Clan of the Cave Bear - Term Paper Example

of Learning: Clan of the Cave Bear Storyline Through the magnificent story telling ability of Jean M. Auel’s she starts buy taking as back early days. She does this through the story of a young girl named Aylas who is lost for several days in after her family is eliminated through an earthquake. Left alone she wanders aimlessly, hungry and naked. In fact the little girl is attacked by a cave lion and because she was starved, exhausted and had infectious wounds she eventually loses her strength and she collapses waiting for her death. However, she is saved by a medicine woman of the Neanderthal people who the author refers to as the, “clan” whose had also be destroyed in the earthquake and they are in the verge of searching for a new home. The woman’s name is Iza and she requests the clans leader,’Brun’ since the girl belonged to a distrusted antagonists of the clan and as such they had been nicknamed, “the others”. With the help of her brother who happens to be the “Mog-ur” of the group in spite of him being disabled. It happens that immediately the group adopts Ayla they are lucky and find another cave. Therefore she is adored and is seen as a good omen to the clan. In fact better thing come their way from that time. She is even given the role of becoming the next Mog-ur of the new cave. However, the young man who is expected to that over the clans leadership is angered by the way she is being envied by most people plans to avenge (Auel 1-211). Paleoenvironment Flora refers to the plants while fauna refers to the wildlife and they are distinct from place to place. In the case of this book the environment hosts a lot of animals and plant. In fact, it is evident from the book that the caves are in a forest. This has made the lives of the Neandertal to be easily since they are hunters and gathers as well as farmers. The farming aspect can be seen though the readily available green vegetables and plants like cinnamon. More so they have horses which are tamed (Auel 14).The fact also that there is a Mug-ur and a sister medicine woman revels the presence of many indigenous trees (Auel 94). Another example is revealed when Durc is heard telling Vorn how his hunt had favored him and he caught a deer that was being cooked by his mate (Auel 19). Further there are many fruits and this is revealed by Ura when he says, that cinnamon tastes good with apples. Moreover, the presence of foods like bread and cakes demonstrates that wheat was being cultivated (Auel 208). In addition, there are many birds in this setting as defined in this text of songbirds and squirrels fly (Auel 18). Lastly the book demonstrates that there are a lot of greens most of which was used by the clan as food (Auel 100). Neandertals v. Moderns There are very many anatomical, behavioral, and mental differences between the Neandertals and the current world people. For example their mode of survival in the Neandertals is totally different they have demonstrated to be almost supernatural if they can live in cave under ice and harsh cold conditions (Auel 19). Moreover, their eating habits are not what a modern day person would prefer. They survived on mainly wild meat and fruits and even used herbs as their only medication. Consequently, these people have been portrayed as being illiterate a thing that is almost inexistent in the modern would. However they have proved that literacy I not wisdom because they have demonstrated that even with the lack of basic education they were able to survive under hardships and they even had leaders and a medicine woman (Auel 23). Lastly but not the least their adaptation to harsh cold weather is seen as having a big start at an early age. This is seen through the many children that the Neandertals bore and raised. The Neandertals also have a difference with the modern people through their neighborliness and harmonious way of living. They mind and watched each other closely and yet they were able to maintain respect for each other. This is contrary to today’s trends where even neighbors are aliens to one another everyone is busy pursuing their dreams and careers (Auel 24). However, the Neandertal showed that wisdom can be applicable and is not general to everyone and that is why the practiced labor specialization and division. All cannot be said to be differences between the two but rather there are various similarities like the fear of death. The Neandertal are seen to respect the death as the author informs as through Broud, he is reprimanded for being in possession of stolen sacred bones. In addition, he is compared to a woman who was seen as an object that did not know about the spirits (Auel 207). In addition to this, Auel delivers a theory of chauvinism where the man is viewed as being superior to a woman. In the modern day this theory may is perceived as being archaic and the woman is viewed much liberal (Auel 207). Fact v. Fiction Based on anthropological facts that this author has brought about the clan has been demonstrated to be living as a one big extended family. They the author does not in any way show us many cases of intermarriages. In fact the only intermarriage case is that of Alya and it only appears since she is accidentally adopted into this clan. However this is an assumption because the author does not clear tell us if she really marries. In addition, the Neandertals have shown respect since they live in one cafe and yet there are no cases of incest or adultery. As earlier demonstrated the Neandertals work as a community yet they live like a one big family. Everyone has a role to play and this is shown when the priest divides these roles to even the incumbent’s pg. 26. However in the modern world most families live as a nuclear unit. In extremes there has cropped up new kind of family that have only one parent. The values that a married person carried in the ice age have been diluted. There have been many cases of Incest, adultery among other vices that a family never had. Marriage was values as a holy communion even though most families were polygamous. However, the way in which the Neandertal lived seems to be fictional. It is very hard for people to coexist peaceful without collusions. Moreover, married couples should have their privacy as it is common knowledge that this living style is bound to bring about adultery (Auel 18). Auel’s Theory In this short story the author has brought about a theory of what a family should look like and how unity and trust are necessary in a given community. This has however not been the case when it comes to the modern world. In fact moral and ethical issues are being experience day in day out. The elders of the modern world rule by sword and might unlike in the past when they were naturally respected. Thus such values are the cause of the disappearance of Neandertal living style wholly. This theory can there be said to be representing the replacement model whereby all the dimensions and aspects of a given object of community lifestyle is replaced as a whole by new trend. These trends are now are being seen in the modern society. Living a life that is almost equal to wild animals is no longer in existence. This has transformed to modern housing and even palatial dwellings. The modern has evolved to form a new breed of humans thus eliminating the cave age era as well as the ion age. In the modern they now term themselves as being in the computer era where technology rule. However due to the absence of anatomical differences between the modern and the Neanderta we cannot disregard the regional continuity mode of human evolution. Most of the things that the Neanderta practiced are still in practice even in the modern. For example, sewing, cooking, hunting, farming and leadership style as very similar in both settings. The division of labor that the Neanderta practiced is still very much applicable in the modern. Therefore just like the debate of both models still exists we cannot rule in favor of one model based on this text. Works cited Auel, Jean M. The Clan of the Cave Bear. New York: Bantam Books, 1st publication1980, pdf. Read More