Valencia 1

MelinaValencia
IntroductiontoAnthropology
ProfessorJamesMcKenna
28October2014
JaneGoodallsThroughaWindow
Pickoutfivemajorevents,examples,orincidentsdescribedbyGoodallinThrough
AWindowthatmayhavecausedyoutogainsomeinsightsastohowthe
chimpanzeesofGombeStreamareeithermoresimilar,ormoredifferentfromour
speciesthanwhatyoumighthaveimaginedbeforereadingthisbook.
ThepresenceofcannibalisminGombewassomethingthatIdidnotanticipate
andmademeseethenasmoredifferentfromourspecies.Readingaboutthebrutalways
inwhichinfantswerebeingkilledwastrulyhorrifyingandappalling.Passionsvicious
attackonGilkaandherchildrenwasgrotesqueandthewaythatPassion,Pom,andProf
slowlydevouredthecarcassandwithrelishmakesmethinkthatchimpanzeesaremore
differentfromourspecies(Goodall8992).However,thiswasthesoleincidentthat
mademeseechimpanzeesmoreunlikeHomosapiens.DavidGraybeardgavemesome
insightastohowthechimpanzeesofGombeStreamaremoresimilartoourspeciesthatI
hadpreviouslyimagined.Oneofthehallmarksofourspeciesisthatonlywewere
capableofmakingtools,andsoMantheToolmakerbecameanoftenciteddefinition.
Davidwasfishingfortermiteswithstemsofgrass;hewasusingthegrassasatooland
hewasshowingthecrudebeginningsoftoolmakingbyalteringit(takingawidebladeof

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grassandtrimmingitsothatitcouldfitintothepassageofthetermitemound)tofita
desiredpurpose(Goodall6,2023).Withthenewknowledgeofchimpanzeesabilityto
createtools,Iseethattheyare,infact,closertoourspeciesthanIoriginallythought.
Thefollowingexamplesprovidedmewithmoreinsightonhowthechimpanzees
aresimilartous.Thereisacloseresemblanceinthephysiologyofourtwospeciesand
genetically,chimpanzeeandhumanDNAdiffersonlyjustoveronepercent(Goodall15).
AneventdescribedbyGoodallthatcausedmetogainmoreinsightonhowchimpanzees
relatetousisthetantrumsthrownbyFrodoandProf.Theyaretwotoddlersthatarenot
gettingwhattheywantandsoarereactingtheonlywaytheyknowwillillicitareaction
(Goodall140).Thisideacanbeappliedtothetantrumsthrownbythetoddlersofour
species,throwingthemselvesonthefloor,screaminguntiltheyeithergetwhattheywant
orarechastised.Lastly,theweaningprocessyoungchimpanzeesgothroughcanbe
comparedtotheadjustmentprocessourspeciesgoesthroughwhenamotheristryingto
getthebabytobelessreliantonher.Thestateofdepressionthechimpanzeesgointo
makesenseasformany,itisthefirsttimetheyareexperiencingmaternalrejection.This
iswhytheywhimperandscream.Whenachildisattendingdaycareforthefirsttime,
he/shethrowstantrums,screamingandwhimperingbecausetheywanttobewiththeir
parents,inthesamewaythatchimpanzeesdoduringtheweaning.Parentswillconcede
topickingthemupearlierinthebeginningfromdaycare,buttheywilleventuallystop

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givingin,justlikechimpanzeemothersdo(Goodall21819).Thesemomentsinthebook
mademeseethesimilaritiesbetweenourspecies.

Howaretherelationshipsbetweenmothersanddaughtersdifferentfromthe
relationshipsmothershavewiththeirsons.
Acleardistinctionintherelationshipamotherhaswithherdaughterandwithher
sonisseenintheseveringofapronstrings(Goodall137).Daughtershavemoretime
tospendwiththeirmothersastheycanlearnwhattheyneedtoknowtohaveasuccessful
adultlifewhileneverleavingtheirfamilylife.Ayoungfemalecanwatchhermother
andhermothersfriendscaringfortheyoung,butshecanalsohandletheinfantsherself,
gainingtheexperiencethatshewillneedwhenshehasherownbaby.Shecanalso
remainclosetohermotherbecauseshecanlearnalotaboutsexandthedemandsshe
willencounterinthatareabyobservinghermotherspinkdays.Sons,however,need
tobreakthetiesinordertolearntheirrolesinthecommunityandadvanceinthesocial
aspectofthecommunity.Maleresponsibilitiesinthecommunitylifeareaspectslike
patrolling,repellingintruders,searchingforfoodsources,andhunting.Ayoungmale
cannotgainenoughexperienceinthesethingsifhestayswithhismother,andso,hemust
leavetospendtimewiththemales.InThroughaWindow,Goodallsharesthestoryof
FreudstumblingafterHumphrey,eagertofollowHumphreyandobserve,forcinghis
mothertojoinhimafterprotestingvigorously(Goodall39,13738).

