Although many movies try to recount the most important events and biggest accomplishments in history, many of them end up taking the focus away from the real impact of the historical event. Due to the need to create a movie that has drama and an attractive or complex story line. The 1995 version of the movie Pocahontas directed by Daniele Suissa focuses on Powhatan princess Matoaka, known as Pocahontas, and the events that resulted from English colonists settling in Powhatan lands. Although the movie incorporated a few important details of the actual historical event, overall, it poorly represented the lasting effects Pocahontas’s encounter with the settlers had on the history of colonial America. The history of Pocahontas, the Virginian …show more content…
With high hopes in creating a successful settlement and starting a money-making colony, the settlers were in no way prepared or aware of the hardships and dilemmas they were about to face for several years. Upon their arrival, colonists faced disease, famine, and multiple hardships and were watched from afar by natives who were pleased at the settlers’ struggle. The Powhatans were known for their culture of “dark superstitions and devil worship,” making them a cruel adversary to the white settlers. The natives were a major threat to the settlers; if they were captured, they would be stoned to the head and scalped for the members of their tribe to admire. Pocahontas was the favorite daughter in her father’s home, so it would be expected that she would always side with her tribe. Instead, she “effected a remarkable and significant relationship… with the small group of settlers at Jamestown […]” then years later with English royalty. Fascination with their advancements in technology drew Pocahontas to the colony. John Smith became very close to her as he taught her the English language and she taught him the native language. During the time spent at Jamestown, Pocahontas became well …show more content…
Years later, she married John Rolfe, a tobacco planter, bringing peace between the settlers and Powhatan. This was an enormous step, for Virginia needed “good publicity” to continue being funded. This was “fortified by the visit of the Algonquian princess” with her son and husband, proving that it was possible to spread Christianity to the natives. The royal court saw an opportunity and Pocahontas gained royal honor as she succeeded in connecting the two very contrasting
As a young child many of us are raised to be familiar with the Pocahontas and John Smith story. Whether it was in a Disney movie or at a school play that one first learned of Jamestown, students want to believe that this romantic relationship really did occur. As one ages, one becomes aware of the dichotomy between fact and fiction. This is brilliantly explained in David A. Price's, Love and Hate in Jamestown. Price describes a more robust account of events that really did take place in the poorly run, miserable, yet evolving settlement of Jamestown, Virginia; and engulfs and edifies the story marketed by Disney and others for young audiences. Price reveals countless facts from original documents about the history of Jamestown and other fledgling colonies, John Smith, and Smith's relationship with Pocahontas. He develops a more compelling read than does the typical high school text book and writes intriguingly which propels the reader, to continue on to the successive chapters in the early history of Virginia.
The main characters of the film were John Smith, Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Usually it is hard for films to portray c...
Kilpatrick contends that Disney was ineffective in developing the essence of Pocahontas and was solely concerned with creating a visually stimulating, condensed, romanticized film. “Pocahontas was a real woman who lived during the pivotal time of first contact,” according to Kilpatrick. The film took historical figures and created fictional characters by turning an adolescent girl into a mature, sexualized woman, a mercenary into a “blonde Adonis” and evil villains out of English settlers. Kilpatrick’s
The Americans had many problems with the Native Americans during the Colonial period. Sometimes the Americans were even taken as captives by the Indians. In New England alone, an estimated 1,641 with captives were taken between 1675 and 1763. Among two of these were Mary Rowlandson and James Smith. Mary Rowlandson was a reverend’s wife from Massachusetts during the seventeenth century and James Smith was cutting a wagon trail in Pennsylvania during the eighteenth century. Even though they were both taken to be used in the Indian villages, because of their gender, their time with the Indians differed greatly in how they were treated and how their thoughts of the Indians were influenced.
The most interesting part of the chapter was the non-Walt Disney version of events during the founding of Jamestown colony. John Smith is responsible for most of the information available about him, and he was not modest in describing his adventures, or entirely truthful. Pocahontas was first described as being a young girl when she rescued Smith from execution. Smith’s later telling of the story aged her a little more. She was still too young to have had a romantic relationship with Smith. It is even possible that he made up the events, since Pocahontas wasn’t even mentioned in his accounts of until she was famous. Also, the execution may not have been real but a mock event as part of a ceremony. Powhaten might have been making Smith a subordinate. Pocahontas converted to Christianity, took the name Rebecca, married an Englishman, John Rolfe, and was held up as an example of success in civilizing the natives, at least until her untimely death.
