Mama Lola and Reciprocity

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Jordan Holbrook Dr, Erin Stiles Anth 420 April 19th, 2011 Mama Lola and Reciprocity Balance and order are important among the Haitian Vodou community, as well as in other religions and communities around the world. Reciprocity helps in keeping this order. Reciprocity essentially means give and take. One person will give or do something for one person and in return they will receive something back. In the general Haitian community social reciprocity is practiced every day, not just in Vodou. Haitians do not like to feel like they owe anything. Owing someone is seen as receiving charity and having to receive charity is seen as a weakness. Reciprocity is seen with Mama Lola and her clients and between the spirits and people. In order to get a “treatment” from Mama Lola you must first pay, whether it is by doing something for her or just giving her money. Something must be received. If I give you this what do I get in return? In Mama Lola there are many examples of reciprocity. In chapter two of Mama Lola, Maggie is trying to borrow money. She is in a dilemma about whether to borrow from a stranger but she finally decides to borrow from Kouzen. Maggie does this even though it would be better to borrow the money from the bank. She wants to borrow the money in order to give to Azaka. She feels that in this special case borrowing from Kouzen is her better option. Kouzen gives her the date to give the money back and in reply Maggie tells him to make sure that she has work for the whole year. Before they leave everyone leaves a penny on the floor, Maggie explains, “Something you can’t just take. Even you just put a penny, that don’t matter. You got to pay (Brown: 68).” I think that this quote really sums up the way the practitioners of Vodou live. They are always giving something away and getting something back, even from the spirits. Even Azaka plays a part in

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