Analysis Of Poahhontas In The Film 'The New World'

939 Words2 Pages

As many children across the globe grow up, they watch every kind of Disney Film, including Pocahontas. This movie, though fictional, helped to depict the relationships of the native and the English settlers. The movie The New World directed by Terence Malick, like Pocahontas, helped to show the relationship the two groups of people had, but in more accurate and real terms. As the film progresses, the relationships Pocahontas builds and even the person she falls in love with. There are hardships, friendships, and evolution of the characters, especially Pocahontas. This film portrays the evolution of Pocahontas as a naive native who knows nothing about the technologies and capabilities of the English, to a young girl that falls in love, and then …show more content…

At first curious, they greet the colonists, not knowing the dangers and troubles they will soon bring (Kishlansky, 352). When they arrive, Pocahontas is out in the field, not paying any real mind to what is going on (Rohrer, “Native American Portrayal”). A man on board the ship by the name of John Smith, notices her actions. When their settlement begins to run low on supplies, the captain then sails back to England to gather more. It is after he leaves that Smith goes to find the Algonquin village, which are Pocahontas’s people. On his journey there, John winds up getting captured and is held as prisoner. Once he is taken to their village, he is greeted by Pocahontas’s father, Powhaton (A.V. Club, “The New World reshaped.”). He states that he and his people feel that their land is being threatened by their coming and then plans to have him executed. However, Pocahontas steps in and begs her father to spare his life after growing a strong liking to Smith. Although this is a fictional movie, Pocahontas really did save John Smith’s life. As recalled by Smith, his head was rested upon the execution stones when Pocahontas rushed in and placed her head over top of his, essentially stopping the execution (National Park Service, “Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend”). After agreeing not to execute him, Smith begins to live with …show more content…

Terence Malick). Her and Rolfe stay in Virginia for quite some time and have a child. Pocahontas’s status in England was much that of a novelty, no one had seen the natives and no one knew if one could become civilized. In a way, she became a sort of experiment to them. In 1616, the Rolfe family made their voyage to England. While in England, she is notified that John Smith is still alive and would like to see her. According to sources, they say that she was so overcome with emotion that she couldn’t speak and turned away from him. She then later scolded him for the way that he treated her and her people. That was the last time she ever saw him (National Park Service, “Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend”). They remained in England for quite a while before they decided to make the trip back to Virginia. Along the way, Pocahontas fell ill and unfortunately died at the age of 22, leaving her husband and her child son. Rolfe sailed back to Virginia but left his child with relatives in England. He never went back for him (Rohrer, “Native American

Show More
Related

  • Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown Settlers

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pocahontas Powhatan Opechancanough, tells the story of the interactions between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians, and how the European arrival changed the lives of the natives. the book focuses on the three Indians it is titled for and tries to explain the story of Jamestown through a less Anglo-biased view. At many times the book contradicts the story most people know of the Jamestown settlement and the major players involved. Throughout the book, author Helen Rountree goes to great lengths to tell the whole story truthfully, and when she can't give the whole story she makes it clear as to what is accepted to be true.

    Read More

  • The Movie Pocahontas Is Not Historically Accurate

    430 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Disney movie Pocahontas is not historically accurate. There are many differences in the plot and characters. A few are that there was no love story between Pocahontas and John Smith, Pocahontas was 12 not 20 when John Smith came, John Smith was not tall and blond, and in the movie, they came to Jamestown in one ship. There are much more ways that the Movie is not historically accurate, but you can already see that it was very different from what actually happened.

