Native American literature during the time of the establishment of the United States is often an overlooked subject. Writers during that time put their neck and heart on the line over their work, by which they hoped would evoke understanding and comfort in their fellow Native American and European readers. Writing was a form of social activism, which was driven by a deep awareness harnessed in the midst of conflicting thoughts about the outside influences making themselves present on the long withstanding culture of the Native Americans. Some works that were published by those coming from a Native American background were often times controversial, even to the effect by which the controversy came from those of their own people. All in all, …show more content…
Women such as S. Alice Callahan wrote a novel entitled Wynema: A Child of the Forest. Her book is composed of a deep understanding and appreciate that connected both a white teacher and her Native American student. Through mutual comprehension and respect, their loving relationship, known as a “sisterly” bond, broke down intercultural barriers imposed on the people of the time. Although this book is thought to be a pure work of fiction, it does not sway in its accuracy. Callahan’s work strove to show the humanized and sensitive side of a Native American bond, and the white teacher’s appreciation of someone who is different from them. Jane Johnston Schoolcraft is another name to mention in Native American literature. Highly educated, she wrote of her people’s culture and customs in a relatable way for the reader. To name one other, the highly controversial brave narration by Sarah Winnemucca spoke of Christian ministers and their barbaric actions they imposed on the mistreatment of Indians. She clearly labeled mistreatments the Native people were forced under, and highlighted brutalities by which alleged “civilized” men acted more violent than her people, who were held to high-principled behaviors under their traditions, yet still remained “savages” under the public eye. Whether male or female, the outrageous labels remained against the people who sustained their culture long before any inhabitant walked the same Earth as they. Literature brought new perspectives to the people living within the United States’ territory, and served as a public outcry by those who have been united by the injustices, which had separated
Shoemaker, Nancy. “ Native-American Women in History.” OAH Magazine of History , Vol. 9, No. 4, Native Americans (Summer, 1995), pp. 10-14. 17 Nov. 2013
The issues American writers were facing is evident in their writing. Starting with James F. Cooper in his story “The Pioneers”, chapter III, The Slaughter of the Pigeons. This is the story of white men going hunting for pigeons. However, they are hunting, not for food, but for mere sport. They kill hundreds of pigeons for no reason other than to have fun. The Indian with them reprimands them for wasting food and killing unnecessarily. This is a metaphor to the white men slaughter of the American Indian.
This book report deal with the Native American culture and how a girl named Taylor got away from what was expected of her as a part of her rural town in Pittman, Kentucky. She struggles along the way with her old beat up car and gets as far west as she can. Along the way she take care of an abandoned child which she found in the backseat of her car and decides to take care of her. She end up in a town outside Tucson and soon makes friends which she will consider family in the end.
Sonneborn, Liz. A to Z of Native American Women. New York: Facts on File, 1998.
Connell, Barry O'., Dictionary of Literary Biography, Native American Writers of the United States. Ed. Kenneth M. Roemer. Vol. 175. Detroit. Gale Research Co., 1997.
McNickle, D'Arcy. "A Different World." Native American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Vizenor, Gerald. United States of America: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 1995, 111-119.
American literature reflects society by displaying the positive and negative sides to our country’s history. Throughout the year we have been shown all sides of the story, not just one side. We understand the situation more if we take into account the other stories that nobody ever hears about. American Literature deals with the topics of identity/memory, conformity and rebellion, society and struggle, and war. By taking a look at the 9/11 pictures as well as the memorial statue, The Crucible,The Harlem Renaissance, The Great Gatsby, and The Things They Carried, it is easy to see that all aspects of American Literature directly reflect society in many ways.
As Mother’s Day approaches, writer Penny Rudge salutes “Matriarchs [who] come in different guises but are instantly recognizable: forceful women, some well-intentioned, others less so, but all exerting an unstoppable authority over their clan” (Penny Rudge), thereby revealing the immense presence of women in the American family unit. A powerful example of a mother’s influence is illustrated in Native American society whereby women are called upon to confront daily problems associated with reservation life. The instinct for survival occurs almost at birth resulting in the development of women who transcend a culture predicated on gender bias. In Love Medicine, a twentieth century novel about two families who reside on the Indian reservation, Louise Erdrich tells the story of Marie Lazarre and Lulu Lamartine, two female characters quite different in nature, who are connected by their love and lust for Nector Kashpaw, head of the Chippewa tribe. Marie is a member of a family shunned by the residents of the reservation, and copes with the problems that arise as a result of a “childhood, / the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell-style Anglo-American idyll”(Susan Castillo), prompting her to search for stability and adopt a life of piety. Marie marries Nector Kashpaw, a one-time love interest of Lulu Lamartine, who relies on her sexual prowess to persevere, resulting in many liaisons with tribal council members that lead to the birth of her sons. Although each female character possibly hates and resents the other, Erdrich avoids the inevitable storyline by focusing on the different attributes of these characters, who unite and form a force that evidences the significance of survival, and the power of the feminine bond in Native Americ...
