Comparative Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparative Literature - Essay Example Europeans regard cannibalism as a wrongful activity but the writings indicate that cannibals cannot be regarded as savage and brutal people. They kill and eat human beings not for their appetite but for their glory and virtue. Moreover, the killing is not done as massive as is done in civilized societies. According to the writers, the civilized societies can be categorized as more savage and barbarous as compared to cannibalistic societies because humankind is dealt much more brutally and cruelly in civilized societies. The information collected about the cannibals is not a mythic story or some tale but judged events. The cannibals lead a well structured life according to their own setup. They are away from technology and innovation but they are near to nature. The cannibals are governed by natural laws. They also have their own religions and priests who preach them about love and hatred. They show love towards their families. They do not fight for physical belongings but for their valour and glory. They kill their enemies and keep their heads with themselves. They take prisoners, kill them and eat them afterwards by roasting. Europeans show sympathetic attitude towards cannibals on the basis of their own social values. They consider that cannibalistic societies are better than European societies because they do not show greed for physical belongings. This paper contains a detailed account of European attitudes regarding cannibalism in the light of two writers, Jean de Lery and Michel de Montaigne. Cannibalism can be defined as an activity in which, human beings are involved in eating other human beings (Lestringant 1997). Some humans consider other humans as their food in place of taking other types of foods available. The word cannibalism is also employed when one species is involved in eating its own kind. Cannibalism takes place when the enemies or other people are considered less than human and they are regarded as an