A short entry this time because it'll be a busy week for me. For my anthropology class, I'm reading Colin Turnbull's 1961 ethnography The Forest People on the BaMbuti pygmies. It's a fascinating read due to its narrative style. On the other hand, it's hard to do a subtext analysis because it's a non-fiction book.
The book is full of beautiful passages that naturally and fluidly shed insight on the BaMbuti way of life. My only complaint is a small one. It wouldn't feel right accusing Turnbull of racism in the face of his tenderness and love for BaMbuti culture, but there's sometimes something ugly in his descriptions of the African tribes the pygmies come in contact with. Other than that, it's a fascinating read.
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