Perpetuation of Native American Stereotypes in Children's Literature Caution should be used when selecting books including Native Americans, due to the lasting images that books and pictures provide to children. This paper will examine the portrayal of Native Americans in children's literature. I will discuss specific stereotypes that are present and should be avoided, as well as positive examples. I will also highlight evaluative criteria that will be useful in selecting appropriate materials for children and provide examples of good and bad books. Children will read many books as they grow up.
Culture has the power and ability to give someone spiritual and emotional distinction which shapes one's identity. Without culture society would be less and less diverse. Culture is what gives this earth warmth and color that expands across miles and miles. The author of “The School Days of an Indian Girl”, Zitkala Sa, incorporates the ideals of her Native American culture into her writing. Similarly, Sherman Alexie sheds light onto the hardships he struggled through growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in a chapter titled “Indian Education”. While both Zitkala Sa and Sherman Alexie were Native Americans, and take on a similar persona showcasing their native culture in their text, the two diverge in the situations that they face. Zitkala Sa’s writing takes on a more timid shade as she is incorporated into the “white” culture, whereas Alexie more boldly and willingly immerses himself into the culture of the white man. One must leave something in order to realize how
Louise Erdrich’s short story “American horse” is a literary piece written by an author whose works emphasize the American experience for a multitude of different people from a plethora of various ethnic backgrounds. While Erdrich utilizes a full arsenal of literary elements to better convey this particular story to the reader, perhaps the two most prominent are theme and point of view. At first glance this story seems to portray the struggle of a mother who has her son ripped from her arms by government authorities; however, if the reader simply steps back to analyze the larger picture, the theme becomes clear. It is important to understand the backgrounds of both the protagonist and antagonists when analyzing theme of this short story. Albetrine, who is the short story’s protagonist, is a Native American woman who characterizes her son Buddy as “the best thing that has ever happened to me”. The antagonist, are westerners who work on behalf of the United States Government. Given this dynamic, the stage is set for a clash between the two forces. The struggle between these two can be viewed as a microcosm for what has occurred throughout history between Native Americans and Caucasians. With all this in mind, the reader can see that the theme of this piece is the battle of Native Americans to maintain their culture and way of life as their homeland is invaded by Caucasians. In addition to the theme, Erdrich’s usage of the third person limited point of view helps the reader understand the short story from several different perspectives while allowing the story to maintain the ambiguity and mysteriousness that was felt by many Natives Americans as they endured similar struggles. These two literary elements help set an underlying atmos...
...n American Literature. By Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 387-452. Print.
In American Indian Stories, University of Nebraska Press Lincoln and London edition, the author, Zitkala-Sa, tries to tell stories that depicted life growing up on a reservation. Her stories showed how Native Americans reacted to the white man’s ways of running the land and changing the life of Indians. “Zitkala-Sa was one of the early Indian writers to record tribal legends and tales from oral tradition” (back cover) is a great way to show that the author’s stories were based upon actual events in her life as a Dakota Sioux Indian. This essay will describe and analyze Native American life as described by Zitkala-Sa’s American Indian Stories, it will relate to Native Americans and their interactions with American societies, it will discuss the major themes of the book and why the author wrote it, it will describe Native American society, its values and its beliefs and how they changed and it will show how Native Americans views other non-Natives.
The nineteenth century, a period of considerable expansion in the eyes of the American beholders; induced already prevalent feelings of superiority over the indigenous peoples of America, whom they referred to as “Indians” or “savages” The Euro-American belief of distinction between the “civilized” and “savages” were accentuated in the “universal law of progress,” and “law of vices and virtues,” leading to the emergence of the famed myth, the “vanishing” Indian, which insinuated the white ideal of the Native American population dwindling into nothingness (Ferdinando). The eighteen-hundreds marked the rise in naturalistic literature integrating the myth of the “vanishing” Indian into popular culture. Playwrights with their increased popularity
American Literature from its beginnings is shaped by a demand towards reforming society by bringing awareness towards issues and a need to question societal norms. The new world introduced to the world a new society based upon enlightened principles. The introduction of a new society brought forth the questions of what are the defining characteristics of this culture, and also presented social issues unique to an even more unique society. American literature from its beginnings has focused around establishing the American identity, and has also served as a means to address social issues that have plagues American society. The three authors that are representative of these ideals are the following;