Conflict Between Whites And Indians example essay topic

At first, the complexity of Tom Whitecloud's plot in "Blue Winds Dancing" is not clear. The main character is a young Indian that attends college; the story seems to be no more than a college student going back home because of missing it. The description of the nature and surroundings gives the allusion that you are already there. By the story's end, the plot is clear: It consists of the brave Indian trying to find where he fits in the world. His decisions despite the consequences gives the story its denotation. It consist of corresponding with being civilized, being inferior to the whites, the embarrassment of some Indian ways, and if he is Indian or white.

Being civilized is a short, but strong topic in this story. This conflict is discussed by Whitecloud as "try to do everything you don't want to, never doing anything you want to (6)". He debates this situation with tradition and customs; the white men never caring or knowing their own neighbors. Being civilized makes him tired of living in the white's world and brings more impact on the major conflict. The Indian also encounters the treatment of the bums that are considered not civilized. He sees that the bums are treated like animals and separated from the rich, upper class people: "A bunch of bums warming at a tiny fire talk politics and women and joke about the Relief and WPS and smoke cigarettes.

Theses men in caps and overcoats and dirty overalls living on the outskirts of civilization are free, but they pay the price of being free in civilization. They are outcast". (12) He is reminded of the way his people have had civilization taken away from the white men, like sharing and knowing the ones around them. The implication is that he does not agree with the way the white men view being civilized. Another overpowering opponent, a strong conflict is the feeling of being inferior to the white men. He states how it is terrible to have to feel inferior in the human race.

Just sitting in class, it is hard for him to hear about his own race being behind. Inferiority has even made him feel uncomfortable in his own environment. The articles that states his gods are all false and that he worships sticks, gives him a feeling of second-rate. The sense beings subordinate to the whites puts more impact to the main conflict in the story. It's not only the Indians that are inferior in the story. The bums are also ones that are thought to be lower-class.

He talked to a man headed for Albuquerque, that he met on the way to the train. The man talked about how it is hard to ride fruit cars because the bums break in. One of his professor lecturing on adjustment to society said that bums would never adjust to society ways. He believes that if he just talk to one on them he'd learn that all they want is to fit in; have a wife, work, and a place to hang there hat. Notwithstanding the antagonist he is facing, he moves on with his trip knowing he will see home soon.

Another force against the college student is the anger portrayed toward his people. On the train back home, he notices some pueblos along the Rio Grande. Along the road, there are Indian women selling bits of pottery. The Indian women hold up a piece to tourist, "fix the tourist with black eyes (16)", and then they buy it.

This embarrasses him that his people have to do this. He is reminded that Christmas in near by small towns being lit by lights. He arrives home at midnight. He decides to go Christmas shopping for his family and was reminded of a man in that lives in his town: "Alex Bodidash will buy his children red mittens and a new sled. Alex is a Carlisle man, and tries to keep his home up to white standards.

White standards. Funny that my people should be ever falling farther behind. The more they try to imitate whites the more tragic the result". (26) This situation upsets him because the white man wants the Indian to imitate him but he is still subordinate to him. It upsets him that Alex Bodidash is lowering his standards as an Indian to be more like the white men.

He prevails his concern for his race by pointing out all of the antagonist that are pulling them down. The force against the college student that is the most struggling is where he fits in. On his trip home he is afraid of arriving home and being looked on as a stranger by his own people. He feels like young Indians do not fit in anywhere -- not with whites, and not with older people.

He is no longer afraid of what the Indians think or feel about him, but more what he feels and thinks about the Indians. When he is home he walks through the neighborhood. Before he gets thought the lodge door he questions who he is again. "I wonders -- Am I Indian, or am I white (30)". He is standing at the door for quite a while and starts to hear the story of the old woman under the ice.

He knows if he does not believe in the story he is white; if he does he is Indian. He listens for a while and he knows that there is a woman under the ice. Even though he has feeling of doubt, there is no one else that can answer this question but himself. He goes into the lodge and sees the Indians sitting on benches around the walls and others dancing. He feels like no one notices him and that he was among people that he has never seen before. He is still wondering if he is like them when he looks around.

His people share there mood, not words. They are all so happy and he is so "used to white people that it seems strange with so many people could be together without someone talking. (33) " He looks around again and some one is speaking to him, laughing and all of the eyes on the others are friendly. He is happy now and he is home. Although he went through some trials, he finds that he fits in with his own race. This brief description of the conflicts in "Blue Winds Dancing" only hints at the story's power.

Whitecloud layers the details to bring our the full range of the conditions against who cannot change his society standard of his people but can do it for himself. The most implicit fact, the conflict between whites and Indians, and where he fits in, is not revealed until he gets toward the end of his journey. This delayed the final exposure gives one a thought to what they feel about inferiority and fitting in. The plot is so strong because it is so real, and the college student is someone that makes ones heart open to the situation. He is a protagonist struggling with his and societies view on the human race.