Work Ethic or Magic?

By showing the difference between the Trobriand Islanders' ideas and understanding of work and ritual, Malinowski backs up his point that not only magical or mystical ideas, but also rational knowledge exists among savages.  He uses the example of gardening, which the Islanders' take very seriously, to illustrate their position on work and magic . Malinowski explains that although the Islanders view magic as an important part of gardening and some instances occur where their explanation is geared toward magic, they have an exceptional work ethic and in most situations accept that it was their own laziness or diligence that caused the outcome of the garden.  

The Trobriand Islanders understand that it takes hard work and meticulous physical and mental effort to maintain a garden and that natural forces have a lot to do with the turnout of a garden.  However, when "unaccountable and adverse influences" or exceptionally fortunate coincidences occur without the effort, this is attributed to magic.  

Work and ritual are kept separate among the Islanders.  Every ritual has a specific name, time, and place and while the gardens are often the holding place for these events, work is not to be done or mentioned during these ceremonies.  The Islanders do what they can to live with a perfect, equal combination of work and real work ethic and magic and ritual.  "What has been said about gardens can be paralleled from any one of the many other activities in which work and magic run side by side without ever mixing."