A lrb (London Review of Books www.lrb.com) essay. It draws on the various meanings of the term cannibalism, its historical sources, contexts and references. The essay starts with the story of a couple of real life cannibals – Amin Miewes and Bernd Brandis, modern people with decent jobs. The later voluntarily subjects himself to be devoured by the former. This news, the writer uses mostly to draw attention.
The essay is followed by the origins of cannibalism. He mentions Marco Polo's reference of cannibalistic and dog-headed colonies and later assertions of Columbus and Avramescu of such existence. The word, it is suggested, has its origins in 'carib' from Caribbean. There are references of Robinson Crusoe and implications on how colonizers had intentionally coined the 'savages' as cannibals to give meaning to their merciless exploitations.
There is a certain example drawn from Othello which lacked relevance. The essay eventually takes a more passive turn and reflects more on cannibalism's anthropological aspects quoting from and relating to the likes of Rousseau, Locke, Father Labat and Swift's 'Modest Prosposal'.
The ending was quite interesting and more so to me as it relates Freudian (lately my subject of interest) interpretations of greed behavior with cannibalism. It ends with the example of Sweeny Todd the movie and suggests that modern cannibalism is really the corporate greed devouring the common man.
It is probably the alacritous and mellifluous adeptness with which the essay addresses otherwise dry or rather pedantic issues that liked so much.
Also the way the writer seizes the readers' attention with an example that has almost nothing to do with the matter that follows is very noticeable.
Anyone interested to read the essay can follow the link below:
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