Analysis Of Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water

1535 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Postcolonial theory in indian literature

Thomas King’s Green Grass, Running Water challenges the prevalent idea of colonial history. King retells and revisions the past in order to convey the post colonial ideas. King uses the creation stories, the four Indians, the narrative, and the three vanishing cars to argue and revise the effects of North America’s history on the Blackfoot people and the telling of the past. From the moment in which Christopher Columbus reached the New World in 1492, it was thought to be the initial discovery of North America (Christopher Columbus). King sets his book in 1992, 500 years after Columbus’ voyage. King’s telling of the past and their effects of colonial history are displayed in the novel. Green Grass, Running Water attempts to rewrite the stories
In the prologue GOD is concerned with the water, "Where did all that water come from? shouts that GOD” (King 3). “King displaces God 's role in creation” (Cox 5). In the story of First Women she is placed in a garden, with Ahdamn, that is already practicing civility. Ahdamn’s attempt to rename the animals in the garden with industrialized names represents the Europeans belief of being the first people in the New World. There is a difference between the popular Adam and Eve story and Kings creation story. In King’s story, GOD acts out of aberrant behaviour and First Women leaves freely and the garden is already civilized. The second creation story is satire of Noah’s Arch. Changing Women falls from the sky into canoe of poop. A “little man with a filthy beard” is there, and he claims Changing Women to be a gift from God, assuming she is his wife (King 145). Changing Women’s creation story represents the difference between Christianity and the spirituality of the Indians (Gomez-Vega 6-7). When Thought Women meets Robinson Crusoe, a famous writer, and he makes lists of the good and bad. This represents Christianity imposing culture on the Native Americans and dismissing the Native traditions (Maithreyi 7). Then
The four Indians, Lone Ranger, Ishmael, Robinson Crusoe, and Hawkeye, are based off icons of the white people in the colonial era. These pieces of literature have an underlying tone of imperialism (Maithreyi 3). By trying to fix the world they try and revere the effects in which colonization had on the Blackfoot people. They begin this by changing the ending of the popular western hollywood movie. The movie portrays a stereotypical view of the indigenous culture. King hopes to dispel the ideas of these stereotypes and does so by changing the movies. Alberta is introduced by teaching her students about the history of Fort Marion. The four Indians are imprisoned in Fort Marion, but unlike history, they escape (Gomez-Vega 13). The 4 Indians try to fix the effects of colonialism on Lionel. ““By the time Lionel was six, he knew what he wanted to be. John Wayne. Not the actor, but the character,” who was the idealized westernized man (King 241). This presence of western ideas in Lionel left no room for a Native future. The 4 Indians set out to revise these ideas in Lionel. As Lionel accepts his culture, he stand up again George Morningstar at the Sun Dance to protect his culture, resembling and revising history (Totter 13-14). In addition to trying to fix the world, the 4 Indians narrate the creation stories. To the Indians, how the creation stories are important. In the novel the 4 Indians

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Miranda's 'Bad Indians'

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book Bad Indians, Miranda talks about the many issues Indigenous People go through. Miranda talks about the struggles Indigenous people go through; however, she talks about them in the perspective of Native Americans. Many people learn about Indigenous People through classrooms and textbooks, in the perspective of White people. In Bad Indians, Miranda uses different literary devices to show her perspective of the way Indigenous People were treated, the issues that arose from missionization, as well as the violence that followed through such issues. Bad Indians is an excellent example that shows how different history is told in different perspectives.

    Read More

  • Comparing Women In Gilgamesh And Genesis/Exodus

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women were just there to serve their husbands in anyway the men wanted. The first example was in the second creation story God only created man and then realized he needed a helper and then he created a woman with a rib from the man (2). It is saying that women were only really created to help and support men, also its implying that the man helped make the women so he gets control over her. In Genesis 3:16 God says to eve, “your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you,” she ate from the tree so he is punishing her (3). Women were just objects for the men to control, but then in the first creation story God created men and women equally (1). He created them together and to worship the land and populate it. So the two creation stories contradict each other because one the women are equal and in the other story they are completely separate. It gives two different outlooks on the way women were portrayed, but throughout the story they are portrayed more like the second creation story than the

    Read More

  • The Fronteir Changes You: Analysis of The Last of the Mohicans

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    The frontier changes people. Its is a harsh landscape that only very adapted people can survive in. Duncan Heyward and David Gamut both learn this the hard way. They are used to the posh life of England, and do not understand how life on the frontier works. The events of the story change them however, to become men who, while not as good as the Indians, can hold their own in the harsh landscape of North America.

