Takaki: Chapter 2

So Takaki challenges us again with the information that the “typical American” has only been given a glorified version of Christopher Columbus and the early days of European influence on the Americas. He presents it in what is, for me, a very interesting way by using the Irish and Native Americans as examples of how the British influenced what they believed to be “lesser” cultures, not just races. Race though eventually plays a role in this especially for the Indians who become demonized. The other way Takaki shows the English attempts to acculturate other groups is with The Tempest, which makes somewhat obvious observations. During this Takaki gives examples of how desperate the Europeans were, one man eating his wife, and how will the Native Americans were to help. Through greed and lust though the Indians were mistreated because they were viewed as being “savage”, eventually being over taken by the technologically advanced British. Just because the Native Americans didn’t live up to what they believe civilization to be the British try to force them to conform and live as they do despite the fact that they have their own culture that works, and on their own land better than the Europeans. The question I always pose when it comes to Native American culture is “Are they (the individual) allowing their culture to be taken/used or are they trying to preserve it?” I’ve heard a number of different sides on this and I’ve always found that it comes down to the individual. Takaki tells us the Europeans thought the Indians could be acculturated by “consent”. The problem with this is that the British idea of consent and the Indian way of life were confused. The Indians simply did what they knew and the Europeans decided to take advantage of that. Then when it was time for the Indians to fight some did, and others traded because they wanted the things of the foreigners. From the way Takaki presents his material it would almost seem as though there was little the Indians could do and what little resistance they mustered was partially passive-aggressive. In a way he shows it like the way the American school system does. The Europeans showed up, the Indians helped, then the British started taking over. However he holds a sentiment for the Native people because of Europeans looking down their nose’s at the Indians.

As for my response to reading this I’ll say it again, its not really new and this time I didn’t really like going over it again. The use of The Tempest was interesting but didn’t do enough to get a reaction from me.