Young Indian Boy example essay topic

Singled Out At one point in time or another, all of us have fallen victim to the pain and anguish inflicted by feelings of not belonging. In "Blue Winds Dancing" by Tom White cloud, a young Indian boy is thrown into the white school system and forced to confront his own identity. He is torn between practicing his traditional Indian customs and trying to blend in with "civilized" white society. He feels like an outcast amongst the white people who ridicule and scorn him for being different. Not until he returns home does he find comfort in his surroundings. He realizes he has no shame in his heritage and pretending to be white will only further alienate him from his true self.

Feeling estranged in an unknown society can be torture for your psyche. People often outcast you if you are of a different race, religion, or if you are poor. Society unfairly judges those who appear to steer away from the norm. Celebrating your own race can be a beautiful thing, but when you " re placed in a position where you are the minority, it can bring about mental anguish and feelings of abandonment. The young Indian boy struggled to belong, but he could never bridge that gap because he would always look different.

"It is terrible to have to feel inferior; to have to read reports of intelligence tests, and learn that one's race is behind" (157). Even the white media has convinced the Indian boy that his own race is somehow less superior just because they have different cultural backgrounds. These accusations are absolutely absurd, nevertheless, the young Indian boy feels deeply estranged in this judgmental society. "We just don't seem to fit in anywhere-certainly not among the whites, and not among the older people" (158). The boy feels like he cannot relate to anybody. He is lost in a world of loneliness.

The boy finds relief when he returns home to visit his family on the reservation. He finally rediscovers his true self and realizes he cannot "be ashamed of his own people when he knows they have dreams as beautiful as white snow on a tall pine" (159). The boy once again feels like he is part of something special and no longer made to feel like an outcast. It is a terrible thing that our society is so judgmental that a minority can only feel accepted by his own family.

Not only do we exclude people from different races, we scorn at those who worship different gods. Since the beginning of time, religion has been the spark that has ignited many wildfires. Religion is held so sacred that any force of opposition can incite an intense battle. The young Indian boy was ostracized because he worshipped different gods than the white children. "It is terrible to sit in classes and hear men tell you that your people worship sticks of wood" (157). The boy was told that everything he learned and worshipped growing up was false.

He was made to think that everything he believed in was wrong because all the white kids shared different beliefs. When you are the minority or outcast, you start to believe that you must be doing something wrong. When you hear over and over "that your gods are all false" (157) you might start to believe it. The boy is losing touch with the gods he once worshipped because his mind is being poisoned with the ruthless comments made by the white children. Even though the constitution allows us the freedom to choose our own religion, we are still not protected from those who judge us based on the gods we worship.

If we could learn to accept people for who they are and not who they pray to at night, we would learn that we are all essentially the same and the gods we worship are only a mere reflection of our true inner selves. Money is the number one motivator in America today; those who have it are treated like royalty those who don't are treated like trash. The young Indian boy is astounded to learn that a little green piece of paper can drive people mad with greed. He finds fault in the way we value a dollar over our own happiness. White people "must be taught to want radios and automobiles and a new suit every spring" (158). The boy feels like an outsider because he is not driven by these materialistic desires.

He was raised to find happiness in the beauty of our earth and the love of our families. The boy thinks it is sad that we slave fifty weeks out of the year just to get that two-week vacation. He feels sorry for those who admire the white man's lifestyle. "The more they try to imitate whites the more tragic the result... About all we imitate well are their vices" (159). He feels it is an outright tragedy that we look upon these greed-driven lifestyles with admiration.

The Indian boy feels like a stranger in this land that is driven by the power of a dollar. "Being civilized means trying to do everything you don't want to, never doing anything you want to. It means dancing to the strings of custom and tradition; it means living in houses and never knowing or caring who is next door. These civilized white men want us to be like them - always dissatisfied - getting a hill and wanting a mountain" (157). The boy feels like all of his beliefs go against those of the whites; they can't even agree on what it means to be happy. Money has been a dividing force amongst people ever since the first coin was given a value.

Until we realize money does not define a person, we will continue to alienate those without it. Being an outsider can be a more fatal blow to the human emotions than a dagger piercing the heart of an enemy. Being an outsider means dealing with the torment of asking yourself, why me? Society is so cluttered with prejudgment al beliefs, that anyone who appears to be different is immediately outcaste d from the majority. It is sad that a young Indian boy, just trying to educate himself, is alienated because he looks and thinks differently.

Being different from each other allows us to express our own individuality. If we were all the same it would be a pretty bland world. We must eliminate our prejudices and embrace our differences. Until we do, we are all susceptible to fall victim to the pain and anguish brought about by being an outsider.