Palm Wine

“Palm Wine” is a story of an anthropologist named Bertrand that traveled to Senegal on a graduate fellowship to collect proverbs from its people (McKnight 35). The miscommunication, lack of understanding, and appreciation for the people of Senegal caused alienation between them and Bertrand. I believe that if Bertrand went to Senegal with an absorbent mind frame and stuck to his academic responsibilities, he would have fulfilled his purpose and came out of this journey with a new found respect and some proverbs.

The language barrier between Omar, Bertrand and Doudou caused indifference between them. I notice that when you don’t like a certain person you tend to tune them out and only pick up a portion of what is being stated. Even though Omar’s “English was relatively poor” it was clear that Bertrand “didn’t really like him” (McKnight 36). Doudou felt offended to be studied like rats in a laboratory without being asked. He and his people felt disrespected and felt as if people of Bertrand’s profession “steal from them” (McKnight 40).

In a sense, I think they mean that they steal their culture by writing in books what they perceive and not what the culture of traditions are really about.

Bertrand was already behind “because of a lengthy bout of malaria” (McKnight 35). Knowing this, he should have been more prepared and geared up to collect the Wolof proverbs. He was caught up in this idea and desire to acquire this palm wine. A yearn that he obtained from reading “The Palm-Wine Drunkard in college” (McKnight 35). Bertrand knew that his intentions on getting a hold of some proverbs were low on the list compared to getting some palm wine. He stated, “I took my pad, pencils, and tape recorder along, knowing I wasn’t going to use them” (McKnight 35).

I feel that Bertrand did look at anthropology