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Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” Clifford Geertz

In: English and Literature

Submitted By Ikarenin
Words 556
Pages 3
In his essay, “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” Clifford Geertz described what appears to be playing sports or even gambling – cockfighting. But reading further, one can understand that one important point of the article addresses human passions, self-expression, and relationship building aspects of the people of Bali. In my mind this essay is a microcosm of humanity as a whole, one difference is found in the representation of different cultures.
At the onset, Geertz tells us a story of his first hand observation of an illegal cockfight in one of the villages in Bali. Prier to the cockfight he and his wife were unacknowledged in the village, but were accepted into the local society after their support in covering up the illegal event to the police. That is the moment when he realizes that cockfighting in Bali is not a just about gambling, but is much more civic in nature.
After watching numerous fights he suggests that the fights are metaphoric; and not between cocks but between people. These fights are, “… a convulsive surge of animal hatred, a mock war of symbolical selves, and a formal simulation of status tensions.” He uses this occasion to represent one’s feelings towards other members of the local society. Even though there is money involved in making bids, it is secondary to the metaphoric demonstration of one’s pride, poise, dispassion and masculinity associated with the fights. Even though people are unharmed, it is only the cocks that pay with their life, and the owners of the cocks risk their reputation in loosing. This embarrassment lasts a short time but it is very public. The fights are, says Geertz, a way of “saying something of something.” By this he means the cock-owners use the animal and the fight to send a message to an opponent for reasons like: capturing someone’s wife, settling of political disputes, and arguments.
Even though

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