"The Devil Tree" [Text]

"The Devil Tree" [Text]

This image contains the article “The Devil Tree” in the Harper’s Weekly publication. The article discusses the people of Zanzibar, Tanzania in Africa and a certain cultural practice they perform. The people of Zanzibar believed they could exercise evil spirits from afflicted people called Imps by binding them to a piece of iron, glass or other such object. Once the Imp was bound they would hang the object in a tree, trapping the Imp there forever. The people of Zanibar’s system of belief is sensationalized as no more than an interesting story of a savage people’s, making their home seem like a wild, uncivilized, unkempt land. The writer gives no context as to how this cultural practice came about and does not question why the people believe in the Devil Tree. The writer only give’s the reader the sensational negative and scary aspects of the practice (i.e. focusing on a man who clubbed his wife to death. He is hanged and the imp is exorcized). The writer and publication represent the people of Zanzibar and their culture as disabled due to the focus on the negative and horrid aspects of the practice rather than actually trying to determine why it takes place at all. This would have given the reader a negative outlook on the Indians represented in the chapter's 8 and 9 of the publication.

Archives and Special Collections

Calgary: University of Calgary

Chassels, Cody

http://library.ucalgary.ca/copyright/images

English

Text

Print Publication