    Read More

  • The Historical Interaction Between the Europeans and Indians in the Disney Movie Pocahontas

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Historical Interaction Between the Europeans and Indians in the Disney Movie Pocahontas Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying the story of the Native American (Indian) princess, Pocahontas. We have studied both literature and the 1995 Disney movie. I am going to write about what methods are used to portray the relationship between these two civilisations. Both media portray the same relationship between the civilisations; this is one of mistrust, misunderstanding and dislike. From the moment the Europeans landed in "the new world", the natives were not sure of what to think of them, they looked different, sounded different and carried themselves differently.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Pocahontas And The Powhatan Dilemma

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma, provides a vivid and brutally honest account of the atrocities committed against Pocahontas and her people, unlike the popular animated film released by Disney. We will never know the absolute truth behind Pocahontas and her people, or the early settlers who emigrated to Jamestown, but one truth, however, remains evident. The English had succeeded in destroying an entire culture, rich with diversity. This may not have been what the English had intended at first, but it untimely was the result of their actions against the Powhatan people and the other tribes of the surrounding region. They imposed harsh conditions which included abduction, conversion, violence, and tributes which practically impossible to

    Read More

  • Many Differences Between Disney's Pocohontas and John Smith's The General History of Virginia

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disney movie “Pocahontas” and John Smiths “The General History of Virginia” there were many differences, other than things someone could compare. The two versions had different thoughts and views on the accounts of Pocahontas, the Native Americans, and John Smith. The way Disney portrayed Pocahontas had more of a view of mending enemies, compromises being made between two parties, and that there is more to life than materialistic things. On the other hand, John Smith’s account of what happened was way different than Disney’s version of what happened. For example, John Smith describes his journey to Virginia as a long journey, filled with Hunger, with a majority of the people who attended the voyage with john smith ended up dying. At the end, with him and others being captured by Native Americans who reside on that land. Although, no one knows the actual events that took place during this time.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of “Disney’s Politically Correct Pocahontas”

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    The essence of Pocahontas’ history is debatable, with very few documented facts. Pocahontas lived over four hundred years ago, and the known facts may also be manipulated. The story John Smith recounted of his own ordeal may have been altered to suit his own needs. The truth of the story may not be the facts given of the story. The essence of Pocahontas’ legend is really what is argued. Some may object to Disney’s version of the tale; however, it is Disney’s version to tell.

    Read More

  • Correlation Between Tempest and the New World

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles by John Smith, portrays the enormous troubles the settlers were faced with by the Native Americans. He explains how he was captured by Indians and also saved by a young Native American girl, Pocahontas. He vividly describes the ceremonies and rituals of the Natives performed before his execution. However, the execution never occurred due to the tremendous mercy showed by the king’s daughter who blanketed John Smith’s body her own. Pocahontas went on to persuade the Native Americans to help the settlers by giving them food and other necessities. Despite her efforts to reach peaceful grounds, her people were still bitter and planned an attacks on the colony. Nevertheless, Pocahontas saved them once again by warning the settlers of attacks. Pocahontas went on to marry an Englishman and traveled to England. She resembled the prosperity and good that was to be found in an untamed land.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes of Native Americans in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last Mohicans

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...n a bit of a glamorous image as Pocahontas has been depicted as a beautiful, free spirited, brave and independent girl. Pocahontas is known, primarily because she became the hero of Euro-Americans as the "good Indian", one who saved the life of a white man. Not only is the "good Indian/bad Indian theme" inevitably given new life by Disney, but the history, as recorded by the English themselves, is badly falsified in the name of entertainment. Bibliography http://cougar.ucdavis.edu/nas/varese/nas191/Marie/home.html http://mytwobeadsworth.com/NAreclaimhollyimage.html http://www.academon.com/lib/paper/5846.html http://www.indiancountry.com/article/2565 http://www.free-termpapers.com/tp/30/mlo89.shtml http://www.uwm.edu/Library/special/exhibits/clastext/clspg135.htm http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/alison-thesis/relation.html

    Read More

  • Why Did John Smith Join The Colonization Of Virginia

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    John had problems during the voyage: The harsh weather, the lack of water and the attacks of Native American tribes destroyed almost all the crew. Towards the end of 1607, Smith was taken hostage by the aborigines of the area, and taken to meet the chief Powhatan in Werowocomoco. Despite fearing for his life, Smith was finally released without any harm, later attributing his fate to the Amerindian chief's daughter, Pocahontas. Apparently, she would have defended Smith to avoid his execution.

