John Smith was the first person in America to have a whole myth about him. Whether it’s completely accurate or not his name is very famous to people of all ages. Kids know about him through Disney’s movie, Pocahontas. That is where most of us now know his name.
In one of his stories, he is trying to convince Englishmen to move to America. According to John Smith it is “mans duty to god” to own land, earn money and have a farm. I thought it was very interesting how he put things, almost like he was preaching to uneducated. He used similes to try and convince English to come over. For example, the fish was used to show that any one can earn money, and that England its self does not have any natural resources.
Later on, Smith explains that the natives are savages and need to be “saved.” One thing that was said in class that I thought was very interested was that John Smith is kind of like President Bush. Taking over land and putting it to use in its own way.
Like most storybooks and text books, much of the stories are one sided. It would be interesting to hear the story from the native Americans point of view.
10 comments:
Hi Roger, I just wanted to let you know I viewed your page. Erin
I have to agree with you that the first time that I heard of John Smith was from the movie Pocahontas and everytime that some mentions his name I automatically think of him in the movie. He puts things in a funny way like the example that you gave about its "mans duty to god" to own land, earn money and have a farm.
I'm sure the Native Americans would have a pretty interesting story for this whole situation. I'm sure that due to John Smiths extreme nature of exaggeration for his own good and popularity/leadership, their story would be nothing like his, as well as be more truthful.
Pocahontas is definitely the movie that came to my mind when I started to read the passage about John Smith. I also found it very interesting that someone compared Bush and Smith together, and it's so true too. Their both invading land that isn't theirs and trying to impose their own way of living there.
I think its sad that children know John Smith as this fairy tale verison in which he so is not. I think its sad that Disney manges to disort important historical characters its one thing to disney-ize fairy tales, but to mess with history. I don't like it, not one bit.
I think that a Native American side of the story would sound a lot like Logan's side of the story in Thomas Jefferson's writings.
I agree with what you said when comparing John Smith and his actions to George W. Bush. It goes along with your thought that John Smith writes as though he is speaking to the uneducated. This just proves that he has strong feelings of superiority, that his beliefs and way of life are better and need to be imposed on those who "dont't know any better." This is how John Smith refers to the native Americans and carries over to society's thoughts today.
Wow i really have to agree with what you said about John Smith. I think that if you were to ask any child today who John Smith was they would tell you the exact portrayal of him in Pocahantas. I think that i do the same thing as well. Before i took a colonial north america class last semester i really only knew of john smith as the person in pocahantas not the person that he really was.
I agree that it would be interesting to have some Native American points of view. It would be a completely different story, wouldn't it? I think the point you raise about Smith believing it is God's duty for man to own and cultivate land is so important because it is a theme that is going to repeat itself in our studies of Southern lit.
I have to agree with you on this. It is almost as if John Smith was trying to bully people to come to America. If you think about it, it is almost like he had an ulterior motive to his writing. It is almost as if it seems like he has forgotten about the bullying and the tyranny that he experienced before he went to the new world in search of new land and the riches that it held.
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