Uncovering The Papalagi
The Papalagi is believed to be a collection of speeches by Tuiavii, but history tells us that this is not the case. Who is the true author of this book? Why does it continue to be popular today? Let us uncover the secret behind The Papalagi.
Erich Scheurmann was born in Germany in 1878. He believed in going back to a simpler, more natural way of living. In 1904, he journeyed to Samoa to write a book about the island nation. After returning to his home country, he published The Papalagi in 1920. It included a collection of speeches by a Samoan chief named Tuiavii.
Scheurmann said that he was just the translator of Tuiavii’s speeches. But it is known today that the real author of the book is Scheurmann himself. By creating the figure Tuiavii, he hoped to provide Europeans with a perspective deeply rooted in nature.
The idea of romanticizing natives from Samoa as untouched by European civilization was popular at the time. The book became a bestseller and was translated into many languages.
As time passed, people forgot about The Papalagi. But eventually, it was found again and continues to be popular even now. Its enduring appeal lies not only in its message but also in the creative use of language to describe the European lifestyle.
For example, Tuiavii compares shoes to “a kind of canoe,” newspapers to “machines for thoughts,” and a telephone to “the iron string which allows words to travel faster than birds.” This kind of language was chosen in order to offer another perspective on Western society.
To sum up, Scheurmann romanticized Samoans, while Westerners were represented as slaves to time, work, and materialism. But in this closely connected world, it might be better to put away this extreme form of romanticizing. Instead, it is probably wiser to try to understand and respect the different cultures as they are. After all, in our big global family, every tradition brings something special to the table!
The Papalagi is believed to be a collection of speeches by Tuiavii, but history tells us that this is not the case. Who is the true author of this book? Why does it continue to be popular today? Let us uncover the secret behind The Papalagi.
Erich Scheurmann was born in Germany in 1878. He believed in going back to a simpler, more natural way of living. In 1904, he journeyed to Samoa to write a book about the island nation. After returning to his home country, he published The Papalagi in 1920. It included a collection of speeches by a Samoan chief named Tuiavii.
Scheurmann said that he was just the translator of Tuiavii’s speeches. But it is known today that the real author of the book is Scheurmann himself. By creating the figure Tuiavii, he hoped to provide Europeans with a perspective deeply rooted in nature.
The idea of romanticizing natives from Samoa as untouched by European civilization was popular at the time. The book became a bestseller and was translated into many languages.
As time passed, people forgot about The Papalagi. But eventually, it was found again and continues to be popular even now. Its enduring appeal lies not only in its message but also in the creative use of language to describe the European lifestyle.
For example, Tuiavii compares shoes to “a kind of canoe,” newspapers to “machines for thoughts,” and a telephone to “the iron string which allows words to travel faster than birds.” This kind of language was chosen in order to offer another perspective on Western society.
To sum up, Scheurmann romanticized Samoans, while Westerners were represented as slaves to time, work, and materialism. But in this closely connected world, it might be better to put away this extreme form of romanticizing. Instead, it is probably wiser to try to understand and respect the different cultures as they are. After all, in our big global family, every tradition brings something special to the table!