ipl-logo

How Is Disney's Portrayal Of Pocahontas: True Or True?

436 Words2 Pages

For hundreds of years historians have debated if John Smith’s story about Pocahontas is true or false. Now we are debating if Disney’s portrayal of the story is respectful, responsible, and accurate. I believe that Disney’s portrayal of Pocahontas is respectful, but not responsible or accurate.
Disney’s depiction of Smith’s story is respectful because it respects his writing and what he believes happened. The movie does not go against his words. Smith states in General History (1.2), “Pocahontas… got his head in her arms, and laid her own down upon him to save him from death; whereat the emperor was contented Smith should live.” This quote is exactly what Disney portrays in the movie. Smith also states in General History (1.2) “Powhatan…came unto him and told him how they were friends...” The story Disney depicts also goes along with the idea that the Indians and English end up being friends. …show more content…

Disney’s work is not historically accurate in many historians eyes. Lewis from source 1.5 says, “Why is it that none of the other members of Virginia company that kept diaries ever wrote about Pocahontas saving Smith’s life?” Disney could have looked into the story a little bit more, before producing a historically incorrect movie. Lewis proceeds to say “No one in England had heard of her until 1617. ” Therefore Disney’s depiction of Pocahontas was not responsible, because it is not

Show More
Related

Review Of Facing East From Indian Country By Daniel Richter

1184 Words | 5 Pages

Richter makes this distant historical period relevant by frequent references to the present. The overarching theme of the book is important because it allows readers to consider the different possibilities on our timeline of Native American relations. Richter puts together a series of essays on Indian and English relations in different regions and times of early America and uses personal speculation to introduce specific examples. For each expansive issue such as contact, material and cultural exchange, local and imperial authority, and the crash of Indian power, he reconstructs familiar stories of Pocahontas, Kateri Tekakwitha, and Metacom (or King Philip). Thus, bringing an Indian perspective to mainly European-focused versions.

Read More

How Did Powhatans Interact In Central Virginia

582 Words | 3 Pages

Initially, the natives welcomed the English. However, in 1609, when the English continued to demand food from them, Chief Powhatan ordered his people to refuse them. It was not until 1614 when peace reigned between the two groups again. The year earlier Chief Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas was kidnapped by the English. During her captivity, she and Englishman John Rolfe met and fell in love.

Read More

Why Is Disney Pocahontas Inaccurate

605 Words | 3 Pages

Disney movies often show very romantic and nice stories but if you look back they often have many inaccuracies. Such is the case with Disney’s version of Pocahontas. The story has many inaccuracies and children should not be allowed to view it based on those inaccuracies. Disney Pocahontas is very inaccurate because it does not show the accurate amount of death, it does not accurately represent Indians or Englishmen, and it has many historical errors.

Read More

Summary Of Pocahontas And The Powhatan Dilemma

1011 Words | 5 Pages

Very rarely did she state that something was true or accurate, almost always she kept things real and said that it was possible, or could 've happened. With the very little information the world actually has on Pocahontas, it is hard to know exactly how she felt. Many times the book states that she did not really write things down. Much of the information that was included in this book is from many of the Englishmen’s writings, journals, diaries, etc. Some of the information is even hear-say.

Read More

The Representation Of Pocahontas In Disney Movies

214 Words | 1 Pages

.In the Disney movie, Pocahontas is portrayed as the beautiful, defiant eighteen year old woman who is the daughter of the chief in the Powhatan tribe. At the same time, a Powhatan warrior named Kocoum is presented as a stern and very serious young man who has an arranged marriage with Pocahontas , and eventually he will be the next chief. Chronologically, an explorer named John Smith is introduced as the handsome nineteen year old man from England who has arrived on Powhatan land in order to find gold. Lastly, a man named John Rolfe is brought upon in the sequel, in which he is a diplomat that was sent to escort the chief, Powhatan to England in order for negotiations to begin between the settlers and the natives.

Read More

Reasons Why The Americans Sought To Establish The Roanoke Colony

907 Words | 4 Pages

Sir Walter Raleigh sent these two men to scout North Carolina and interact with the Native Americans in the area the colonists would be living in. The English were well aware that Native Americans considered other colonizers, particularly the Spanish, as “brutal” and the English in turn wanted to be liberators of the Native Americans. With this idea in mind, Barlowe and Amadas established good relations with the Native Americans, allowing them to scout further towards the coast and begin to trade with the Native Americans. This trade was instrumental in welcoming the English to America and allowed for a unique and positive relationship between the first English to set foot in the North Carolina area. In one of his final journal entries of the trip, Barlowe reflects on his encounters with the Native Americans writes, “We found the people most gentle, loving, and faithful.”

Read More

Roanoke Colony

820 Words | 4 Pages

The English had come more prepared and well aware of what they were stepping into, they brought provisions and supplies, even though they struggled. It was not until the Jamestown settlement was established in 1607, a full twenty years after John White bade farewell to his colonists, that the next serious attempts where undertaken by the English to find out what happened to the colony in 1587 (Fullam 128). In early 1609, the Royal Council in England received shocking news from Jamestown that Wahunsunacock, Chief Powhatan, had slaughter the 1587 colonist (Fullman 155). Unfortunately, the Powhatan’s cooperation was necessary for the success of the colony (Fullman 157). But 1608, a letter from John Smith was delivered to the Royal Council with evidence that the Powhatan Indians weren’t connected to the Lost Colony.

