The Differences and Similarities Between The Last of the Mohicans Film and A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson Story Stacie Cappillino Keiser University The Differences and Similarities Between The Last of the Mohicans Film and A Narrative of The Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson Story The Last of the Mohicans and A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson both display cultural division between the American Indians and the colonist and/or settlers. Mary Rowlandson story is one from her personal accounts from the eleven weeks she was held prisoner by the Indians. The Last of the Mohicans, too, deal with captivity situations and the animosity between the two cultures …show more content…
Through Magua’s point of view, the films can give examples of why the American Indians behaved in the manner they did. Magua falsely shows alliance with the “Crown” meanwhile having a true allegiance with the French General Montcalm as a means for revenge on Colonel Munro. Magua reveals in a scene while speaking with General Montcalm that Colonel Monro troops destroyed his village, killed his children, and imprisoned him. His wife was left believing him to be dead, and remarried. (Mann, Hunt, Robinson, 1992) Magua’s intentions are to kill Colonel Munro and his family for the suffering he caused. Not only did the movie show a division of cultures but also displayed blending of cultures. Hawkeye is a white man who was taken in as a toddler and raised by American Indian Mohican Chingachgook as his own after his parents are killed. (Mann, Hunt, Robinson, …show more content…
Being a Christian woman Mary never describes the American Indians as human beings. Many of her word descriptions of the Indians were like, barbaric, uncivilized, ravenous beast and black creatures, “Now away we must go with those barbarous creatures, with our bodies wounded and bleeding, and our hearts no less than our bodies.” (Rowlandson, 1682/2013 p.130) Instead, she uses her bible to help guide her with feelings towards the Indians. Mary found a passage in her bible reminding her, “there would be mercy promised again, if we returned to Him by repentance; and though we were scattered from one end of the earth to the other, yet the Lord would gather us together, and turn all those curses upon our enemies. I do not desire to live to forget this scripture, and what comfort it was to me.” (Rowlandson, 1682/2013 p.133) This reading in her bible was an enormous turning point Mary. As a Christian woman, this passage enabled her to deal with the conflicts within herself where the Indians were concerned. Her bible was validating how she was feeling on many different levels in the situations she was dealing
While being captive, she realized that she has not acknowledged the Sabbath days. She started questioning herself, her faith and “how careless” she had been because she thought she was losing sight of him (74). She had been careless because she did not realize how many days have passed since she was captured. However, God never left her. Additionally, during her journey, she encountered a woman, Ann Joslin, which she was also held in captivity. She mentioned to Mary that she wanted to run and escape, but she did not have the courage to do it. Luckily, Mary had her bible and decided to read together. Although, Joslin could not take it anymore and begged the Indians to “let her go home” (77). The Indians stripped Joslin naked and knocked her on the head causing her to die. It all happened at once that Mary’s body was weak, so she decided to open up a bible and reflect. Instead of weeping about everything that has happened, she wept “over the scripture” (78) because she knows that everything “shall be rewarded” in the end causing her spirit to be uplifted (78). Even though she did not have the strength physically, mentally, and emotionally, she knew that He was forgiving God and He would accept her for who she
In the times of colonies when land was untouched there was a distinct hatred between the native Indians and the new colonists. As one reads the essay: A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682, one will understand this hatred. Although the Indians captured Mary Rowlandson, with the faith of God she was safely returned. The reader learns of her religious messages and how she turns to God for safety and strong will. One sees how her Puritan beliefs are of the strong New England Puritans way of life. The reader also understands through her words how she views the Indians and their way of life.
James Welch relies heavily on documented Blackfeet history and family stories, but he merges those actual events and people with his imagination and thus creates a tension between fiction and history, weaving a tapestry that reflects a vital tribal community under pressure from outside forces. Welch re-imagines the past in order to document history in a way that includes past and future generations, offers readers insight into the tribal world-views of the Blackfeet, examines women's roles in the tribe, and leads to a recovery of identity. Welch also creates a Blackfeet world of the late 1800s--a tribal culture in the process of economic and social change as a result of the introduction of the horse and gun and the encroachment of the white invaders or "seizers" as Welch identifies them.
