Totem pole?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="An">An</span> <span word="unemployed">unemployed</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="part">part</span>-<span word="time">time</span> <span word="jobs">jobs</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>”. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="low">low</span>. <span word="Without">Without</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="regular">regular</span> <span word="job">job</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="regularly">regularly</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span>, <span word="socially">socially</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span>.</p><p><span word="Let">Let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="regular">regular</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="dwelling">dwelling</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="climb">climb</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rung">rung</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>, <span word="again">again</span> <span word="socially">socially</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="trunk">trunk</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Indians">Indians</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="symbols">symbols</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pole">pole</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="carved">carved</span> <span word="images">images</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gods">gods</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="legends">legends</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="totems">totems</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="signify">signify</span>, <span word="among">among</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="hierarchical">hierarchical</span> <span word="structure">structure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="society">society</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> “<span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="symbol">symbol</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="hierarchy">hierarchy</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="society">society</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="popularized">popularized</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="H">H</span>. <span word="Allen">Allen</span> <span word="Smith">Smith</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="selling">selling</span> <span word="humor">humor</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="titled">titled</span> “<span word="Low">Low</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>”. <span word="Allen">Allen</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="freely">freely</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="carved">carved</span> <span word="figures">figures</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="stature">stature</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opposite">opposite</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="true">true</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="totem">totem</span> <span word="pole">pole</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="positions">positions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="occupied">occupied</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="gods">gods</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="legends">legends</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="sense">sense</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="trunk">trunk</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="diameter">diameter</span>, <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="enabling">enabling</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="images">images</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="carved">carved</span> <span word="therein">therein</span>. <span word="Also">Also</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pole">pole</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>. <span word="Totems">Totems</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="large">large</span> – <span word="larger">larger</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="than">than</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pole">pole</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>.</p>
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