Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by blueelectricfish
A Death in the Rainforest: How a Language and a Way of Life Came to an End in Papua New Guinea by Don Kulick
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Kulick wants us to ask ourselves about our own notions about the Other - what do we assume about the people he is speaking about, without knowing them, without ever meeting them? He also wants to shift our perspective from "blaming" the Gapuners for not holding on to their native language - but instead looking at the big picture of what has lead to this loss, why it's happening, and why it matters.
In the end, I would argue that Kulick's book is less about the Tayap language than it is about the effects of colonialism as illustrated through the narrow perspective of one culture, one people, and one short period of time (the 1980s to mid 2010s). Through this narrowed perspective, Kulick is able to illustrate the way colonialism and westernization has continued to effect and harm those involved - even if it seems we are in a "post-colonial" world.
By putting this image in-front of the reader, Kulick calls into question the responsibility of the (assumedly Western) reader to engage with the effects of colonialism and the world view and situation of less privileged peoples across the globe. Without asking or telling us, Kulick directly questions our own perceptions of civilization, progress, education, infrastructure, growth, change, and development by making us look at the Gapuner's situation and question if the Western ideal of any of these things would actually improve anything.
In the end, I would argue that Kulick's book is less about the Tayap language than it is about the effects of colonialism as illustrated through the narrow perspective of one culture, one people, and one short period of time (the 1980s to mid 2010s). Through this narrowed perspective, Kulick is able to illustrate the way colonialism and westernization has continued to effect and harm those involved - even if it seems we are in a "post-colonial" world.
By putting this image in-front of the reader, Kulick calls into question the responsibility of the (assumedly Western) reader to engage with the effects of colonialism and the world view and situation of less privileged peoples across the globe. Without asking or telling us, Kulick directly questions our own perceptions of civilization, progress, education, infrastructure, growth, change, and development by making us look at the Gapuner's situation and question if the Western ideal of any of these things would actually improve anything.