Through American history,Native American always is the loser, they lose land. white people take the land belonging to the Native American, everything under control by the white people,no matter French or Britain they all want to control the land and power over the Native American. That’s the reason James Welch（作者） a Native American writer tries to use this story to show the reader Native American history. From this story he describes in detail Native American under the power by the French and Britain. In other words, “The Heartsong of Charging Elk” is about the Native American Indian Lakota tribe story. The main character Charging Elk is a young Indian man, cannot speak French or English language, but in that time Native American were ruled by the French and Britain, Charging Elk’s life is between two cultures, also his own culture.
After American independent from the Britain, American spoken language is English. He did not speak English, he was very young, and he joined Buffalo Bill's Wild show traveled around Europe, in France he fell from the horse, he broke his ribs and he caught the flu.He is sick need to stay in the French hospital, the Buffalo Bill's Wild show had to move on without him. He could not speak French and English language, he is completely lost in France, “So, as far as the good doctor, and the city of Marseille, and, of course, the Republic of France, are concerned, Charging Elk is dead, plain and simple” (Welch 157-58). This quotation it means Buffalo Bill's Wild show left him in France. It means he cannot communicate with any in the city Marseille, Charging Elk is missing in the city Marseille. He feels fear and does not know what to do when he is in the hospital, then he runs away. For example, “The only problem he could see was that Charging Elk had escaped from the hospital….I had visited the Indian in the hospital, along with our French liaison officer, but how were we to know he couldn’t speak English or French”(Welch 158). We can think about an Indian man in France could not speak French and English language, how can he be surviving by his self? He ends up in the France police station, and a good person helps him to get freedom. James Welch’s story tells us the problem of the culture shock. Also, the language makes him lost in the white word. It makes him isolated from society. He is scared and frustrated with the white world, without knowing any French and English language, he does not know which way he should go, or how he can live in the two cultures. James Welch’s story gives us one Indian man who knows nothing at all, but he tries to adapt to the new society.
James Welch’s story is a good example to show readers Native American history, as we know in the history, Indian people faced the nightmare of France and Britain, later by the American government circumstance, which caused most of the Indian people’s relocation and temporary homelessness. Like this story’s main character, Charging Elk’s, life, he cannot know his own destiny. For me, I do like to read this kind story, because I can learn American history from this story and American Native Indian people’s culture.
Reflection of life (读书笔记）
Reflection of life (读书笔记）
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