Mary Rowlandson was captured from her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts by Wampanoag Indians during King Phillip’s War. She was held captive for several months. When she was released she penned her story, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. During much of her story she refers to the Indians as savage beasts and heathens but at times seems admire them and appreciate their treatment of her. Mary Rowlandson has a varying view of her Indian captors because she experienced their culture and realized it was not that different from Puritan culture.
... She undergoes a change and is positive but doesn’t capitalize on the Native Americans transformations that show they have had some change of heart. As the captivity theme got popular, two authors named Susanna Rowson and Charles Brockden Brown used it to their advantage in creating their own captivity narratives based on fiction. Mary Rowlandson’s story happened to her and they just wanted to write about it. The Native Americans reputations have been destroyed because of this theme and people are not realizing that captivity narratives are from an unfair time in the Native Americans culture.
To conclude with “The General History of Virginia” and Disney’s version of Pocahontas, the two stories had two different opinions and views. Although, Disney’s portrayal of Pocahontas was perceived as an offense to the Native Americans, no one really knows the actual events that took place during that time. People will continue to think that John Smith’s version was a bit hysterical, while the Native Americans will take the Disney movie Pocahontas to an offense. John Smith and Disney both gave their own versions of their story. Others will continue to do the same.
As a result, both films represent Natives Americans under the point of view of non-Native directors. Despite the fact that they made use of the fabricated stereotypes in their illustrations of the indigenous people, their portrayal was revolutionary in its own times. Each of the films add in their own way a new approach to the representation of indigenous people, their stories unfold partly unlike. These differences make one look at the indigenous not only as one dimensional beings but as multifaceted beings, as Dunbar say, “they are just like us.” This is finally a sense of fairness and respect by the non-native populations to the Native Indians.
Portrayal of Native Americans in Last of the Mohicans and Stereotypes of Native Americans Introduction James Fenimore Cooper wrote the novel Last of the Mohicans. James Fenimore Cooper had a remarkably boring, wealthy existence. His parents were shrewd and ambitious, easily acquiring money and power. Thus he was exposed early on to the finer pleasures of life. The Last of the Mohicans takes place in the midst of the French-Indian war. Specifically, it focuses on one battle in a war that lasted for many years. This was the last and most important conflict over French and British possessions in North America. Unlike the earlier wars, which began in Europe and spread to America, this struggle broke out solely in America in 1754, and was not settled until 1763. For this reason, Indian involvement in the conflict was incredibly high. This book depicts the battle of Fort William Henry and adds the fictional kidnapping of two white pioneering sisters (whites were often kidnapped by Native Americans in Cooper's novels). Cooper knew few Indians, so he drew on a Moravian missionary's account of two opposing tribes; the Delawares and the "Mingos." Although this characterization was filled with inaccuracies, the dual image of the opposing tribes allowed Cooper to create a lasting image of the Indian that became a part of the American consciousness for almost two centuries. This book was actually made into a movie in 1992, and did very well at the box office. Of all of Coopers books, this is by far the most famous. Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook and his son Uncas, stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the command...
Mary Rowlandson’s “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” and Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” are two different perspectives based on unique experiences the narrators had with “savages.” Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages…” is a comparison between the ways of the Indians and the ways of the Englishmen along with Franklin’s reason why the Indians should not be defined as savages. “A Narrative of the Captivity…” is a written test of faith about a brutally traumatic experience that a woman faced alone while being held captive by Indians. Mary Rowlandson views the Indians in a negative light due to the traumatizing and inhumane experiences she went through namely, their actions and the way in which they lived went against the religious code to which she is used; contrastingly, Benjamin Franklin sees the Indians as everything but savages-- he believes that they are perfect due to their educated ways and virtuous conduct.
