelly and Martha have already stated some pretty powerful quotations from the text about how Benedict discribes the Dobuans and their cultural traits. Where did Benedict get this from? The only person she references is Dr. Malinowski. So do I just take the word of this Doctor and Benedict herself to explain to me a culture that is literally all about Secrets and suspicion? The Dubuans don't even trust eachother, let alone an 'outsider' (I use outsider loosely, considering the Dubuans also consider other Dubuans as outsiders). I'm not saying they are wrong about this culture and I don't believe a single word on the page, I'm just simply stating that I believe Benedict might be exaggerating a few things. Mostly about how they treat each-other. Not really in the whole sister-brother since, but more in the neighborly since. Benedict make these people sound like they don't have a nice or kind bone in their body. That it's all about survival and tradition and that basically emotional attachment (the positive ones, because hatred obviously exists in this culture) is hardly a common factor in decisions. I just feel like I'm not getting the whole picture on these people.
Okay, so I don't know if this just kind of went over my head in the reading or not but the more I read Benedict's writing, the more I feel like she's an untrustworthy narrator. Take her tellings on the Dobu for instance. Kelly and Martha have already stated some pretty powerful quotations from the text about how Benedict discribes the Dobuans and their cultural traits. Where did Benedict get this from? The only person she references is Dr. Malinowski. So do I just take the word of this Doctor and Benedict herself to explain to me a culture that is literally all about Secrets and suspicion? The Dubuans don't even trust eachother, let alone an 'outsider' (I use outsider loosely, considering the Dubuans also consider other Dubuans as outsiders). I'm not saying they are wrong about this culture and I don't believe a single word on the page, I'm just simply stating that I believe Benedict might be exaggerating a few things. Mostly about how they treat each-other. Not really in the whole sister-brother since, but more in the neighborly since. Benedict make these people sound like they don't have a nice or kind bone in their body. That it's all about survival and tradition and that basically emotional attachment (the positive ones, because hatred obviously exists in this culture) is hardly a common factor in decisions. I just feel like I'm not getting the whole picture on these people.