"Of Cannibals"

Paper Summary:

The essay "Of Cannibals" is a narrative prose by 16th Century French writer, Michel de Montaigne, describing the culture of a South American tribe (Native Americans). In it, Montaigne compares the Native American tribe's society and culture with that of Western society. This paper discusses and enumerates these comparisons between the two societies, as well as describes in detail the different social customs and lifestyles of the cannibalistic group. A comparison and analysis of the differences between the two societies in Montaigne's point of view is made for further understanding of the author's objective, that is, to criticize Western society of its conservative and strict compliance to dogmatic beliefs that continually plague the people from Western societies. Thus, Montaigne analyzes "barbarism" and "civilization" in context of the two societies.

From the Paper:

"The act of war and cannibalism in this tribe is one important comparison of Montaigne to the Europeans. The author justifies the tribe's barbarism and cannibalism through several explanations. According to him, barbarism, or the act of war popular among tribes people, is one of the two important articles taught in their society, that is, valor towards their enemies or "resolution in war." Cannibalism is said to be done not "for nourishment", because cannibalism for the tribes people is an "extreme form of vengeance." Montaigne justifies this "barbarous horror of so cruel an action" by comparing the tribe's cannibalism with that of "cannibalism" in Western society. For him, the tribe's cannibalism is much more honorable and just, since the prisoner is killed first and only eaten when he was already dead. The Western society, on the other hand, practices a more "barbarous" act of cannibalism because, as Montaigne had described, "[I] conceive there is more barbarity in eating a man alive, than when he is dead... in tearing a body limb from limb by racks and torments... among neighbors and fellow-citizens... under color of piety and religion...""

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