“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 as being “the study of primitive cultures”(McKnight 39). He didn’t appreciate it as a culture rich in tradition but as a place yet to be civilized.
He wasn’t taking in the people and their customs and way of life; he only wanted what they could offer that could calm his thirst which was the palm wine. Once he attained the palm wine and realized that this wine that the Drinkard “soujourns through many cruel and horrifying worlds to in order in try to retrieve” (McKnight 35) is an “acquired taste” (McKnight 39). Doudou witnesses Bertrand’s wince to this highly unpleasant taste and feels the he does not appreciate what has been given to him.
I think at this point, if not any other, Doudou shows Bertrand no more respect. This story is to teach appreciation of ones’ own culture before one came learn to appreciate another. Bertrand missed out on the meaning of the rituals, folklore, and rich culture of the people of Senegal. When Bertrand said that he was “recovering what was lost” he offended these people of this institution and even myself (McKnight 40). I feel that you can not recover something that is not lost. These people are thriving and alive with tradition.