ABSTRACT
One day during my fieldwork in Paraguay,1 Alejandro, a member of the community of San Carlos, began to dismantle his house so that he could move to the nearby community of Alegre. On bumping into him I asked him why he had decided to leave. He replied that the blame rested with his wife's brother and neighbour Miguel whom he accused of having attacked him with a knife. 'He became angry and hated me and now I want to live among those who love me so that I can once again be tranquil.' The image of Miguel as a knife-wielding maniac contrasted markedly with my own experience of him as both pleasant and friendly, though somewhat shy. I determined to find out his version of the story and later that day paid him a visit. As we sat by the fire chatting, he explained to me that, the previous evening, Alejandro had been drunk and had begun to beat his wife.
