63 pages 2 hours read

Bronislaw Malinowski

Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An Account of Native Enterprise and Adventure in the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New Guinea (1922)

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1922

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Essay Topics

1.

What myths about native peoples does Malinowski dispel in his monograph, and how does he do this? Are there any myths that Malinowski perpetuates about native peoples?

2.

Discuss the role of magic in enforcing social hierarchy and cooperation in the Trobriand Islands.

3.

What roles do myth and magic play in transmitting cultural knowledge?