▁past ▁raised ▁and ▁mass ac red ▁living ▁be ings ▁and ▁compla cent ly ▁exposed ▁their ▁sh red ded ▁flesh ▁in ▁displays ▁shall ▁no ▁doubt ▁insp ire ▁the ▁same ▁rep ulsion ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁trav ellers ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁facing ▁can n ib al ▁me als ▁of ▁sav age ▁American ▁primit ives ▁in ▁America , ▁O ce ania ▁or ▁Africa ." ▁ ▁Claude ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁was ▁an ▁at he ist . ▁ ▁Ex pat ri ation ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁returned ▁to ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁effort , ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁l ia ison ▁agent ▁to ▁the ▁Mag in ot ▁Line . ▁After ▁the ▁French ▁capit ulation ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁employed ▁at ▁a ▁l yc ée ▁in ▁Mont pel lier , ▁but ▁then ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁under ▁the ▁V ich y ▁ra cial ▁laws . ▁( L é vi - St ra uss ' s ▁family , ▁originally ▁from ▁Als ace , ▁was ▁of ▁Jewish ▁ancest ry .) ▁By ▁the ▁same ▁laws , ▁he ▁was ▁den atural ized ▁( st ri pped ▁of ▁French ▁citizens hip ). ▁Ar ound ▁that ▁time , ▁ ▁his ▁first ▁wife ▁and ▁he ▁separated . ▁She ▁stayed ▁behind ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁resistance , ▁while ▁he ▁managed ▁to ▁escape ▁V ich y ▁France ▁by ▁boat ▁to ▁Martin ique , ▁from ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁finally ▁able