Miriam Kahn clearly demonstrated how feasting plays the important role of bringing people in a community together while at the same time establishing power relations in Melanesia. Kahn carefully described two types of feasts that are often held by the Wamirans of Papua New Guinea (Kahn, 1993). The first feast is the T-mode referring a transaction feast which is held specifically to reinforce and preserve ruling classes within the community. The second one is the I-mode which incorporates feast into strengthening social fabric. The essay will seek to critically analyze two types of feasts in the book ‘ Always Hungry, Never Greedy’ .
The first feast is held courtesy of Osborne, even though he seemed to be destructed, condemned and highly reprimanded with the hamlet (Kahn, 1993). He reluctantly held a small feast in January where a pig is slaughtered and the pork and bundle of taro distributed to those who had attended the feast. This feast was held as an indication of Osborne’s contrition. The feast was attended by some village members, Jeremiah and by Osborne himself. The rest of the people contribute breadfruit to demonstrate their disappointment. Osborne throws the feast specifically to repair and bridge the rift he had created between him and Jeremiah (Kahn, 1993). This was because he was seen sitting in a garden that was not his and from this, he was accused by Jeremiah of evil sorcery. The feast is successful in returning the two to the peaceful state of affairs which preceded their fallout. There is peace among the community members for many months after the apologetic mini-feast thrown by Osborne (Kahn, 1993). The members of this community held a strong belief in sorcery with relation to its effect on harvested produce. The elements expressed in this feast and especially its purpose make it a feast of the I-type
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
According to (Kahn, 1993), this feast is of the I-type since it aimed to restore unity among the community members especially strengthening the community’s solidarity and incorporation. It is evident that Osborne had created a rift with members of the community which arose a need to hold an apologetic feast. The main theme presented in this feast is food etiquette. The theme of behavior around food has been covered extensively within the book. All activity in this feast revolves around food. Osborne accused of being an evil sorcery and that he was responsible for destroying Jeremiah’s crops holds a feast where food is shared to atone for his mistake, according to (Kahn, 1993).
The other feast was held after the arrival of the Damaladona people in Inibuena. They are met with an atmosphere of anger and hostility upon their arrival. During this feast, the Damaladona triumphantly paraded themselves, then presented their food. Despite the shouting by Simon,’ Oh, our friends have arrived!” no one responded implying that the feast was not successful (Kahn, 1993). Copland king got up and also shouted to everyone present to bring out their contributions in the form of food. Slowly the people started offering their gifts. According to (Kahn, 1993), Osborne stood angrily and threw coconut fronts which were shading pieces of meat. Five of the men stood and threw their contributions at the direction of Damaladona people shouting at them to pick up the gift and leave. As the Damaladona people were leaving, Osborne stood shouting that the evening party would be canceled simply, “because it was lent” (Kahn, 1993). This feast fits neither into the T-type of feast nor the I-type. This is because it achieves neither greater harmony in the society nor does it uphold any aspect of the status quo
From all the events that transpired during this feast, it is evident that the feast was not successful since it was canceled for having coincided with the period of Lent. Later that evening some members of the hamlet came and asked for an apology for what had happened at the feast. They admitted that it was their fault since it is their custom, “to argue about food, to be suspicious, greedy and jealous” (Kahn, 1993). The theme of food behavior is common in this feast where the people present seemed to argue about food and further admit that it is a part of their customer to often argue about food. The author carefully focused on the theme of food behavior among the Wamirans of Papua New Guinea.
In conclusion, the essay has analyzed two main types of feasts that were thrown in the village as brought out by Kahn in the book, in Always Hungry, Never Greedy . The essay further focused on I and T mode of exchanges where I mode of exchange includes those feasts that were aimed to restore strength while T- mode of exchange celebrates the accomplishments in all the regenerative activities of both men and women.
References
Kahn, M. (1993). Always hungry, never greedy: food and the expression of gender in a Melanesian society . Waveland Press.
