Distant Episode Essay

1101 Words5 Pages
Distant Episode by Paul Bowles Culture is a very sensitive and an intricate thing, filled with mysterious nuances. We can see a great example of two different cultures that share many differences between each other by looking at ‘’A Distant Episode ‘’, by Paul Bowles. In the story learn about how the French colonize the culture of Monaco. The two countries are polar opposite from each which leads to cultural imperialism. The French people are very technologically advanced and live in an urban environment. To them education is very important and it shows what class you are part of in society. The French believe in a due-process system. They follow legal-proceeding which guarantees fundamental fairness and justice to the people and government won’t be unfair to the people or wont abuse them physically. The French maintain a stable and industrialized economy. The people of Monaco are much undeveloped as a civilization and act very belligerent. The people of Monaco showed very little signs of industrialization, such as when the professor was being forced to wear tin can tops all over his body by the Reguibat. They’re daily means of transportation involves the utilization of camels as described in the passage the lower class Reguibat traveled with the professor in the dessert and from one encampment to another. They seem to be a patriarchal society living in a rural environment. There is clear tension between these two different civilizations, a professor and linguist who is a French citizen is caught between the rages of the two nations. In the beginning of the story the professor comes to the town of Ain Tadourit mainly for work and personal reasons. As he engages with the people of the town he seems to be relying a lot on his money and his intellect. For example when he wanted little boxes made from camel udders, and would
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