The True Nature of the Kung Bushmen - No Acts of Generosity - Article Example

Task: Responsive Essay This article is all about a social scientist that is out to study the behavior of the Bushmen in Kalahari Desert Community. He was on a mission, to study and analyze their physical, social and cultural development majorly in hunting and gathering subsistence economy. As it is depicted in the article, this man is given a bush name that suits him and describes his physical looks. He is called Ontah, which means whitey. As a matter of fact, Ontah was on a mission together with his wife mentioned in the article as Nancy.

As we can read in the article, so many issues come up for the anthropologist. He has stayed amongst the Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert for a number of years, but he barely knows them in totality. The best time that he learns something substantial about their behavior is when he has only one Christmas to celebrate in their land. This is a group of people that are of a funny character. They make us marvel at values of their society. These include their togetherness that they uphold in the society.

In so many ways, they used to enjoy in unity through sharing their hunt almost in each and every single day. The story in this article exposes the true nature of the Kung Bushmen. As a matter of fact, they are a group of people in the society that enforces humility in people who do not have it at hand. They try as much as possible to resist pride that may crop up in someone after a little achievement of victory. For instance, it is seen in the text how people hunted and brought fatty meat at home, but in rejoinder received the least of appreciation.

The anthropologist himself wondered why gratitude was barely shown to those who went hunting and gathering. To set the facts right, a member of the Kung Bushmen community gives a hidden answer, all about arrogance! This is what I realize that the Bushmen Community try as much as possible to resist for its existence would only lead to a feeling of superiority over the others. In short, members of society at large prefer to be equal to one another. In this article, what comes out more vividly is mockery of the highest order.

In the first instance, it took a lot of sacrifice for Ontah, the anthropologist to have the fattest ox for his last Christmas celebration amongst the Kung. In return, what he receives before that big day is ridicule and travesty. It is amazing how each person confronts him with a similar scorn. Exposing his folly, he hardly realizes the pure intentions of these people and to make him do, he has to inquire and seek judgment from a few people. Hunting and gathering is the game that the Bushmen of Kung embrace for their livelihood.

So much of hunting and gathering take place in this remote land of Kalahari Desert. Alongside these, they have got social activities that bind them together day by day. When they get involved in food and dance that includes all members of the society, it shows how much they embrace their culture. As it is written in the article, this is something that they do more frequently, a sole reason for them to have a strong bond amongst all of them. In conclusion, I totally agree with the author on how he has exposed the nature of the Kung community.

He is taught a lesson that caught him unaware and which for some extent hurt him accordingly. All in all, there are totally no acts of generosity. If this was his way of showing it, humility is instilled in him instead. He receives it through farce just like it would be done to any other member of the Kung society. Reference Borshay Lee. Natural History: Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. American Museum of Natural History, 1969. Print.