    Read More

  • The Last of the Mohicans and Fort

    2974 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Last of the Mohicans, released in 1993, is a story with much historical background as well as a very entertaining love story to catch the viewer’s eye. This movie is based on the historical event of the French and Indian War that went from 1754-1763. To give this story a more interesting twist, the director, Michael Mann, has added a love story between Hawkeye and Cora. Cora and her sister Alice are being escorted to their father, commander of Fort William Henry, when an attack by the Indians occurs. Daniel Day-Lewis, Hawkeye, comes to their rescue and helps bring them to their father. Hawkeye, along with his father (Chingachgook), and his brother (Uncas), try to help out her father but he will not take it into consideration. They are attacked and destroyed. All along this journey, Hawkeye and Cora fall in love. There have been a variety of responses to this film. Some critics very much enjoyed Mann’s work, while others had nothing good at all to say about it.

    Read More

  • Different Creation Views Among Native Americans and Europeans

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    The creation story in Aristotle’s views affected the thinking and behavior of Native Americans and Europeans when they first encountered each other and their thoughts of humankind’s relationship to nature. For instance the Native Americans had two stories of creation. Both dealt with animals and plants helping humans or being one with each other. In the story Ramon Pane humans lived in caves and would turn into animals or a part of nature when they were exposed to the sun. In the other creation story, “A women who fell from the sky” has a woman who falls from heaven onto the sea. Animals that live in the water come together to rescue her and because of this they create a place for her to stay which then becomes the earth. The women then has a daughter which planted potatoes East instead of West and therefore becomes pregnant with twin boys. The boys grow up and create land, animals and plants for the earth, because of this Europeans could have perceived Native Americans as satanic human beings because the Natives did not believe that God created the wo...

    Read More

  • Trail Of Tears Summary

    485 Words  | 1 Pages

    in exchange for reimbursement, it was negotiated by a Cherokee leader, John Ridge, who claimed to represent the Cherokee Nation when really, he spoke for only a small portion of the group. This book begins with the conception of John Ridge, it incorporates everything that the Cherokees believed in and what Ridge had to do in his initiation to manhood. At this time, the white’s already have a correspondence with the Natives, as one of their forbears is white. Eventually, the American Revolutionary War happens and Major Ridge (John’s father) and his family are driven into the madness. Soon after the war has ended, the only thing that whites are focused on is obtaining good land. A discovery of gold in Georgia leads the white people to the Natives land. After finding that all this land meets their needs, they figure that the Indians are wasting it and come up with a plan to acquire it all. In the meantime, Major Ridge is living his life with his children, he has become a wealthy plantation owner as well as a leader of the Cherokee Nation. His son John becomes an attorney, and his nephew Elias Boudinot becomes the first editor of the Cherokee Newspaper. Eventually, Major Ridge and his family are the first to discover that plans have been made to remove all Natives off their land and send them to the other side of the Mississippi

    Read More

  • Green Grass, Running Water : Exploring Tradition & Modern Culture by Thomas King

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his novel, Thomas King plays on stereotypes and expectations that occur in our society on the portrayal of Native Americans. He show us the bias image that we have of them by describing what is an indian from a colonizers point of view, how the genre of western movies has an effect on our perception in society. In the novel, Nasty Bumppo, who represents modern society, explains that :

    Read More

  • The Tall Tale Male: Literary Versions of American Manhood

    1579 Words  | 4 Pages

    Romantic Author James’s Fennimore Cooper created characters in the tradition of independence and self-control. Apart of his “Leather Stockings” series, “The Last of The Mohicans,” uses the American frontier an aesthetic articulation of male Identity. (“Masculine Heroes” American Passages Voices and Visions) In an excerpt from Cooper’s classic, “From Volume I Chapter III”, (Cooper. 485-491) the reader is introduced to the recurring character Natty Bumppo – referred to as Hawkeye-- and his friend Chingachgook. Both men can be seen as representations of the American Frontier, Heroes that embody the mythic elements in Cooper’s setting. They are rugged frontiersmen that thrive self-sufficiently, in a world of harsh realities.

