Comments on: Rape and Other Uncomfortable Topics http://kotiro.petermichaud.com/production-notes/rape-and-other-uncomfortable-topics/ The Making of an Indie Game Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:21:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Pete http://kotiro.petermichaud.com/production-notes/rape-and-other-uncomfortable-topics/comment-page-1/#comment-434 Pete Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:54:06 +0000 http://kotiro.petermichaud.com/?p=295#comment-434 Great points. I think the answer to #1 may be lost in antiquity. The only information I really have dates from European accounts of Māori culture. I have a few sources who are Māori and have received the oral traditions from their family, but this kind of information is guarded and sometimes unclear or unknown. Based on my research, violence is a strange beast. On one hand, you have a strong warrior ethic, and tribal groups clashed all the time; vendettas would often last until one group or the other in a conflict were completely wiped out because of a strong sense of revenge duty. The vanquished were often eaten. On the other hand, there is a popular legend about a husband beating his wife, and the wife leaving as a result. It worked out alright for him after he grovelled a lot, but it's my understanding that violence against women wasn't tolerated by the woman's male relatives--woe be the man whose father and brothers in law find out he hits his wife. I've read accounts of the penalty being death. Great points. I think the answer to #1 may be lost in antiquity. The only information I really have dates from European accounts of Māori culture. I have a few sources who are Māori and have received the oral traditions from their family, but this kind of information is guarded and sometimes unclear or unknown.

Based on my research, violence is a strange beast. On one hand, you have a strong warrior ethic, and tribal groups clashed all the time; vendettas would often last until one group or the other in a conflict were completely wiped out because of a strong sense of revenge duty. The vanquished were often eaten. On the other hand, there is a popular legend about a husband beating his wife, and the wife leaving as a result. It worked out alright for him after he grovelled a lot, but it’s my understanding that violence against women wasn’t tolerated by the woman’s male relatives–woe be the man whose father and brothers in law find out he hits his wife. I’ve read accounts of the penalty being death.

]]> By: John Baptist http://kotiro.petermichaud.com/production-notes/rape-and-other-uncomfortable-topics/comment-page-1/#comment-433 John Baptist Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:19:01 +0000 http://kotiro.petermichaud.com/?p=295#comment-433 This suggests a few questions: 1. To what extent are we sure of the correct translation of "rape"? Perhaps the word that is rendered as rape might be more correctly translated as "seduce"? Certainly, in the context of the plot of the story, that would make more sense. Perhaps, also, the source language (and perhaps even the culture) doesn't distinguish these two cases as carefully as we do. 2. If we are sure of term "rape," then I need to ask if other forms of violence are also met so casually in Maori culture. Would the woman have behaved similarly if, say, Suki broke her arm instead? Or killed her sister? Is it violence in general that is not noteworthy, or just rape? This suggests a few questions:
1. To what extent are we sure of the correct translation of “rape”? Perhaps the word that is rendered as rape might be more correctly translated as “seduce”? Certainly, in the context of the plot of the story, that would make more sense. Perhaps, also, the source language (and perhaps even the culture) doesn’t distinguish these two cases as carefully as we do.
2. If we are sure of term “rape,” then I need to ask if other forms of violence are also met so casually in Maori culture. Would the woman have behaved similarly if, say, Suki broke her arm instead? Or killed her sister? Is it violence in general that is not noteworthy, or just rape?

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