Read More

Relationship Between John Smith And Wahunsenaca

242 Words | 1 Pages

In Chapter 4 of Dr. Linwood “Little Bear” Custalow and Angela L. Daniel’s novel The True Story of Pocahontas; The Other Side of History, the relationship between John Smith and Wahunsenaca is described. The Wahunsenaca had promoted John Smith to the position of werowance (chief) and John was not preforming respectful acts under the name. The authors suggest that John Smith would go to villages and forcefully take their food, leaving the people of the village without food for the entire winter. In the eyes of the Wahunsenaca this was disappointing because he had treated John the best but John was acting like the worst.

Read More

Humor And Satire In Mary Tallmoutain's Foghorn

725 Words | 3 Pages

The real Pocahontas was younger, like 14 or 15, and she was married to a different man than John Smith. By making her older and in love with the white man who is stealing her land, Geiogamah is making a point about the Americanized version of Native American history. The white man uses history and culture to make a profit and to spread their own message. This play proves that more often than not, the stories we hear about Native Americans are not true at all. Instead, they are made up versions of what we want to believe; they are mythical American Indians who didn’t exist in the real world centuries ago.

Read More

The Powhatan Indians

890 Words | 4 Pages

Relationship between Jamestown and the Powhatan Tribes When Europeans first reached the North American continent, they found hundreds of tribes occupying a vast and rich country. With such a divers and vast number of Native American tribes in the Americas, contact with them was inevitable. Throughout American History numerous positive and negative relationships could be found between the Native Americans and the European settlers. In this essay the relationship between the Jamestown settlers and The Powhatan Indians is clarified. The Powhatan Indians is a Native American tribe led by a legendary leader called the Powhatan.

Read More

Pocahontas And The Powhatan Summary

602 Words | 3 Pages

What would you do for fame? Throughout history the hunger to be known and recognized has driven humans to deceive, cheat and create a web of lies to climb their way up the social hierarchy. From great kings to poor peasants even to the people that are in our lives today everyone seeks, has sought, and will continue to look for some form of glory and unachievable immortality through fame. The desire for notoriety that is embedded in all humans is the same desire that caused Captain John Smith to belie and fabricate the story of his first encounter with Pocahontas and the Powhatan indians. When John Smith first recounts his encounter with the Native Americans he describes them as a kind hospitable people.

Read More

Disney's Influence On American Culture

724 Words | 3 Pages

Now Disney’s version of Pocahontas is that the English come to Virginia and are captured by the Indians and Pocahontas and Captain John Smith fall in love and their love story is what could save the Indians from getting robbed by the English. This is another example of Disney misrepresenting the Indian Culture and messing up the story. The real story of Pocahontas is the English came to Virginia and were captured by the Indians and the story, not believed by all historians, is that Captain John Smith and Pocahontas became really good friends and that she saved him and many other Englishmen from starving to death. The way that Disney made the movie and made the movie isn’t 100% accurate in the way the story is supposed to be told. Disney told some of the story but not all of

Read More

Address To John Smith Analysis

835 Words | 4 Pages

Most likely, one has heard about the story of Pocahontas and John Smith. However, John Smith was not as loving and kind as he was portrayed. In the letter Address to Captain Smith, the speaker, Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father, takes a condescending tone and addresses to the English settlers, especially John Smith, how the chief’s generous hospitality has not been appreciated. Literary devices such as rhetorical questions, antithesis, and repetition, diction, and pathos and ethos are exercised by Chief Powhatan to address his purpose and produce it as impactful as fully possible.

Read More

Pocahontas And The Powhatan Dilemma Sparknotes

872 Words | 4 Pages

The author goes on to debate what Pocahontas actually felt in her relationship with John Smith and how she most likely did not reciprocate the feelings he claimed she had. This may be new information to the reader and provides historical difference of the real Pocahontas from the Hollywood version while strengthening Townsend’s argument. Also, the author does not use challenging language in her own writing. She keeps her own wording basic as to give the readers a break from the difficultness of the old language. Another positive aspect of this book is the notes section and the preface.

Read More

A True Relation Summary

372 Words | 2 Pages

And whispers started, neighbors telling neighbors how Smith said the new people were kind and hospitable to him. How Smith said the new people treated him to their delicacies and provided him with provisions on his journeys. How Smith said the new people were respectful, helpful, and friendly. Smith writes about Chief Powhatan of the Powhatan Nation, "He kindly welcomed me with such good words and great platters of sundry victuals, assuring me his friendship and my Liberty in four days... Having all the kindness he could devise, sought to content me, he sent me home with four men: one that usually carried my gown and knapsack after me, two loaded with bread, and one to accompany me."

Read More

More about How Is Disney's Portrayal Of Pocahontas: True Or True?

Related Topics

Open Document