Typee Chapter 23 Summary

  • For the festival, everyone converges in front of the Ti, dancing and exclaiming happily. A feast is laid out for all, and the Typee drape themselves around, eating and smoking and celebrating.
  • Here, Tommo explains a native root called "arva," which is used as a stimulant.
  • Both Mehevi and Kory-Kory present Tommo special foods.
  • On the second day of the festival, the villagers gather to watch bereaved widows enact a ritual, and then Tommo goes onto Hoolah Hoolah ground to listen to drummers and chanters. Tommo tries to ask again about the significance of the festival, but he and Kory-Kory can't understand each other very well.
  • The festival goes on for three days.