130 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 2 



You owe the greatest of obligations to your mother. 

 Out of love and tenderness, she has suffered for you. The 

 son that doesn't love and honor his mother, is an evil son. 



Divergence from the ideal pattern in tliis re- 

 spect is generally considered unaccountable and 

 is severely condemned. "We children were taught 

 to cherish our mother," said a woman in the vil- 

 lage. "We were told that even if a child didn't 

 have enough to eat, he shouldn't let his mother go 

 hungry. But imagine it ! I know a woman who 

 needed a little money and asked her grown son 

 to help her. He was living amigado -^^ with a 

 woman. He said he already had an obligation 

 and couldn't give her anything. What a scandal- 

 ous thing!" 



Relations with the father also are ordinarily of 

 an intimate character and continue so throughout 

 life. The obligation of a father toward his chil- 

 dren is to show them affection, provide food, shel- 

 ter, and other protection and teach them proper 

 conduct in keeping with the local mores. Espe- 

 cially is the father expected to stand back of and 

 support his sons and daughters in every situation 

 which may arise. "Even if his child is no good," 

 said a village leader, "a father should never go 

 against him." 



Several young men, aged 15 to 19 years, who 

 were asked "Wliat is the duty of a father to his 

 children?" gave the following replies: 



He should work hard to take care of his children. 



He should love them and work hard for them. 



He should teach tliem everything they ought to know. 



He should not let them go hungry nor run loose. 



He should provide for them and teach them what is 

 right. 



He sliould love them and see that they learn to be- 

 have. 



Relations ordinarily are equally close and sen- 

 imental between brothers and sisters. In a vil- 

 lage home, for instance, Nilza, aged 9, often is 

 to be seen with her small brother in her arms. 

 She carries him about, feeds him, changes his 

 clothes, and puts him to sleep. On one occasion, 

 Paulo, an 11-year-old brother, was observed to 

 come in fi-om play outside the house and immedi- 

 ately ask to hold his little brother. Proudly he 

 remarked to a visitor that the baby already had 

 a few teeth and then set about to prove it. Rit- 

 inha, aged 7, who had also just come in from play 



'^^ See Mancebia, p. 138. 



then took the baby from her brother and repeat- 

 edly hugged and kissed him as she held him tightly 

 in her arms. In a little while. Paulo asked for 

 him again. As Arlindo, a 5-year-old brother, 

 came in the room, he also stopped to kiss the baby. 

 Tlie attention of the four older children seemed 

 centered on the child. Each appeared not only to 

 show him tenderness and affection but also to take 

 toward him a serious and responsible attitude. 



The role of the oldest sister is especially im- 

 portant in this respect. Usually, she looks after 

 the younger children, acting toward them much as 

 if she were the mother. An older girl is com- 

 monly to be seen carrying about a younger brother 

 or sister (pi. 7, g). "Eva takes care of the other 

 children," said a farm mother of her 14-year-old 

 daughter. "If she goes out to the field, they have 

 to go along. If they can't, they cry. The older 

 ones help and the little ones stay nearby and play." 

 "Ines will not sleep soundly," said a mother of 

 her 1-year-old child, "unless Rosa (the oldest 

 daughter, aged 8) puts her to sleep." "Filhinha 

 takes good care of the younger children," said a 

 farm mother of her 15-year-old daughter. "I 

 never have to worry when I go to the field and 

 leave them with her. She doesn't like to be away 

 from them for a minute. And they don't like to 

 have her gone. If she goes as far as that hill over 

 there (indicating a distance of about a hundred 

 yards) , this little one here (a 4-year-old boy) will 

 cry until she comes back." 



"AVlien I was a small girl," said a farm woman, 

 "my 3-year-old brother slept with me. Wlien 

 father called me in the morning to go to work in 

 the field, I'd try to slip out quietly so my little 

 brother wouldn't hear me. But often he'd wake 

 up and say, 'Zana, you haven't taken me out of 

 bed.' I'd take him out and he'd say, 'Zana, put 

 me back in bed.' I'd put him back and he'd say, 

 'Zana, lie down with me.' I'd lie down and he'd 

 say, 'But you aren't sleeping.' I'd close my eyes 

 and he'd say, 'But you aren't snoring.' By that 

 time, I was ready to spank him. But I never did. 

 As he grew older and mother had him use another 

 bed, I could hardly sleep at night, I missed him 

 so." 



A girl 9 years old in the village was out of 

 school this year because of her mother's illness 

 and the necessity of lielping care for the younger 

 children. At a farm home, the 10-year-old daugh- 



