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Goodall's story
ray scupin (scupin@LINDENWOOD.EDU)
Thu, 12 Oct 1995 14:51:53 -0500
my introductory anthro course. The video introduces research on primate
communication, studies on sign language, investigations of
pidgin/creolization processes illuminated by Bickerton's research, and
insights into Whorf's conceptions (misconceptions) of Hopi language. I
find the film a good overview of recent studies in linguistic research
and the students seem to learn something from it.
In the film Jane Goodall tells a story about a chimpanzee named
Lucy (not related to the Australopithecine, except that perhaps they
shared a common ancestor) who was raised in a human family and was taught
sign language. After a long period of time as a "child" of these
parents, where she had her own refigerator etc., the parents decided to
take her back to Africa to live among a group of Wild chimps. Goodall
compares this to a pampered U.S.teenager who is all of a sudden placed among
aborigines. In the wild Lucy went into a severe depression and remained
despondent for two years or so. In the meantime some humans came to
observe her in the wild, and Lucy went up to them, looked into their eyes
and signed "Please, help out!"
I have skimmed through Goodall's work to find evidence of this
tale, and have not come up with anything. It seems like one of
those anthropological apocryphal tales, but on the other hand, Goodall is
such a careful scientist. Students always ask questions about this story
and I am at a loss to find anything definitive that they can investigate to
look into this situation. Does anyone out there in our virtual community
remember anything about this narrative? I would appreciate any references
to a source on this matter.
Thanks in advance,
Ray Scupin
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Raymond Scupin
Sociology/Anthropology Dept.
Lindenwood College
209 S. Kingshighway
St. Charles, MO 63301
314-949-4730 (Office)
314-949-9244 (Home)
314-949-4730 (Fax)
Not chaos-like, together crushed and bruised,
But, as the world harmoniously confused:
Where order in variety we see,
And where, though all things differ, all agree
Alexander Pope
"Windsor-Forest."
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