Character Write Up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Character Write Up - Essay Example Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee is a movie based off a book, that considers the story of how the West was won from the perspective of those who were in the West. In essence, the movie does not examine how the white man ‘won’ the West, but how Native Americans lost it. One of the most significant aspects of this film is that it takes an in-depth look at the way that Native Americans felt about the White man’s intrusion onto their lands and their responses to it. Black Robe tells of the same tension between White man and Native Americans, although in this case the story is set in Canada. Most importantly, however, Black Robe takes a different perspective on Native Americans. In this case, many of the actions and interactions of the Native Americans are painted in a harsher light and few explanations are given for many of their actions. The purpose of this essay is to examine these two movies from a personal and contemplative perspective, considering what the struggles and portrayals of the various sides mean to me as a person. I will examine the way in which the viewpoints presented in these movies contribute to my own understanding of America and Canada’s history, and of the process of colonization itself. To do this, I will consider the perspectives of two characters in depth. These characters are Sitting Bull, the Lakota chief from Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee and Father LeForgue, a Jesuit missionary from Black Robe. Through these perspectives, I will consider my own thoughts on the struggle between Native Americans and the white culture and its domination. Sitting Bull Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee considers a later point in time and a critical event in American history, as well as the actions from both sides that led up to this point. In this movie, Sitting Bull is a critical character, fighting for the chance for Native Americans to retain their own culture and land. One of the most significant aspects of the film is that it shows the perspective of the Native Americans as their lands were invaded, while making the White man appear to be the barbaric group. The film opens with a fight between soldiers and the Indians in which both sides appear to be equally savage. The scene ends with American soldiers being surrounded and it is revealed that 261 Americans were killed. However, it becomes evident that the entire purpose of the Americans’ attack to begin with was to drive the Native Americans off their land, so that the gold that had been discovered there could be reached. Sitting Bull is one of the remaining Native American chiefs that resist the spread of the White man, and the attempts of the Americans to centralize them. There are several options that are before him and his tribe. He can fight the Americans, as they have been doing, killing White men and being killed or his tribe can move to a reserve and share in the culture of the White man. Finally, there is the risk that continuing to fight the White man would eventually result in the demise of the tribe and the Native American way of life. Sitting Bull perceives the policies and approaches taken by the Whites to be contradictory, full of change and deceit, and that the Whites do not intend to allow the Native Americ