In The Light Of The Forest Analysis

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Recommended: Native Americans and white culture

Ethnocentrism In the book, In the Light of the Forest, by Conrad Richter, the Native American characters use derogatory speech to support that they are ethnocentric towards the whites. The two main characters that are significant examples of this are True Son and Half Arrow. Born and raised as a Native American, Half Arrow experienced the whites cruelty. As a captive, True Son was taught and developed a hatred for the whites from the stories he was told. Both, True Son and Half Arrow’s words and actions towards the whites prove that they are ethnocentric. From the beginning, Half Arrow, a full-time member of the Native American culture, hated the whites. In the book, before True Son went to meet his old family he reminded him how bad it …show more content…

However, other white captures brought into the Native American environment developed this ethnocentric behavior towards whites. After being taken from his white family, True Son became a Native American which automatically led to the negative outlook on whites. As the book progressed, he found out he would have to go back to Pennsylvania and meet his white family again. In embarrassment, he wanted to kill himself and thought, “Never would he go to this enemy land. How could he exist among a race of aliens with such slouching ways and undignified speech! How could he live and breath and not be an Indian” (18)! He thought the idea of having to walk on his enemies soil was more terrifying than actually doing it. When he finally gained the strength to meet his family he was flabbergasted. When True Son got there and looked around he looked around and said, “The whites were very childish to believe that the God of the Whole Universe would stay in such a closed-up and stuffy place. The Indians knew better….” (Pg.73). He judged them based off of their homes and thought his home in the woods was far freer and better. From personal experience, True Son and Half arrowed made negative assumptions about the whites making it impossible for them to accept

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