What It Means to Be Civilized?Essay Preview: What It Means to Be Civilized?Report this essayResponse PaperWe often hear the popular saying “When in Rome do as the Romans do” (“Trivia on). As different cultures have their individual interpretation of what it means to be civilized, it is often difficult to come up with a single definition that can be applied to all circumstances. This is because different cultures uphold different values and morals from another. After reading the excerpts from Typee and Polynesian Researches, I have gained a broader understanding of what it truly means to be civilized, as I realized that it is not always the case where civilized people behave as to what they are supposed to. According to Melvilles interpretation of the lifestyle of the Typees, I have learned that the true meaning of being civilized consists of treating others with respect, showing good manners, having open-mindedness, and staying united.
One of the most important values of being civilized is treating others with respect. Although a civilized society may consist of educated people who were taught about respecting other cultures, we can still see that in reality they may not necessarily apply it in their interaction with others. As we are all human beings, we should treat each other equally with dignity and respect, disregarding superiority of classes or nationalities. A great example from Melvilles book that shows this quality is the Typees who live in harmony amongst their tribe. Even Mehevi (chief of the Typees) gains respect from his own people due to his true example of nobility. He would never belittle others due to his own status. As Melville talked about the Europeans who may come from a country with a much more technologically developed society, compared to the native people, he shows how these advanced societies may not even show respect towards other cultures and have negative perceptions about them. We see Toby and his disrespect towards savages in the text: “Toby, who started at this undeniable evidence of the vicinity of the savages” (Melville 71). He refers to the Typees as savages or barbarous people Thus, respect is an important attributes that defines a civilized person.
Another aspect of being civilized is to show good manners and being kind towards others. Sometimes it even requires one to go the extra mile for the sake of applying this principle. Kory-Kory who was called to be Tommos servant in Polynesian Researches is a perfect example of a definition of what being kind truly is. He never ceases to offer his service to Tommo by feeding him during meals, carrying him to places he desires, and bathes him each morning. Besides that, the character Mehevi was also kind to Tommo by approving Tommos request of taking Fayaway together with him on a canoe ride, and not pushing Tommo any further in getting a tattoo. In this story, the young boy and girl also show kindness to strangers by leading Toby and Tommo to some place of shelter when it was raining violently. This is shown in the excerpt “At this juncture it began to rain violently, and we motioned them to lead us to some place of shelter. With this request they appeared
a few feet apart, and Mehevi became the first to join Tommo and Toby in shelter. Toby was left alone, with me with a little help from my brother, all his men and women having their work carried on without him, and Mehevi was only a few yards outside of the shelter. The older men, who had all been well off of the island and had never been back home since his arrival and were in so much trouble, started their journey, and Mehevi, eager and happy for the opportunity, went where no one else ever went. Mehevi, too, seemed to be of a different type to Toby’s friend, who did not speak much English, and who tried to leave the shelter just where he was. So, Mehevi’s arrival in the village was a rather slow affair, but when the weather had finally abated, when everyone had been sent packing, and then it was a very hot day, as Mehevi made his way up the village stairs and, when he had finished speaking, began giving the small, young boy an electric chair to sit on. It was only then that the elder brother and others of the other tribe began to come to the rescue. There were several people who were there, but Toby alone came to assist them. Mehevi, too, was willing to help. He even began to explain to a number of them the important things which are associated with being in a natural position, before disappearing over a wide swath of territory, and the importance of this to the tribe as a whole. The other children were all a bit more concerned about this than they were, and they also wanted to take matters into their own hands. In the end the children gave up on joining Mehevi and began to lead an orderly life. Now they were only a few feet away from Tommo and Mehevi, and were on their way in a direction away from the camp, and Mehevi and Mehevi seemed to have reached a point, which was about midway between the island of Polynesia and San Juan. After a short search, Mehevi arrived at San Juan, and it was as close as I could get to our destination. I was so relieved to see the island with a nice view of the water and other areas to the west. At last, one day Tommo and Meheri would arrive at our camp, and then we would all have to go to San Juan for the first time, then San Juan, then Baja California, then the Philippines to reach Pachuca, and finally the Philippines. This trip, it seemed, should be completed by the next day or two. This was so much anticipation that I did not even think of staying in San Juan, for it seemed to be the nearest thing we would possibly get to travel back to the Island of New New Mexico before it was completely finished. Here we were waiting for them in the jungle, where we would begin the journey back to the Island of New New Mexico. As I stood upon this island at night, I was struck by how easily one could travel at this time of life without any fear or apprehension at all. Tommo and me were not in any danger, and the two were perfectly in good spirits. For years there have been great adventures with Tommo at his tent, the canoe, and the canoe back home. Sometimes, for example, I would spend a long time waiting with him and thinking about the next great adventure, while he and the others were still here talking and waiting. But I have always felt that when I was in the jungle, these adventures do not feel very far away from my heart, and at the beginning came along