The showdown incident in Mean Spirit represents a confluence of cultures, just as it reveals the "clear bands of color" in a prism. The diverse group of individuals that gather at the Sorrow Cave are prisms as well: windows into different worldviews. The core characters do come together in a spirit of mutual understanding and agreement about ethical righteousness. Each of these characters represents strength and courage in the face of formidable obstacles.
For Musher, Hogan's point-of-view makes perfect sense. Indeed, it would take a radically conservative Christian to disagree with Hogan's assessment of the colonial experience. Father Dunne, and Musher's analysis of his character, become more important in light of the lack of Christian perspective that Musher represents. Hogan seems to understand that the Indian experience was a fundamental clash of cultures. The indigenous worldview was one that denied materialism, while at the same time celebrating the pleasures of the body.
Musher does not spend enough time on gender, even though the author acknowledges Hogan's awareness of female Indian identity. Belle Graycloud is described as "an Osage matriarch, one of the important tribal elders in the novel, a woman who has thus far successfully negotiated the difficulties of living in both the Indian world and the white world." Belle is portrayed in Hogan's novel as being "batty," and Musher makes sure to point out the pun.
Yet gender issues do not weigh heavily in Musher's analysis. Likewise, Musher misses out on the eerie parallel between the Native American genocide and the Jewish genocide in the early 20th century in Europe. Musher mentions the moment during which the white residents wanted to "gas the cave" without pointing out the holocaust imagery. This parallel would have made sense in light of Musher's thesis.
In spite of these omissions, Musher's explication of Hogan's novel is enlightening. Belle is portrayed as the quintessentially misunderstood matriarch, whose determination and prowess are perceived as insanity due to outmoded gender norms and culture clashes. Belle deserves respect, and she...
130). Although their white masters generally exposed them to Christianity, enslaved people adopted only parts of the white religion and mixed it with elements of their own beliefs. Even though the family was not generally a legally sanctioned unit on plantations, the basic roles of mothers, fathers, and grandparents in rearing children did exist. Families could be severed and separated at the whim and desire of the slave owners, but families
A further stereotype about Asians that cannot be ignored is that regarding the sexuality of the Asian female. "Asian Pacific women have generally been perceived by Hollywood with a mixture of fascination, fear, and contempt....If we are 'good' we are childlike, submissive, silent, and eager for sex or else we are tragic victim types. And if we are not silent, suffering doormats, we are demonized dragon ladies -- cunning, deceitful,
South Africa consequently had to arrange for a down payment of $600 million at a rate perceived to be extraordinarily high. It was too late for the country to induce any negotiations of the deal. Serious agreements ensued thus maneuvering South Africa to pay back much of the nation's hard currency debt in a short period. This led to the emergence of a new democratic regime stemming from an
There is not a chance that Genovese would want other mobsters to be aware of his private business. He barely knew some of these men and knew others on a casual basis. If Genovese was looking for investors in a Havana venture he would have been doing so very quietly, and among men he could easily dominate. The last place he'd look would be to powerful mob bosses who
Narrative Analysis on "Confessions of a Stupid Haole" Yokanaan Kearns's short story "Confessions of a Stupid Haole" explores the broad and multifaceted issue of cultural integration in the United States. The plot scenario for the story involves a Harvard professor who loses her job and returns home so that she can bid her dying grandmother farewell. Additionally, the heroine, Yap, has lost her position as professor and will need to move
Immigration in America: The Benefits and Costs of a Polarizing Problem Introduction As Suarez-Orozco, Rhodes and Milburn (2009) point out, immigrants need “supportive relationships” in order to succeed in the foreign country that they move to (p. 151). However, when that foreign country is determined to address immigration issues—not only illegal immigration but also legal immigration—it can become a difficult problem for both sides of the political aisle. For a nation like
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