Black Elk Analysis

Black Elk Speaks describes a young Native American’s, Black Elk, life growing up. In the text Black Elk is a selfless person, whose main goal in life is to protect his people. He takes this goal upon himself after he experiences a great vision. In this vision, on pages 20 and 21, Black Elk is given a great power. He uses this power not only to destroy the villages enemy, “the blue man,” but he also is able to heal all of those that are sick or dead in the village by flying by them. Black Elk understands this vision as a sign that he must protect and care for his people. He answers this higher calling without a second thought and places his people’s lives above his own, despite only being a child. Black Elk truly shows how selfless he was during the Battle of Wounded Knee. It what was more of a massacre rather than an actual battle, Black Elk armed himself only with a ceremonial bow and dressed himself as he was in his vision. He did this to inspire his people to fight harder and it did work for a time. At the beginning of the battle, on page 161, he implores for his people to “take courage” and to stand fast in the face of danger. He then leads the charge on page 162, essentially unarmed, and his people follow him into battle. Black Elk even turns around in the middle of the fight to rescue a lost baby stranded in the middle of

In certain editions of the text it is noted that this passage is mostly comprised of Neihardt’s words in an attempt to move his readers. He succeeded in this aspect, but it detracts from the overall human feeling of Black Elk. In these sections, when Neihardt blends his words with Black Elk’s, Neihardt gives Black Elk the appearance that he is speaking and thinking in long and articulate sentence. In reality no one is able to deliver such magnificent sentences without preparation, thus making Black Elk appear above the