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Amotheranddaughterhavemoreopportunitiesthanamotherandasontobond
andformabondthatiscloseandintimate.Afemalecanstayclosetohermotherher
entirelife,learningfromher,observingher,andraisingherinfantswithher.Daughters
occupythesamerolesinthecommunityastheirmothersandsotheydonothavethe
needtoleavethefamilysettingtostudytheirfutureresponsibilities.Males,ontheother
hand,haveagreaternecessitythanfemalestoleavebecausetheycannotlearnfromtheir
motherstherolesthattheywillneedtofulfill.Theyneedtospendtimewithadultmales
tolearn.Anindicationofindependenceintheyoungmaleisthefrequencywithwhichhe
joinsgatheringswithouthismother.Thisgavethemalestheopportunitytointeractand
meeteachother(Goodall139).
AccordingtoGoodall(Chapter13)howdidGoblinwinhiswayintothehierarchy
andhowmightMelissahavecontributedtohersonGoblin'ssocialandpolitical
success?
Goblinhadanabundanceofcourageandpersistenceandhehadthewilltogetto
thetopofthesocialcommunityandstaytheredespiteanysetbackshewouldencounter.
AnimportantfactorinGoblinsearlysuccesswashisrelationshipwithFigan.His
presencegaveGoblintheconfidencetochallengeothermalesatanunusuallyearlyage.
FiganplayedasmallroleinhelpingGoblindominatethefemales,asGoblinwasableto
accomplishthisbytheageofthirteen.HisrelationshipwithFiganallowedhimto
challengeolder,moreexperiencedmales;GoblinalmostneverdidsounlessFiganwas

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nearby,andFigan,ifhewasthere,almostalwayschargedupinsupportofhisyoung
follower(Goodall163).ThecompanionshipofFiganempoweredGoblintoactmore
boldly,knowingthathewouldhavethesupportofhisfriend.Afterhisfourteenth
birthday,Goblincouldintimatealloftheseniormalesonaonetoonebasis,evengoing
sofarastochallengingmalesthatweretogether.Soon,Goblinstartedshowingsignsof
disloyaltytowardsFigan,andchallengedFiganoutright;afterthefirstseriousfight,
Goblinemergedvictorious.Goblinhadquiteclearlypickedupseveralusefultipsfor
dominancefromFigan.Helearnedthevalueofsurpriseandthepsychologicaladvantage
gainedbyscaringtheothermalesfromtheirsleep.Atageseventeen,Goblinbecamethe
undisputedalpha(Goodall15972).
Goblinsupbringingshapedhispersonalityandthebehaviorheshowsin
adulthood.Melissawasanattentiveandsupportivemother,butneveroverindulgedhim.
Shedidnotrestrictmuch,nordidsheallowhimtodomucheither.Sheimposedherwill
onhersonwhenitcametothethingsthatmatteredlikeweaning.Genetically,ifGoblins
behaviorwasinherited,MelissacontributedfiftypercentofGoblinsgenes,providing
muchtohissocialandpoliticalsuccess.
CompareandcontrastthemotherdaughterrelationshipofPomandPassionwith
FloandFifi.

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FifiandPomexemplifytheimportanceofonesupbringingbecauseoftheimpact
ithasonbehaviorandpersonality.ThemotherdaughterrelationshipofPomandPassion,
andFloandFifidiffergreatlyinsomeaspectsbutsimilarinothers.
Apersonsearlyexperiencesinlifeprofoundlyaffectbehaviorsinadulthood.As
JaneGoodallstates,Asecurechildhoodislikelytoleadtoselfrelianceand
independenceinadulthood(Goodall3839).Fifihadwhatonewouldcallacarefree,
idealchildhood.Hermother,Flo,hadinnatemotherlyinstincts,whichmadeher
affectionate,easygoing,fun,andprotective.Fifihadsiblingstoplaywith,andequally
important,hermotherwasahighranking,sociablefemale.Withanactive,nurturing
socialenvironment,Fififlourishedandgrewintoaconfident,selfassuredchild.During
theweaningprocess,Fifisdemeanorchangedasshebecamelessplayfulandcheerful,
butshemovedpastherdepressionquicklyandwentbacktoheroldself.WhenFlohad
Flint,Fifiwaselatedandspentmuchtimewithhim.Shewasentirelyreceptivetothe
additioninthefamily,playinganimportantroleinFlintslife.WhenFifiwentthrough
theinfertilephase,shematuredsocially,becomingmoreselfreliantandstrongerasshe
wentinsearchofmalecompanywithouthermotherasacompanion.Whileshewas
pregnantwithherfirstchild,FifisrelationshipwithhermotherandFlintbecame
strongerasshenolongerhadtosatiatehersexualappetite.FifiandFlohadahealthy
motherdaughterrelationship;FlonurturedFifiandhelpedhergrowintoanindependent
femaleintheGombesociety(Goodall3940).

