Rhetorical Analysis Of Kill The Indian And Save The Man

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In the speech “Kill the Indian, and Save the Man”, Captain Richard Pratt claims that the savagery of the Indians poses a problem to the advancement of the American society. He argues that their surroundings including language, superstition, and lifestyle cause this problem. TO support his claim, he provides the example of an Indian and White infant. He states that raising them in opposite environments will result in the acquisition of their respective qualities. Pratt proposes the solution of sending Indians to boarding schools, so they can gradually become civilized. Although Pratt's solution seems logical, it lacks morality, because effacing the Indians’ culture will strip them of their identity, family ties, and security.