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The Honors College at FIU
THE FOREST PEOPLE PROJECT “There in the tiny clearing, splashed with silver, was the sophisticated Kenge, clad in bark cloth, adorned with leaves, with a flower stuck in his hair. He was all alone, dancing around and singing softly to himself as he gazed up at the treetops. Now Kenge was the biggest flirt for miles, so, after watching a while, I came into the clearing and asked, jokingly, why he was dancing alone. He stopped, turned slowly around and looked at me as though I was the biggest fool he had ever seen; and he was plainly surprised by my stupidity. 'But I'm not dancing alone,' he said. I'm dancing with the forest, dancing with the moon.' Then, with the utmost unconcern, he ignored me and continued his dance of love and life.” From Colin Turnbull’s The Forest People Colin Turnbull’s The Forest People describes the community of the BaMbuti Pygmies. For this project, the student is to compare at least three of the following aspects of the BaMbuti community with her/his own. S/he must clearly recount both the examples from Turnbull's book as well as his/her personal experiences or broader communtiy. The project should be specific.
One should explain similarities and differences. In the comparative analysis, the student must reflect on whose tradition and manners s/he find most appealing. Are the BaMbuti “primitive”? How so or not so? Does this book describe how communities originate? How does the student define “civilized”? What characterizes a developed society? Is the student an active member of his/her community? The students should recount his/her personal experience with the same “life” Turnbull does for the BaMbuti. The student should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book and of the community s/he is comparing to the BaMbuti. A list of helpful and reliable interenet research sources can be found at http://www.johnbailly.com/edu/links.html. All sources must be properly cited. This paper can be in the form of an essay, short story, musical composition, or poem. All projects that are not essays require a brief description explaining how the the work fufills the requirements of the assignment. The paper must be a minimum of 1,000 words. Please follow the Paper Format Guidelines. The project must be submitted to http://www.turnitin.com/static/home.html The Honors College at FIU |
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