How does a big man increase his status?
A. Big men are village heads who are trying to turn their achieved status into something more permanent; the standard way of doing this is through conspicuous symbolic displays of wealth.
B. The term big man refers to the liminal state a Kapauku youth enters before marriage; he accumulates wealth as a way of funding the wedding and paying the bride price.
C. Big men are typically war leaders, and as such must have a standing supply of "grievance gifts" to compensate the families of warriors who die under their command.
D. The primary means of becoming a big man is the wearing of a tonowi shell necklace, which is imported from the coast and is therefore quite expensive by Kapauku standards.
E. Big men do not keep the wealth they accumulate; instead, they redistribute it to create and maintain alliances with political supporters.
Answer: E
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