One of the differences between the movie and the book lies in the settings or rather the surrounding in both the movie and the book. The book depicts an exemplary factual tale, one of mountain myths, situated in 1930's Northern parts of Canada. The book portrays an account of C...
The main characters of the film were John Smith, Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Usually it is hard for films to portray c...
In the beginning of the narrative, Mary Rowlandson describes the manner in which the Indians invade her home, kill many of her friends, and drag her away from her husband and two children. She watches as the “murderous Wretches [burn] and [destroy]” her home before her eyes. It is the “dolefullest day that [her] eyes have ever [seen].” At this point in time, Mary has no knowledge of the Indian lifestyle, or even of their motive for ravaging the land of the colonists. She sees them merely as merciless heathens who come from Satan. Mary writes that before the incident, she said that if “the Indians should come, [she] should choose rather to be killed by them then [be] taken alive,”(124) but when that choice actually comes to her, she chooses to go with them, despite her unwillingness. At this point, she puts her life into the Indians’ hands. Once they leave the town, Mary and the Indians begin a series of “removes,” or moves to different areas of the New England wilderness. Mary describes the celebration rituals of the Indians, where they dance and chant, and “[make] the place a lively resemblance of hell!” Their unchristian lifestyle...
Mary Rowlandson was a pretentious, bold and pious character. Her narrative did not make me feel sorry for her at all, which is strange since she really did go through a lot. During the war, the Narragansett Indians attacked Lancaster Massachusetts, and burned and pillaged the whole village. During the siege Mary and her six year old child were shot, she watched her sister and most of her village either burn or get shot. She was kept as a captive, along with her three children and taken with the Narragansett’s on their long retreat. The exposition of the story is set immediately. The reader is perfectly aware of Missus Rowlandson’s status and religious beliefs. She constantly refers to the Narragansetts in an incredibly condescending way, to the point that you know that she does not even consider them human. She paints them as purely evil pe...
Louise Erdrich’s short story “American horse” is a literary piece written by an author whose works emphasize the American experience for a multitude of different people from a plethora of various ethnic backgrounds. While Erdrich utilizes a full arsenal of literary elements to better convey this particular story to the reader, perhaps the two most prominent are theme and point of view. At first glance this story seems to portray the struggle of a mother who has her son ripped from her arms by government authorities; however, if the reader simply steps back to analyze the larger picture, the theme becomes clear. It is important to understand the backgrounds of both the protagonist and antagonists when analyzing theme of this short story. Albetrine, who is the short story’s protagonist, is a Native American woman who characterizes her son Buddy as “the best thing that has ever happened to me”. The antagonist, are westerners who work on behalf of the United States Government. Given this dynamic, the stage is set for a clash between the two forces. The struggle between these two can be viewed as a microcosm for what has occurred throughout history between Native Americans and Caucasians. With all this in mind, the reader can see that the theme of this piece is the battle of Native Americans to maintain their culture and way of life as their homeland is invaded by Caucasians. In addition to the theme, Erdrich’s usage of the third person limited point of view helps the reader understand the short story from several different perspectives while allowing the story to maintain the ambiguity and mysteriousness that was felt by many Natives Americans as they endured similar struggles. These two literary elements help set an underlying atmos...
The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is a personal account, written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682, of what life in captivity was like. Her narrative of her captivity by Indians became popular in both American and English literature. Mary Rowlandson basically lost everything by an Indian attack on her town Lancaster, Massachusetts in 1675; where she is then held prisoner and spends eleven weeks with the Wampanoag Indians as they travel to safety. What made this piece so popular in both England and America was not only because of the great narrative skill used be Mary Rowlandson, but also the intriguing personality shown by the complicated character who has a struggle in recognizing her identity. The reoccurring idea of food and the word remove, used as metaphors throughout the narrative, could be observed to lead to Mary Rowlandson’s repression of anger, depression, and realization of change throughout her journey and more so at the end of it.