Various written assignments for: Introduction to Haitian Voodoo

THE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS FOR: AN INTRODUCTION TO HAITI VOODOO

RELG 2030.52

FALL (II) 2001

Bob Corbett, instructor

Meets: 6-10 PM Tuesday evenings.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ALL ASSINGMENTS

All papers must be turned in on time, during the class on the evening they are due. Any paper not turned in on time will be held to a MUCH HIGHER standard of achievement in order to be graded acceptable.
I will accept absolutely no assignments on disc or by e-mail. I will only accept papers which are in hard copy (printed on paper).
All papers must be in 12 point type.
ABSOLUTELY NOT ONE SINGLE DIRECT QUOTE OF AN SORT MAY BE USED. Do your work in your own words, 100%.
These assignments are individual assignments, not group projects. Any paper which reflects an excessive closeness to the work of another student will be rejected without possibility of re-writing.

THE ASSIGNMENTS THEMSELVES
- Due class # 2, Nov. 6:
  1. Assignment on Corbett's paper: Introduction to Haitian Voodoo.
    Answer all questions. Be as brief as you can to adequately answer the question.
    Under no circumstances should you quote Corbett. Not at all. Tell this 100% in your own words.
    Carefully number each reply and if it has sub-part, number those.
    1. Voodoo is said to be fatalistic. What does this mean?
    2. There are two different "rites" in Voodoo. What are they and how would you describe each? What is the ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE between the two?
    3. Voodoo is said to be a religion of one God, yet there are many many lwa. How is this not a contradiction?
    4. Each person is said to have two DIFFERENT spirits or souls. What are these and what is the ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE between the two.
    5. What is the role of healing in Haitian Voodoo?
    6. What is Voodoo's relationship to Catholicism and Protestantism? Explain each.
    7. According to Corbett is it true that Voodoo is fatalistic? What is his position on this?
  2. Questions on Corbett's paper: Why is Haiti So Poor?
    1. Briefly explain the following claims about contribution to Haitian poverty:
      1. French contribution.
      2. U.S. contribution.
      3. International boycott contribution.
      4. Haitian elite contribution.,
    2. Corbett argues there are two special puzzles concerning Haitian poverty. What are these?
    3. How does Corbett describe and reply to these puzzles, or why are they puzzles on his view?
    4. Corbett argues there is a myth concerning Haitian poverty. What is this myth?
    5. How does Corbett reply to this myth, or why does he call it a myth?
- Due class # 3, Nov. 13: Assignment on three different readings:
  Answer all questions. Be as brief as you can to adequately answer the question.
  Under no circumstances should you quote Corbett. Not at all. Tell this 100% in your own words.
  Carefully number each reply and if it has sub-part, number those.
  1. Assignment the short list of lwa.
    Pick 6 of the lwa and briefly tell about them. Be careful -- do this in your own words.
  2. Assignment on the short historical notes.
    Some one asks you: Please tell me a bit about the history of Voodoo. In casual terms and language, as though you were chatting over a cup of coffee, what do you reply?
  3. Assignment on the list of Catholic saints.
    Go to the site listed below and copy or print one of the photos of a lwa. Identify that lwa and match it with a Catholic saint
    
    Tony Fisher wrote: I can help you with two images, at least. They are common ones, the chromolithographs of Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Dantor, which we have republished as postcards/notecards. Go to the Cards section of our indigoarts.com site, go the the Catalog section, and look for P-27, P-28 and N-26. Lots of other Haitian images there, by the way.
    I'll put in a link which should get you there:
    Hope this helps,
    Tony Fisher
    Indigo Arts Gallery
- Due class # 4, Nov. 20: Assignments on three different readings:
  1. Assignment on Bonnie Thomas-Stevenson paper.
    - 1. Thomas-Stevenson claims that Haitian Voodoo and Ozark folk medicine share a number of specific medicines. Name 5 such plants or specific medicines they share.
    - 2. What are the there "female" herbs?
  2. Assignment on Corbett's review of Paul Brodwin paper.
    - 1. Who is Paul Brodwin?
    - 2. Explain his view on the two different sorts of illness. Be brief but clear.
    - 3. Explain the three dominant form of healing in Haiti.
    - 4. Corbett raises one serious objection about Brodwin's account. What is is objection. Be clear.
    - 5. Corbett raises another concern about Brodwin's METHODS. What is that concern of his. Explain it in a clear enough manner that someone not having read the review would understand.
  3. Questions on the essay on the spelling of the name of the relgion.
    - 1. What are the various spellings of the name of the religion put forward by various people?
    - Corbett favors one spelling. Which spelling and what are his reasons for favoring it?
    - What are reasons given by others who prefer any of the other alternatives?
    - There is also an issue on the use of a lower case "v" or an upper case "V" not matter which spelling them follows. What is the issue?
    - What is the general stand on this issue and why?
- Due class # 5, Nov. 27:
- Due class # 7, Dec. 11: Assignment on 4 different assignments.
  1. Assignment on Corbett's notes on THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW.
    Answer the following questions:
    1. Who were the Maroons and why are they important to Davis' story? This may take you BEYOND the Davis paper. If you need help and can't find it via a Goggle search, try searching maroon or maroons on Corbett's web site search engine. There should be material on them in my essays on The Haitian Revolution.
    2. Corbett is suspicious of part of Davis's account.
      1. What part is he doubtful of?
      2. What reasons does he have for that doubt?
      3. What does Wade Davis think of Corbett's objections?
    3. Corbett is suspicious of the role of Max Beauvoir in this whole story.
      1. What role does Beauvoir play?
      2. Why is Corbett suspicious of his role?
      3. C. What is the general view of scholars of Max Beauvoir today?
  2. Assignment on Corbett's review of PASSAGE OF DARKNESS.
    Answer the following questions on Passage of Darkness review by Bob Corbett.
    1. What does Corbett mean that Davis' account of zombification requires both poisons and a particular social "set?"
    2. What is a Bizango society?
    3. Are there really zombies in Haiti? How does Davis address this question?
    4. Davis has been accused of bad science. What are the charges against him?
    5. Corbett defends Davis. What arguments does he use?
      This is complex and fairly long. Respond in your own words. Be brief, but do justice to the arguments -- all of them -- which Corbett uses to defend Davis.
  3. Assignment on Corbett's paper: How Are Zombies Made.
    Answer the following questions:
    1. Corbett says for the sake of this analysis he will proceed "as though zombies exist." Why must he make this qualification?
    2. Corbett says that one should not take the "religious" explanation seriously. But this is not because he rejects religion. Why does he reject this hypothesis?
    3. Why does Corbett reject the three-drug hypothesis out of hand?
    4. Corbett inquires about the initial drug, the one which causes a death-like trance, and ask whether or not it might not just wear off on its own. What is Davis' response to this?
    5. In your own words explain clearly the SECOND puzzle Corbett has when all is said and done with the process of zombification. Make this concern very clear yet as short as you can and still do justification to the issue.
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