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WhencomparedtoFifischildhood,Pomschildhoodwasdrearyandlackedin
severalareas.Shegrewupwithacold,distantmotherthatwasharshandhadnofemale
companions.PomalsodifferedfromFifibecauseshedidnothaveanysiblingstoplay
with,relyingentirelyonhermother;shebecameaclingy,frightenedchild.WhenPom
underwenttheweaningprocess,herdepressionseemedtoneverend.AlthoughPassions
attitudetowardsPomimproved,noneofthisseemedtomaketheprocesseasier.Jane
GoodallattributesPomsinabilitytocopewithweaningtotheharshtreatmentshe
receivedasaninfant.ShestoppedtryingtosucklefromhermotherwhenPassionhada
son,Prof.Withthefamilyexpanding,Pom,likeFifi,wasfascinatedbyProf,butonlyfor
ashortwhile.Oncethenoveltyworeoff,shereturnedtoherseeminglyneverending
depressedstate,showinglittleenthusiasmandinterestinherbrother.Slowly,however,
Pommovedpastherdepressionandherbrother,Prof,becamemoreinteresting,spending
timewithhimandprotectinghim.BythetimePomreachedadolescence,thetiebetween
herandhermotherwascloserthanmost.Passionwouldfiercelyprotectherdaughterin
anyaltercationandviceversa.Thetwodidnotspendmuchtimeapart,choosingtogo
outtogetherandminimizethetimespentawayfromoneanother.Pomalsodidnothave
muchconsortshiplikeFifidid,partlybecauseofherrelationshipwithhermother.This
wasclearlyseenwhenPassionattackedSatanafterhetried,persistently,topersuadePom
togowithhim.ManycanseetherelationshipbetweenPassionandPomasunhealthy;

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PassiongreatlyneglectsandisolatesPominherearlylifebutthenformsanunusually
closerelationshipthatcanbethoughtofasoverlydependent(Goodall3839).
Sowhatdoyouthink?Dochimpanzeesexperience"love"orshowloveorhave
anysenseofwhatlovemightbe,inthesensethatwehumansexperienceit?(Strictly
youropinionwithasmatteringofexamplesfromthebookthrownin).
Chimpanzeesarefullycapableofexperiencingloveor,attheveryleast,havea
senseofwhatlovemightbe,inthesamesensethatweashumansexperienceit.AsJane
Goodallsays,ifweacceptthattherearedramaticsimilaritiesinchimpanzeeand
humanbrainandnervoussystem,isitnotlogicaltoassumethattherewillbesimilarities
alsoinatleastthemorebasicfeelings,emotions,moodsofthetwospecies(Goodall
19).FloandFifishowtheloveofamotherintherearingoftheirchildren.Whenever
Frodothrewviolenttantrumsduringtheweaning,Fifireachedouttohimtodrawhim
closer.Shewouldholdhiminherarmsasiftosay,Youcanthavemilk(orrideonmy
back)butIstillloveyou,anyway(Goodall141).TheloveFlohasforherchildrencan
neverbequestionbecausesheputsitondisplayinnumerousoccasions.WhenFiganwas
greatlyhurtduringaskirmish,Flo,wholookedancientwithashrunkenbody,dull,blank
eyes,andslowmovements,leapttoherfeetatthesoundofthefrenziedscreamingofher
sonandracedtowardsthesoundssofastthatherhumanfollowerwasleftbehind.She
groomedhimandhecalmeddown,relaxingunderthereassuringtouchofherfingers
justashehadthroughouthisinfancyandchildhood(Goodall56).Thelovebetween

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siblingsisalsoevidentinthestoriessharedinthenovel.WhenFreudthrewtantrums
afterbeingthreatenedbyhismother,Fifi,hisyoungerbrother,Frodowouldhurryoverto
hisbrotherandembracehim,stayingcloseuntilFreudwasquiet.Frodowouldalsocry
whenhesawthatFifiwasnotwaitingforFreud,whowasinjuredatthetime.Then
Frodosatclosebyhisbigbrother,groominghimandgazingattheinjuredfoot,until
Freudfeltabletocontinue.Thenthefamilymovedontogether(Goodall134).Pomwas
alsoextremelyprotectiveofheryoungerbrother,Prof,pullinghimawayfromdangers
likesnakesandbringinghimtosafety.Thesearemomentswereonecanseetheaffection
andloveonesiblinghasforanother,wantingtoprotectthemandcareforthem.Reading
thestoriessharedbyJaneGoodallfirmlypushesforththebeliefthatchimpanzeesare
capableofexperiencinglove.
WorksCited
Goodall,Jane.ThroughaWindow:MyThirtyYearsWiththeChimpanzeesofGombe.
Boston:HoughtonMifflin,1990.Print.