    Read More

  • Iroquois Creation Story And Red Jacket: The Iroquois Creation Story

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Iroquois creation story showcases their conviction on how the world started. Ironically, the Natives were oblivious to other creation stories, particularly the Genesis Christian creation story that appears to be absurdly similar to the Iroquois one. In addition, both stories shared an idea of a round figure that created the earth. The Genesis states “Then God commanded, “Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places”—and it was done.” (Genesis 1:6-7) Whereas the Iroquois describes “After a time the turtle increased to a great Island and the infants were grown up—” (22) The Norton Anthology of American Literature enunciates that the Native Americans were people of the spoken word rather than the written one which is how their religion was propagated generation to generation. One can read, “There is, however, no actual transcription and translation of an Iroquois cosmogonic myth by a Native person until that of David Cusick—” (20) Seeing as the Natives stuck to an oral tradition, their manner of speaking was parallel to their way of believing. Due to their re can be exhibited in Red Jacket’s speech as a personification of their traditions, he remarked, “our seats were once large, and yours were very small; you have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets; you have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.” (230) the quote ideally represents the Natives’ graciousness and tolerance of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Thomas King's 'The Inconvenient Indian'

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Thomas King’s novel, The Inconvenient Indian, the story of North America’s history is discussed from his original viewpoint and perspective. In his first chapter, “Forgetting Columbus,” he voices his opinion about how he feel towards the way white people have told America’s history and portraying it as an adventurous tale of triumph, strength and freedom. King hunts down the evidence needed to reveal more facts on the controversial relationship between the whites and natives and how it has affected the culture of Americans. Mainly untangling the confusion between the idea of Native Americans being savages and whites constantly reigning in glory. He exposes the truth about how Native Americans were treated and how their actual stories were

    Read More

  • Comparing Mohawk Tribe And The Hebrew Bible Creation Myth

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Mohawk Indians believe that the Good Spirit created all animals and other creatures on Earth first. Nevertheless, he felt that something was missing. Therefore, he took a piece of clay he found near the river and created a little clay human figure. Then, he built fire and put the little man in the fire until it baked. However, songs of the birds and the river make him fell asleep next to the fire and let the little man burn. The Mohawks believe that he was the first black man. Unsatisfied with the result, he decided to make another man. This time he determined to stay awake but unfortunately, the river sang its song and made him feel asleep again. He woke up and realized that the second little man was half-baked. The Mohawks say that this was the first white man. Once again, the Good Spirit was unsatisfied with the result so he chose red clay and modeled the third little man carefully. He stood next to the fire waiting the whole time the little man was baked. He took it out of the fire when it was done and the little red man became the first Mohawk Indian. The second tale is from the Hebrew Bible. It is the story of “Paradise, and the

    Read More

  • Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    One thing I found that was consistently mentioned throughout all the stories included in Green Grass, Running Water was water. I wonder why King includes water throughout the book. I wonder what water represents to King and the characters in the story. The water seems to be a means of necessity and I wonder if King mentions water to show how no matter how different people are they will always need water. King also mentions the building of a dam and its purpose through Green Grass, Running Water. Unfortunately the dam breaks and floods the cabin and kills Eli. I did not understand why Eli had to die. Another thing that I realized was that the title of the book is Green Grass, Running Water. The significance of the title is to reference the U.S. government’s takeover of the Indian’s land. How the U.S. government did not allow for the Indian’s to live freely by their own customs.

    Read More

  • Similarities in the Mythologies of Creation

    1307 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history many civilizations and cultures have had their own ways of explaining the world and its creation. Each of these civilizations has created unique descriptions and accounts of such events. However, when comparing them to each other, are they really different? Look at the ancient Greco - Roman creation myths as told by Hesiod in his Theogony and Works and Days and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, when compared to the creation myths as seen in the Old Testament’s book of Genesis they may not be as different as one would think. Taking a more in-depth look at both Genesis and Hesiod’s and Ovid’s work more closely, the reader can see that on multiple occasions the myths have almost identical similarities which reflect their views in society. The similarities in particular are the myths of the creation of man, women with their subsequent role of evil in ancient times, and the great floods. These similarities prove that even though these two scriptures were centuries apart, the concepts presented in each myth were almost identical to one another.

    Read More

  • How far can you be a Feminist Biblical Scholar and Remain a Faithful Christian?

    2039 Words  | 5 Pages

    Schungel-Straumann, H. (1993) ‘On the Creation of Man and Woman in Genesis 1-3: The History and Reception of the Texts Reconsidered’. In: Brenner, A. (ed.). A Feminist Companion to Genesis. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. pp.53-76.

    Read More

  • authors who wrote first five books of the Bible

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first one is creation of the Earth (Gen.2:4b-25). The author tries to show that culmination of the creation was a woman – Eve. J writes that Adam could not find a helper among the animals and birds so God decided to create a woman from his ribs. In Gen.2:7 J plays with the word Adam which is related to the Hebrew word Adamah (ground). She points out that a man, animals and birds were created from a mud while a woman – from a man. In Gen.3 the author indicates that Eve is more intellectually curious than Adam because the serpent speaks with Eve and she makes a decision to taste a fruit.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water

Open Document