Chapter 23, Eyes Red with Watching Summary and Analysis

Richardson describes in detail the traditions of the Sawi after the death of a loved one. The men gather under the grave house of a putrid body. They dance among the poles as maggots fall into their hair. One family member climbs next to the body and plunges a hand into the stomach. He then eats freshly cooked sago with the tainted hand. The dead body in this instance is that of Warahai.

After ten days of consciousness, Warahai once again lapsed into an apparent coma. Richardson worries that a lack of good food caused the relapse. A Sawi man brings news of Warahai's death to Richardson and describes the following ritual, called gefam ason.

The next day, Richardson visits the grieving family and finds an old woman, Warahai's mother, singing a traditional...