    Read More

  • John Smith's Relationship With The Powhatan Tribe

    243 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Chapter 4, the English settler’s relationship with the Powhatan tribe took a turn for the worse. John Smith became greedy for corn and food, but he wasn’t making a thorough effort to produce food himself. Smith often became violent with the Powhatan people. After being generously helped by the tribes, he responded by turning guns people and forcing them to give him food. His self-centered greed for corn made Chief Wahunseneca angry. The Chief expressed his anger to John Smith. He was especially angry because he had trusted the English colonist and even made him a werowance. However, Wahunseneca stayed calm, and he encouraged peace. Smith recounted the story by saying he was in danger, and he was saved again by Pocahontas. He claimed that

    Read More

  • Is The Turning Point Of Powhatan's Speech To John Smith

    487 Words  | 1 Pages

    Also, the Algonquian tribe tried to run the settlers off by raiding their settlement and pilfered supplies like gunpowder and other tools. However in 1607, the native hunters captured John Smith. When they captured him the Indians were trying to have him killed. When they were about to kill him, Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas jumped on top of him and salvaged him, so if they wanted to kill him they would have to kill her. The Indians didn't want to kill Pocahontas of course because she was one of them. So basically an eleven year old Indian girl was responsible for John Smith’s

    Read More

  • Hollywood versus History: New World

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main plot of the film focuses on the relationship between John Smith, Pocahontas and John Rolfe. The film was a romantic film and had a lot of romantic scenes that were probably not portrayed in actual historical events. For example, the two main characters in the film were of course John Smith and Pocahontas, and there were many scenes in the movie that implied their romantic relationship. Scenes, such as when the two are connecting with one another, spending time together and learning about each other mostly through touch and sign language, after Pocahontas had saved John Smith from execution. In these few scenes each character narrates and discusses their idea on love and expressing their feelings on one another. Although, entertaining, John Smith and Pocahontas weren’t actually romantically involved with each other as the film portrays in these few scenes. It is uncertain what the relationship John Smith and Pocahontas actually had. Most likely, it was a beneficial relationship between the two, since there was a lot of trading between the Native American tribes and the colonists. (Read, 2005)

    Read More

  • Jamestown Colony Essay

    1487 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Virginia Company used Pocahontas's baptism and marriage as advertisement. It showed that the Virginia Company was doing good in Jamestown by converting Native Americans to Christianity. In 1616, John Rolfe and Pocahontas traveled to London. Ten other natives came with them. They met the king, and Pocahontas even saw John Smith. Pocahontas was surprised to see John Smith alive because when Smith left, the colonists told Pocahontas he died. In March 1617, John Rolfe and Pocahontas were to go back to Virginia until Pocahontas was ill. Pocahontas died and was buried in England in March 1617. Despite the death, John Rolfe returned back to

    Read More

  • Nightmare In Jamestown Movie Analysis

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    After their original leader, Bartholomew Goznold, dies, John Smith takes up his leadership position. Determined to survive and keep the colony going, he starts learning and observing the ways of the Indians. He tried to learn their language as well and tried to break the language barrier. He took a big gamble and came into the Indian camp to speak to chief Powhatan to bargain for food. Luckily for him, Powhatans daughter, Pocahontas, influenced her father to aid the Englishmen and John was able to secure food for the

    Read More

  • Racism and Other Themes in Disney´s Pocahontas

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disney’s intentions were more than to captivate young children. They were ultimately to retell the original story of Pocahontas and the settlers and to address social issues of lifestyle and acceptance depending on race and the way they are being treated, proving that marriage isn’t all that important and addressing familial gender roles in society based on having a mother figure. Since 1995, the story of Pocahontas serves to entertain the young minds of children, but none the less the messages for seen in the movie, are mentioned to stress the issues of a series of systems in which maintain the imbalance of power among society’s social organization.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Poahhontas In The Film 'The New World'

Open Document