The Disney movies of Pocahontas tell a plot of a Native ¬American tribe and English colonists that fight for the land the Native Americans live on though war ultimately creating moderate peace. While keeping to their own sect, the imbalance of power between the two social groups is prevalent throughout much of the story. Walt Disney’s Pocahontas is more than a classic children’s movie. It is a thoughtful, well contrived narration that portrays a message that in order to fit in, you must be a certain race and born into a specific culture. Disney’s Pocahontas suggesting that the color of our skin shouldn’t matter when being accepted into social groups as well as the idea that arranged marriage should be rejected. Thus, treating people right could ultimately have a positive outcome and lastly, the film also suggests that family roles change without a mother figure.
Spanish conquistadores such as Cortes and Pizarro were especially harsh, completely destroying the Aztec and Incan empires. Some natives, such as Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas, attempted to create friendly relations with the European settlers. The marriage of Pocahontas to colonist John Rolfe was successful towards maintaining peace for a short period of time, but the Anglo-Powhatan Wars soon broke out, and the Powhatans were banished from their homeland. European settlers also believed in converting the natives to their own religion, and the Spanish Mission System in California was established as a
Chief Powhatan did not comply knowing they would treat her well, Pocahontas was then taken in by alexander Whitaker, a minister, he taught Pocahontas all the english customs and made her leave her culture behind. Pocahontas was baptized as a christian and renamed Rebecca. During this time a man named John Rolfe fell in love with her but hesitated marrying her because she was an Indian. He asked the Government of Jamestown if this was okay to do, which they consulted Chief Powhatan about, which resulted in less conflict and battles. at18 years old in 1614 Pocahontas married John Rolfe and lived on a piece of land given to them as a marriage gift from her father. A year after the marriage Pocahontas had a son and named him Thomas. Her goal in Jamestown was that Indian children could go to school and the peace could continue. In the spring of 1616 Pocahontas, John and their son along with a dozen Powhatan people traveled to England and were quite the sensation. They attended many events including meeting the royal family thanks to John Smith. When Pocahontas met John Smith again she was stunned and in shock because she thought he had died. Pocahontas called John Smith her father as a way to show their close relationship. Shortly after, in the spring of March 1617 Pocahontas unfortunately died of
Inside, he witnessed chief Powhatan – Pocahontas’ father – lying in comfort, surrounded by women he thought to be the chief’s wives . According to Barbour, Smith was treated well and given food and drink. What happened next was more exciting than a modern day film could depict, but also very complicated to explain in a film geared toward younger audiences. After some dicussion among the elders, "two big stones were brought in, and Smith was forcibly stretched out on them.
Sure, Smith might not have wanted to say anything bad about the natives while living near them. However, Smith’s story “True Relation” (published in 1608) has no mention of Pocahontas at all. If Pocahontas was such a relevant character in the event, why was she not even mentioned at the publishing of the story? Also, “Why would a chief who had been so friendly before, suddenly decide to kill John Smith?” (Lewis A). Because the stories just don’t match up correctly, the credibility of what he wrote in England is severely
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma written by Camilla Townsend is a biographical novel written to provide a more in depth view of the feelings of both the natives and the Old World English. The novel is set in late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century and follows the narrative of Pocahontas’s life while including the thoughts and actions of her relative native people in addition to the thoughts of the Englishmen of Jamestown. Townsend’s novel uses primary and secondary sources to personalize and summarizes the story of Pocahontas in a new story-like way that makes her life relatable to readers.
Anybody familiar with Disney is familiar with the fact that it owns nearly half the planet. Unlike other conglomerate companies, Disney is a pleasant and family friendly company. But, due to capitalism, even the nicest of companies have to find ways to make more money. The decision in the end that they finally seemed to come to, is that diversity sells. They realized America was sick of seeing white princesses be swept away by white princes, and living happily ever after. When Disney was picking a race to cater to, they decided to pay homage to the Native Americans, the Powhatan tribe in particular. But at what cost? Disney's Pocahontas is an incredibly disrespectful and white-washed movie and that needs to be brought to light. Some of the
Many people have heard of the renowned story of Pocahontas and John Smith; a girl who saves a guy’s life and they may or may not have fallen in love. But did Pocahontas really save John Smith? In John Smith’s books, Powhatan (Pocahontas’s father) turns from friendly to suddenly hostile. Furthermore, John Smith only even mentioned Pocahontas in his second book, after she had passed away. He also took credit for many of Pocahontas’s achievements. This scenario is a heavily debated subject, and from the evidence I was presented, Pocahontas did not save John Smith.
She was healthy and lived in a swell society. Pocahontas was only 9 years when the englishmen arrived and settled into jamestown.
They were having marriages among them. For example, when Pocahontas married John Rolfe, many said it had a political implication to unite more settlers with the Indians to have a better relationship between both groups. As for the Indians, their attitude was always friendly and full of curiosity when they saw the strange and light-skinned creatures from beyond the ocean. The colonists only survived with the help of the Indians when they first settled in Jamestown and Plymouth. In these areas, the Indians showed the colonists how to cultivate crops and gather seafood.