Native American Literature

Angel DeCora An Autobiography

Picture of Angel DeCora

"A very promising career must have been laid out for me by my grandparents, but a strange white man interrupted it.
I had been entered in the Reservation school but a few days when a strange white man appeared there. He asked me through an interpreter if I would like to ride in a steam car. I had never seen one, and six of the other children seemed enthusiastic about it and they were going to try, so I decided to join them, too. The next morning at sunrise we were piled into a wagon and driven to the nearest railroad station, thirty miles away. We did get the promised ride. We rode three days and three nights until we reached Hampton, Va.
My parents found it out, but too late."

Diary: Recently I have been through a lot. I was convinced to ride in a car, which I rode in for three days, leading me to Virginia. I feel lost. All I wanted to do was ride in the car, I did not realize I would be taken away from my family and all the plans they had for me. These white men have a way of capturing us Indians into things we have not agreed to do. My mother told me about the things that these men do, but I was too young to listen or understand. The past three years have been like torture to me. I have not been able to see the ones I love, or experience things through my culture.

- Angel DeCora

Reflection: Though Native American’s were in America first, and also helped the early English settlers, I feel that Native Americans are not appreciated nearly as much as they should. This autobiography by Angel DeCora shows the way that some Native American children were taken advantage of. I feel the way in which this man went about taking Angel out of her hometown, was unethical and selfish, as he used the curiosity of the child as a captive tool to make her and others move. I also feel that it was wrong in taking Angel and other children away from their parents, at such young ages. This autobiography also brings up some of the obstacles that Native Americans had to overcome because of English settlers. I feel that it is very nice and that Angel did get the opportunity to succeed in the career that she chose, but I also think she could have succeed easier without the English men. Many of the reasons that Angle was forced to move and a change school was because of the white men, which in turn postponed her from achieving her dream.Likewise, if a man was to commit a crime like this the child would more than likely not be gone for near as long. The man would also be put in jail for a long period of time.

Essential Question: Puritan Literature

While the American Dream can offer hope in a verity of ways, it can seemingly also promote religious fears and intolerance. For example, puritans, were one of the first groups of people to move to America and were seeking religious freedom, people such as Bradford, Bradstreet and Taylor, all of who found their hope in their freedom to practice religion as they pleased. With this new freedom these people were able to live out their meaning of the American Dream with a new found hope. Likewise, after this freedom was established people such as Bradford, Bradstreet, and Taylor began to also pursue their own religion on other, and not tolerate anyone who did not worship as they did. People such as these began to fear other people achieving their own personal dreams, and began to in tolerate anything that was different from the religion of their own. The puritan era drastically showed the hope that people were looking for, but also showed the fear that they single handedly created, causing intolerance of any other religion.

William Bradford: Of Plymouth Plantation

"Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element."

Diary: The journey to this new land was very displeasing. Many of our people became sick because of the rough and tremulous sea; one young man even fell overboard. Maybe this is Gods way of ensuring we are pleased by our new home. The savages were very hostile in this land; if things don’t change soon, they may become a problem. The savages are getting braver and starting to attack our men. But thus is the will of God. We killed over 400 of the savages in there town. We have run into many misfortunes on our voyage but god has been on our side, and we have managed to survive thus.
- William Bradford

Reflection: One of the important things in coming to a new land is to build up a safe "home" like enviorment, which is not shown in "Of Plymouth Plantation". When the ship landed in Cape Cod they should have built up a safe haven. In building this safe haven there would be a place to protect themselves from the savages. The men might have been better off protecting themselves instead of scouting the land so much searching for the savages home. I also feel that the deaths of the 400 men could have been avoided. Although there were many issues that needed to be dealt with, an attack was not necessarily the only choice. The English could have easily reasoned with the Indians, and avoided the conflict all together. And also in avoiding this the English would not only protect themselves but also the Indians.

Anne Bradstreet: To My dear and Loving Husband

Diary: It depresses me how often I am away from my husband after moving to this new land. My love for him is so great and I could never picture being with anyone else. I do not feel that any woman could feel as strong as I do for my husband, but yet I still love God more. God is the reason for the love I have for my husband and answers to all the questions I have about my love.
- Anne Bradstreet

Reflection: The poem by Bradstreet exposes many different aspects of the Puritan life style. First this woman shows how she can be “human” and not hold God responsible for all of the things that happen in her life. Yet she also realizes that this is not the way that her religion is supposed to work. Finally she does acknowledge God for the things that have happened in her life. This poem gives me hope and insight because I realize that even though people may be very religious, they still hold common human flaws that all of us have, such as selfishness.

Anne Bradstreet: The Night When Others Soundly Slept

Diary: More and more often I find myself being vain, and then I realize I am living in Gods world. When I am missing something it is because God wants it to be this way. Everything that happens in my life is because of him. I do not know how to repay him. He is my savior, and the one who fills my body with hope. If there was a way I could repay him I wish I could, but he has done too much for me now.
-Anne Bradstreet

Reflection: This poem really exposes Bradstreet’s belief in God, as she starts to feel lost and depressed because of suffering, but then regains her faith in God. She begins to show her human qualities as she begins to feel sympathy for herself, because of the things she does not have. After realizes how vain she is being she begins to focus on her religion and enforce how God is responsible for everything that does happen. This poem also makes me realize that everyone can be vain at some time, even the most religious people.

Anne Bradstreet: Upon the Burning of our House

Diary: I have lost my house in a horrible fire! I have lost everything that I worked so hard for. All of my belongings are gone, all my memories, this fire has been a devastation to me. Just how could all that I love be gone with one simple fire? And yet this must be the will of God. God please forgive me for being so vain. This fire was part of your plan in my life, and all is good because you are in my life. I have not lost anything because I still have my faith in you dear Lord.
-Anne Bradstreet

Reflection: This poem really exposes Bradstreet’s belief in God, as she starts to feel lost and depressed because of suffering, but then regains her faith in God. She begins to show her human qualities as she begins to feel sympathy for herself, because of the things she does not have. After realizes how vain she is being she begins to focus on her religion and enforce how God is responsible for everything that does happen. This poem also make me realize that everyone can be vain at some time, even the most religious people.

Edward Taylor: Huswifery

Diary:Dear lord please embrace yourself in every aspect of my body. Make all of my actions, decisions, and words reflect you. I want to be guided by you sequentially to make me all that I can. I want to resemble you in everything that I do. I know with you as my guldens tool I will receive not only your grace but also the opportunity to be all that I can.

-Edward Taylor

Reflection: While the poem “Huswifery” is about a man’s prayer for God’s grace, it took me several readings of this poem to understand the message. One of the most outstanding parts of the poem is the author’s use of metaphor as he compares his struggle to receive God’s grace to the time consuming task of making cloth on a spinning wheel. Once we discussed this in class, I found the way Taylor compared himself to a spinning wheel and all the aspects of the spinning wheel to receiving the grace of God to be a very interesting comparison device. After understanding this comparison I realized the importance of God in this mans life, through the importance of different parts of the spinning wheel.

Mimic:

I am thy lord the seed you have planted and forgotten
Make me grow to be the tallest tree in fall
Your words are to be my roots
Make my roots the sturdiest of all
My branches are what you make of me
Make my branches brighten

Cover my roots with the finest soil
Make them grow longer then any other
And reach and touch the others

From your words my roots will have grown
And make I grow beneath your sun, and rain
Make my branches sturdy and flow with the pace of your wind
My branches will be so beautiful I will inspire others
To grow from only the finest roots