25 years of Espeut | Anancy as National Hero

Our role models our heroes are those we admire and seek to emulate. Judging by their actions, persons high and low, black and white have Anancy as their personal hero. And there is Anancyism in banks and government offices. We need to fess up! Anancy lives!

First published on July 24, 1996.

In some societies, among individuals the dominant value is honour. "Death before dishonour" could be their motto, and no matter how humble, persons are very careful to protect their good name by being honest, ethical in business, chivalrous, by serving their community, and by supporting just causes.

I once heard Jamaican anthropologist Dr Barry Chevannes describe the dominant value in Jamaican society as "survival" and Anancy as a sort of "national hero". I agree with his analysis. Most Jamaicans urban and rural are born into and live in difficult circumstances, where wages are low and unemployment is high. Although the situation in rural and urban is different, the daily struggle is for survival: for more than one bellyful of nutritious food per day, to be clothed and to have adequate shelter and healthcare. In this context, all glory, laud and honour goes to survivors, those who can consistently support themselves and their dependents.

Anancy is a trickster, and a deceiver, but many admire him because he is the ultimate survivor, the one able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds - often through deceit - to get the dookoonoo, or the bunch of bananas or the pot of porridge, or just to avoid danger or trouble by outwitting Bra Tiger or Bra Tacoomah.

It is unlikely that most Jamaicans can survive on wage income alone. Most people (from all classes) have several sources of income to make ends meet or to get a little extra for additional comfort. Often the extra income is earned in what some people call the 'informal sector', that sort of grey area of the economy unregulated and unmonitored, which includes legal and illegal activities. Anancy would approve.

Anancy knows that the system is stacked against him, and that if he plays by the rules made by those who control the system, he won't be able to make much headway; he cannot survive. And so the whole thrust of his approach to life is to beat the system; not to challenge the system, for he knows he cannot win a head-on confrontation. He will learn to say yes when he means no, to withdraw to avoid a clash, to comply now - later to subvert. Anancy is the ultimate sweet-mout', full of lyrics. He will say anything - even lie - to get his way; he can even charm Bra Snake.

CORRUPT ECONOMY

So we end up with an economy where many (if not most) are graduates of the Anancy School of Business, practising smuggling, over-invoicing and under-invoicing. So many do business on a cash basis to evade taxation, and there are all sorts of corner-cutting between friends, colleagues and cronies, including waivers and exemptions of one kind or another. Drivers' licences, motor vehicle fitness certificates, birth certificates and even US visas can be obtained through hustlers, pimps and touts, if rumours are to be believed. Lawyers tell me that you can pay money to lose a file in the Supreme Court, and can pay a money to have it found; the same is true of the Titles Office. Anancy would approve, as "man have fe live!"

The push to survive against all odds - even the law - is strong in Jamaica. Sidewalk vending is illegal, but those who can argue or shout or curse their way to being left to sell, will survive, while the law-abiding ones who obediently pull up shop will starve. Those who push ahead of others in a line will get through quickly and survive, while those who join the end of the line will waste valuable time, while others benefit. Using dynamite to kill fish is illegal; as is cutting down trees in a watershed area or forest reserve; those who push ahead and do it will survive and buy their Ninja and cargo, while others watch. Land capture is illegal, but Anancy will get land by strategic alignment with politicians. "Play fool to ketch wise!".

Why should Anancy be absent from the financial sector? Anancy is likely to be behind persons getting unsecured loans, and fluctuations in the exchange rate and the stock market and various interest rates. "Man have fe live!", and some man is making millions! Yes, Anancy is everywhere!

In Jamaica where survival is so difficult, the culture of Anancy is going to be the only way some people can avoid total failure. And maybe one can have sympathy for the struggling poor. But I have no sympathy for the Anancys among the business and financial classes who could set a better example. How do you create a sense of honour among Anancys?

- Peter Espeut is a sociologist and executive director of an environment and development NGO.