Uncle Tom's Cabin Scavenger Hunt

I believe that one of the greatest influences on the continued popularity of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is its popularity with early movie producers. As the author of the article ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin On Film’ (http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/onstage/films/fihp.html) suggests, it would have been relatively easy to obtain actors, stage sets, and audiences familiar with the story. For the early movie industry, that would be important to the telling of a story, given the limited (silent) tools available to these early moviemakers.

Literacy rates were low, and traditional theaters were soon to be overtaken by the “picture shows” in the early 20th century. The new audiences were eager for something new and ranged from young to old, male and female and principally white. Given the popularity of the new medium and by continuing to expose Uncle Tom’s Cabin to a large audience through movies, I think it remained on the popular mind for several generations. Without early moviemakers taking so readily to this story, it may not be as familiar to us as it is now.

Introduction

Hey! I'm new to this blogging thing. I found it quite frustrating. My name is Sarah Parnell. I'm a Junior at UNCG. I am in the BLS program. My concentration is Literature. I live near campus with my husband and our pretend Internet dogs. (see photo) (his name is chimyroo) I'm looking forward to taking this class with all of you. Please note that I've completed the Unit one questions. They are posted underneath.

1. How do we explain Moqua's behavior? Why is he so angry at Colonel Munro and the rest of the English?

Moqua's family was raped and murdered by the English. He was angry and wanted revenge. He sought retribution. He wanted the English and the English bride for revenge.

2. Much of the plot- and a fair amount of the dialogue - of the Last of the Mohicans centers around motivations: revenge and honor. What is the relationship between honor and revenge in the native culture depicted in the film? Can we separate out the two? How does the portrayal of a culture based upon honor impact our perceptions of the Indians?

Moqua's idea of honor is to avenge the death of his family. However, the last Mohican wasn't looking for revenge. He was looking for honor. He surreptitiously got caught up in the vicious cycle of revenge and honor. The Indians portrayed in the Last of the Mohicans had a very different ideal of honor and fighting. They believed it was honorable to avenge the unjust deaths of their families and friends When they sought out revenge, if they were successful in killing the enemy without being killed themselves they were considered successful and honorable.

3. In both the novel and the film version of The Last of the Mohicans, Cooper and Michael Mann portray differences between the colonials and the English soldiers, differences that would ultimately cause the United States to separate politically from Britain. Although the colonials are still themselves English in their behavior, lifestyles and values, they already differentiated greatly from those English officers who have merely been sent to serve in the colonies. What important differences does the film emphasize between the colonials and the English officers?

The colonials were familiar and accustomed to the temperament, ideologies and the fighting style of the Indians. the English officers were not. However, instead of trying to understand the Indians, they tried to force upon the Indians imperialism and failed.

4. While the speaker of Sigourney's poem "Indian Names" reminds us that although the Indians are passed away, their language-and in a sense their spirits-live on in our geography, the speaker also suggests the possibility of retribution. For whom and when might it come, and why?

In Sigourney's poem, "Indian Names" it is insinuated that when she refers to the "Eternal" she is referring to God. It is suggested that God will seek retribution for the sins committed against humanity. She is speaking of course of those sins committed against the Indians. She states in the poem that the "Eternal's ear is not deaf and his vision is not dim. The "soul's blood of the Indian's will , "cry from that far land to him."

5. The speaker of Bryant's "The Prairies" spends much of the poem meditating about the past life of the prairies. What does he imagine the future holding for the prairies, and what suggests to him his future?

In the poem, "Thantopsis," it is implied that the earth will remain, and the bounty of the prairies will remain plentiful whilst the human population will some day perish. Death is an inevitable part of human existence. When the death of a human occurs, their remains will be claimed by the earth and grow into the earth. In other words, we shall parish and our remains will mix with the elements of earth.