The Maori Jesus

The Maori Jesus

On one level this text appears to be about how Maori culture has been lobotomized by the dominant Pakeha culture. However, quickly it seems that Maori culture is representative of anything which counters the dominant culture of society. Like the Maori Jesus anything which threatens the status quo is is repressed and shutdown.

Any idea that threatens the dominant establishment is shutdown and repressed quickly. This is shown in the poem when the author, James K baxter writes “I am the Light in the Void... The seventh day he was lobotomized; The brain of God was cut in half .” The author use of the word “light” represents change and new idea for filling the darkness in the dominant society's culture. The dominant society repression is show when the Maori Jesus is “lobotomized” for trying to put new ideas in the establishment. The Maori jesus idea were great, this is shown by the author using the word “God” to describe him. This is important because it shows us that the dominant society is oblivious to the other society's ideas and opinions.

People feel like they must question themselves when not part of the dominant society. This is shown when the Maori Jesus says “I am who I am.” This shows us that for whatever the Maori Jesus does he feels like he must justify his actions to everybody. He feels like he must explain himself because he is not part of the dominant society. This is important because it shows the potential harm that can emotionally affect the lesser society and make them try to merge in the normal society.

Ideas are shut down very quickly in establishments because it threatens them despite the normality. This is show when the author writes “He played the guitar sitting on the ground... The first day he was arrested.” This shows us that new idea are shut down quickly “He played sitting on the ground” shows us that he is just a normal human being that has his own ideas and it shut down for threatening them with new ideas. This shutdown is shown by hum getting arrested. This is important because it show us that good ideas could just being passing through our minds but we might not be listening to them because we are blinded by our own society.

This topic is important to us because it affects us in of everyday lives with all the ethnic group we are now exposed to it important to to be self centred and it is important to be humble to everybody.

“I am the Light in the Void... The seventh day he was lobotomized; The brain of God was cut in half .”

“He played the guitar sitting on the ground... The first day he was arrested.”

“I am who I am.”

“On one level this text appears to be about how Maori culture has been lobotomized by the dominant Pakeha culture. However, quickly it seems that Maori culture is representative of anything which counters the dominant culture of society. Like the Maori Jesus anything which threatens the status quo is is repressed and shutdown. “