Analysis Of Neidhardt In Black Elk Speaks

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Final #1 Neidhardt in Black Elk Speaks offers an introspective narrative of the spiritual atmosphere surround the Sioux’s spiritual legacy. In doing so, the author promotes the validation and worthiness of spirituality in the so-called modern society. It is his intent to use the prayer as a vehicle to transmit the message that transcends the mere formulation of an apologetic thesis. Hence, Neidhardt seeks to penetrate the reader’s soul by presenting with a healing body of text, which he structures following two main themes: spiritual leadership and everyday human struggle against the corruption of the mind by the limitation to see beyond one’s physical strength. Further, prayer and medicine interplay to paint a classical image of the Native’s creed, yet, for many obsolete or preposterous existences of the shaman. To re-install beliefs present in the world for thousands of years, but have been disappearing, writers such as Neidhardt introduce the element of the …show more content…

In this sentence, I was curious about the importance of naming in the Native American culture, to which Professor Weidman responded to me during one class, “in Native American culture naming symbolizes prestige.” Until that moment, I was not sure why most of the names in the books we had read where so unfamiliar and literal. They sound as if one’s name translates directly into a description of one’s achievements: something like, the brave man or the wise lady. Nonetheless, after reading Black Elk’s autobiography all the unfamiliar names encountered in the subsequent reading became meaningful. Such that, that I felt my name should have change according to social promotion which means that I have to earn it. Similar to the military where soldiers have to fight in order to obtain a higher

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