An Indians Looking-Glass for the White Man by Apess - Book Report/Review Example

FORMAL OUTLINE AND WORKS CITED ASSIGNMENT Affiliation FORMAL OUTLINE AND WORKS CITED ASSIGNMENT An Indian’s Looking-Glassfor the White Man This paper is going to give a critical analysis of the essay ‘An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the white man’. The paper shall discuss the purpose of the author, the audience he was addressing and the tone of the speaker. The purpose of the author in this essay is to show that all the races are equal. He shows that there should be no discrimination between the Indians and the whites. The author indicates that are the races are equal as we are all destined to the grave. No single race has been given a special preserve from entering the grave which therefore makes all of us equal. The author also introduces the essay by stating that the good Lord is the creator and protector of both whites and the Indians (Apess, 1833). This means that if both the Indians and the whites were created by the same superior being, then it means that God did not favor the whites over the Indians. The author has also indicated that God created the Indians and the whites with similar abilities. This shows equality of the two in the sense that what the white can do, the Indian can equally have the capacity to do the same. The fact that both the Indians and the whites are judged by one God also shows that both of them are equal. The author has clearly emphasized that God shows no favors to the outward appearance but His judgment is based on righteousness (Apess, 1833). This means that God does not give consideration to the race of an individual before judging. God does not judge the whites differently from the Indians. From the foregoing analysis, I can therefore conclude by saying that the purpose of the author was to show that both the Indians and the whites are equal in all aspects. It can also be deduced from this analysis that the author intends that there should be no discrimination between the Indians and the whites as they are all equal. The author in this essay was addressing the whites in New England. This is because the whites were discriminating against the Indians. The whites were also being addressed because England was portrayed as an evil state. The author categorically states that New England is the most despicable, wretched and despondent race of beings in the world. He also indicates that New England is a domain of prodigality and prostitution (Apess, 1833). This shows the rotten state of New England that even makes them to discriminate against the other races such as the Indians. The discrimination and subjection of the Indians by the whites is shown by the author when he states that the white men seduce the Indian females and then leave them for prevalent prostitution. The Indian females are also left without any protection. The Indian race has been made to believe that they are an inferior race and they do not possess the capabilities that they have been granted by God. The tone of the author in this essay is a sad tone. This can be seen when he indicates the surprise that people can get once they see the females who have been left solely, children that are not given enough food and they are not well clothed. The sadness in his tone is also indicated when the author says that a fiery and burning curse has swept millions of the Indians and white men into the grave. An emphasis is given on the fact that this road to the grave is not only filled with sorrow but also humiliation. The author shows how the white neighbors exploited the Indians in a variety of ways. He for example sadly states that the white thought it legitimate to trespass into the lands of their Indian neighbors and forcefully take their timber that they valued immensely. He sadly contends that the whites considered it a gain to them when they caused losses to their Indian neighbors. The author believes that the lack of education among some Indians was responsible for the discrimination that they were facing. The author’s sad tone can also be seen when he wonders why pains have not been taken to educate Indians (Apess, 1833). American Scholar This paper shall give an analysis of Ralph Emerson’s article known as the ‘American Scholar’. The paper shall outline the various symbols used in this essay as well as the symbolic meanings of those symbols. The first symbol that has been used in this essay is ‘iron lids’. The author states ‘… when the sluggard intellect of this continent will look under its iron lids…’(Emerson, 1837). This shows that the people are clever but unfortunately they are too lazy to bring their intellectual capabilities into fruition. This is the main reason as to why they cannot implement good strategies for the future. When the author says …will look under its iron lids, he shows that their eyes are so closed that they cannot depict the future and it will probably take them a very long time for them to do so. We all know that iron is a very strong metal. The use of iron lids in this case has the symbolic meaning that the eyes are covered strongly that opening them to see future opportunities and other openings in life is close to impossibility. The second symbol that has been used in this essay is ‘trunk’. The author states that the state of the society is now considered to be one whereby the members of that particular society have undergone amputation from the trunk. The author goes further to say that this amputation from the trunk has strut about so many walking monsters of their elbows, fingers, stomach, necks but certainly not a man (Emerson, 1837). The trunk in this case has been used to show the backbone of the fundamentals of a society. It portrays the meaning that if the fundamentals of a society are interfered with, then the same society cannot have a standing to perform its duties efficiently. A monster in this case is the strong members of the society that are likely to bring about positive outcomes. However, because the fundamentals of a society have been destroyed, then they are put at a very difficult situation in implementing their changes. The use of a ‘monster’ is therefore symbolic to depict unique strength that is not at the disposal of the common man. Thirdly, the author has used a ‘parrot’ as a symbol. The author contends that in the degenerated state, the scholar can be a parrot of the thinking of men (Emerson, 1837). Parrot in this sense has been used to show that the mere work of a scholar in this degenerated state is to air the voices of the men. They may have no other duties to perform and they are rarely loyal. They would be airing the voices of everyone including the traitors. Worse still, the airing of their voices would result in more degeneration of the society in which they live. This is because they are likely to air matters that have not been thoroughly thought through before being presented to the public. A parrot in this sense can also mean a mere political puppet to be used to advance the selfish interests of the people concerned. Fourthly, the author has employed the use of ‘roots’ and ‘flowers’ as symbols when talking of the scholar. The author depicts that …it goes on tying things unruffled, lessening irregularities and discerning roots underground whereby contrary and inaccessible things adhere and flower out from one stem (Emerson, 1837). The root in this case means the foundation of something. It is from this foundation that we can either acquire positive or negative outcomes. The flower in this case has therefore been used to show the positive outcomes that people can get with the use of the right foundations in the society. The stem can be said to be the supporting mechanisms that have been put in place for the foundations so as to receive positive outcomes. Lastly, ‘spiritual light’ has been used as a symbol. The author indicates that…yet when this spiritual light shall have exposed the law of more worldly natures… spiritual light in this case is symbolic to mean the divine good that shall reveal to the people the natural law that should be adhered to. It is this spiritual light that shall equally bring positive outcomes in society. References Apess, W. (1833 ) An Indian’s looking-glass for the white man. University of Houslon Clear Lake Emerson, R. W. (1837) The American scholar. Cambridge: The Phi Beta Kappa Society. Read More