A piece of both American History and The Maze narratives, Cultural relativism asks that a culture be understood in its own context rather than judged solely by another culture’s standards.
As we see in The Shining, this is not the present belief.
We use conquered people as decoration, and it’s justified (much like the Donner Party’s decision to choose cannibalism for survival).
In this image · No.9
Inappropriate Content from Television
Danny knows what cannibalism is but not what The Donner Party is.
Inappropriate Content from Television: No.40.
Cultural Relativism: Native Americans / Africans were “savages” for their practices, but Europeans/Americans were justified in their choices, be it for the sake of survival, or for pleasure when the wealthy ate slaves and mummies.
No.14’s dialogue; No.37 and No.37.
Children’s cartoons had content that showed indigenous peoples as savages, engaging in cannibalism. In America, you mainly associated cannibalism with the Donner Party. To show Danny knowing what cannibalism is but not what The Donner Party is connects to the “violence in cartoons” signified by the Tom & Jerry, Roadrunner & Coyote narrative theme music and the Bugs Bunny signifiers.
Violence in cartoons; American Culture; Play vs. Harm.
Inappropriate Content from Television: No.40.
Cultural Relativism: Native Americans / Africans were “savages” for their practices, but Europeans/Americans were justified in their choices, be it for the sake of survival, or for pleasure when the wealthy ate slaves and mummies.
Direct reflection of No.53 and what “survival” is for Jack.
Perhaps this line/justification mirrors Jack’s distorted mind’s justification of harming his own family in order for his own success / survival. While The Donner Party is the well known example of Americans practicing cannibalism out of survival, it also relates to the European practice of eating corpses and mummies for medicine. “In order to stay alive”.
It is interesting when you think of things this way, it pairs with No.11, “All the best people” in front of the Chief painting. Reiterating the Cultural Relativism of Native Americans and African Americans as “savages”, therefore justifying white people’s treatment of and behavior toward them. No.47, “White Man’s Burden”.