Oral History, Lee Smith’s fifth novel, was published in 1983 and garnered national attention due to its status as a “Book-of-the-Month Club” selection (“Biography”). Oral History opens at the base of Hoot Owl Mountain, home to the remaining descendants of the almost mythical Cantrell family. A younger and somewhat estranged family member, Jennifer, comes to the Appalachian setting to gather information about her unknown past for a college assignment, appropriately termed “Oral History.” She is drawn to the small, now coal-mining community due to a legend surrounding the Cantrell family and their former home, Hoot Owl Holler. The legend morphed into a ghost story involving a haunted cabin, witchcraft, and a supposed curse on the family at hand.
Now we have all heard about the story of Pocahontas, unfortunately many of the stories we were told growing up are not completely true. Camilla Townsend, the author of “Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma”, intends to inform its readers about the evolution of the many lies written and told by the Englishmen regarding their relationships with the Native America peoples that many of us have heard about today. However, Townsend has ineffectively given her readers information about the whole truth to the stories she has written about the many relationships of the English and Native Americans. Firstly, although Townsend claims to have done her research on the topic by reading all the documents written from this time period and beyond, she leaves
This novel is enjoyable and buoyant story of the fathers and sons of the Dakotas, which gives a light feel on a rather heavy subject matter. Dan, a Lakota elder, has seen it all. The elder strongly speaks the truth about the “Indian” life, past and present. Dan refuses to forget and get over the historical clashes between the whites and his people. The author comes with certain expectations and mind set about the Indians, but his ideology is shattered when Dan refuses to be marked down as just another old Native American wise man.
In his analysis of Disney’s movie The Princess and the Frog (which coincidentally Bruce Smith also contributed to the animation of) Richard M. Breaux claims that Disney used this movie to cash in on it’s racist past (p 1). He claims that Disney uses this movie to address complaints about their lack of representation in the past, and that even this representation makes the African American past in the US seem nostalgic, as opposed to the vast inequality of the time the movie is placed in (Breaux). TPF came before The Princess and the Frog, so it can be assumed that Disney’s smaller screen is a little more successful with their racial
While reading the book, Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma, I learned a great deal about early Indian life, in a way I had not before. Of course, in grade school you learn about “Pocahontas” but not in the way Camilla Townsend describes her. I started this book not really knowing what to expect besides to learn more than I had previously known. I know recently a lot about history has come up for discussion in ways it has never before. Native Americans and Africa Americans have been a topic of discussion for the past few years, shedding light on their history.
.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.
Mary Jemison was one of many white captives who lived a full and happy life with her indian captors. The day Mary Jemison was taken by the indians started out like any other day. A friend of her father’s needed to borrow a horse in order to carry a bag of grain to the Jemison’s house. The friend had also taken a gun with him in case he saw any game fit for killing. The Jemison’s heard gunshots coming from nearby outside and quickly became alarmed.
This hill was known by many. This included the many native american tribes that surrounded Lake Winnipeg. In the beginning of the novel the narrator explains the tension between the MacDonald family and a man named George Burton. George Burton
Racism is a worldwide issue that not many people are aware of. In Richard Wagamese’s Indian Horse, the protagonist Saul Indian Horse experiences love for hockey, but eventually undergoes racial issues. Initially hockey gives Saul a sense of freedom which motivates him to seek a career in hockey, however, due to the racism he faces while playing causes him to give up his love for the game. Saul’s love for freedom while playing hockey motivates him to seek a career in hockey in the future. First of all, hockey gave Saul freedom which is why he wanted to keep playing it.
The Native American, known as Pocahontas, this women accomplished amazing things some myth some facts that have gone down in history. The story told through generations is a childhood story that the majority of American children have watched at some point. Her story is a model of bravery, independence, and wisdom. As the story goes men from England come over to “The New World” and John Smith meets Pocahontas. Then the two fall in love, ending the fighting between the Native Americans and English men.
After his grandpa orders the two hounds billy goes back every day to see if they have came in or not. Then a note finally comes it says they are in tahlequah and his grandpa said he had to wait till
Many Cherokee people were worried that the Indian Removal Act would end their oral tradition, but Glancy reveals through the Basket Maker the importance of telling stories orally as a way to preserve the reality of history and as a way to maintain aspects of the Cherokee culture despite the Trail of Tears. The novel in itself is one large story, told through a multitude of voices, thus reinforcing Glancy’s idea of the necessity of this ritual which is equivalent to the creation of a new story. The story of the trickster turtle is also one of the most important stories in the novel, due to the fact that it is again later mentioned towards the end of the novel in comparison to the Cherokee nation. Quaty Lewis tells this story to the boys Mark and Ephum while they rest for the night somewhere on the trail. She makes it clear that she wants them to understand the story well “She spoke first in Cherokee, then English...
Ethnicity and Hollywood Racism is always issues which take a huge part of American history. Until the twenty-first century, although people tried to make the country becomes the freedom and equality nation, these issues are still happening everywhere. According to "In Living Color: Race and American Culture," Stuart Hall argues that racism is still widespread in the society and "it is widely invisible even to those who formulate the world in its terms" (qtd. in Omi 683). Indeed, situations about race quietly exist in the movie industry, which "has led to the perpetuation of racial caricatures" to the majority audiences and even minority audiences (Omi 629).
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma written by Camilla Townsend introduces the historical period of seventeenth century Native Americans and the journey of their survival. Townsend is known for her multiple books mostly focusing on the lives of indigenous people and their stories. This book, however, goes through the specific life of Pocahontas herself. The author uses not only tragedy but also romance when recapping Pocahontas’ life throughout the years. The book successfully teaches and emphasizes the struggles Pocahontas and her people went through and educates the audience of the real history behind this time period.
The lyrics of the song Arabian Nights are just one of the many examples in which Disney movies stereotype minority groups, even up to the level that can be identified as racism. Yet, thinking about Disney certainly does not often lead to discussions about racism. However, watching these movies now as an adult and with the ability to critically question the depiction of marginalised groups, these illustrations raise the question as to if and how beloved classic Disney features help fostering stereotypes and racism. Therefore, the following academic work aims at debating this issue. b. Problem
