Savage Anxieties by Robert A. Williams Jr.

Check out this book!įun fact 1: it discusses the work of Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark on page 3!įun fact 2: the author makes a psychological claim about anxiety and obsession with the idea of the savage citing the DSM!ĬOVID-19 Racism and Chinese American Families’ Mental Health: A Comparison between 20 #mdpiijerph via research shows that Chinese American families continued to experience anti-Asian racism both online and in person in 2021, negatively impacting their mental health. I loved how the author ties things together in the last chapter on Indigenous peoples’ human rights. It is a fun book to read because the author condenses a lot of history in a way that is easy to understand, showing how this myth inspires conquest, Christianity, settler colonialism, and white saviorism. I like how the book examines the complexity of these ideas, showing that there is not a single myth, but many, including the noble savage, the barbarian, and the wild man. This book helped me understand the historical roots of dehumanization and the creation of whiteness. The central thesis of this book is that the idea of the savage is central for the creation of “The West”, in opposition to, nostalgia for, and fear of, the Other.įor example, this book shows how many classic stories (like Odyssey) are about heroes who find meaning in their struggle against “savages” (subhuman monsters like Cyclops) or by rejecting a society that has changed and moved away from its idealized “savage” origins (paradise lost). It tells the history of the myth of the savage from Homer and Ancient Greece to this day, and its impact on Indigenous peoples around the world.

Another book I read in 2022 that I recommend is “Savage Anxieties: The Invention of Western Civilization” by Robert A.

Savage Anxieties by Robert A. Williams Jr.