Skip to main content

POST 1 : THE MYTH OF THE NOBLE/GOOD SAVAGE

POST 1 : THE MYTH OF THE NOBLE/GOOD SAVAGE


1) This myth is commonly attributed to the 18th century philosopher Rousseau. He believed that the orginal man was free from sin, and the concept of "right" and "wrong". These men called savages were viewed as noble, from the philosopher's point of view. This appeared during the Indigenous lands invasion. Invaders would write how happier the Natives were, than the Europeans. Some colonists stayed with the tribes. The Natives didn't understand the concepts of materialism and heritage. They explained the foreigners that they didn't feel the need to exchange material with other states. They were happy with what they had in their territory. 


2) 

Bug-Jargal (1826)


A detail from Benjamin West's heroic, neoclassical history painting, The Death of General Wolfe (1771), depicting an idealized Native American.
3) We can find the myth of the noble savage in the Disney movie Pocahontas, released in 1995. This musical is about the trip made by English men to the "New World". The story takes place at the time America was recently discovered. 
Two characters in the movie end up in unknown American territory after an accident. The plot continues as the English meet Pocahontas and the rest of her tribe. 
This movie portrays the fear of the so called "savages" as they faced the colonists. It also shows the connection between nature and the tribes : Pocahontas is friends with a raccoon.
We can learn some cultural traditions in some scenes, where, for example, one of the Natives screams a battle cry. 

Native Americans are also mentioned in songs like Indians by Anthrax, and Native Blood by Testament. 
"Indians" pays ode to the mistreatments the Native tribes suffered during the colonial invasions. Here are some of the lyrics :

 
Respect is something that you earn
Our Indian brother's getting burned
Original American
Turned into, second class citizen


On the other hand, "Native Blood" talks about the prejudice and disrespect Native Americans suffer everyday. Here's an extract from the lyrics :

 What gives me strength is my beliefs
Whenever I stumble, whenever I fall
I won’t be pushed against the wall
This white man’s world won’t tell me what to do
Nowhere to run, native blood
I wanna reach and touch the Sun

The lead singers of these two bands are both Native Americans.

 









Comments

  1. Philippe ThivillierSeptember 17, 2019 at 11:22 AM

    OK but a bit short and sketchy, I'm afraid...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Philippe ThivillierSeptember 19, 2019 at 11:22 AM

    An improved version. Well done, Elena.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Philippe ThivillierSeptember 20, 2019 at 9:02 AM

    ELENA
    BLOG POST 1: The MYTH of the NOBLE/GOOD SAVAGE
    --> CONTENT (Questions 1 & 3): 7,5/10
    --> FORM (Question 2, including post design, layout and pictures + language): 7,5/10
    Total: 15/20 A very personal approach. Too bad the chronology of the myth (question 1) is not successfully handled. Part 3 is well done though.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ferris Bueller's Day Off : Museum Scene Analysis

First of all, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a movie directed John Hughes, released in 1986. It is the story of Ferris, a Senior who is an expert at skipping high school. One particular day, he decides to call in sick as an excuse. His girlfriend Sloane and his anxious best friend Cameron join his adventure. On that day, they decide to sneak in a fancy restaurant, sing in a parade, ride an expensive car, and visit a museum. This scene is one of my favorites because it illustrates beautifully the personality of the characters. To begin with, in my opinion, Cameron is the most interesting character of the movie. It is true that Ferris is admired because of his charisma and carelessness, but Cameron has a more realistic and psychological backstory. The strangest moment of this scene is the one where Cameron is completely focusing on the details of a painting. The camera zooms in on his eyes and then on the painting. I believe this is a way of showing how Cameron is worried about ever
2 comments
Read more

Exchanges in Real Spaces & Virtual Spaces

SPACES & EXCHANGES -  Exchanges in  Real Spaces & Virtual Spaces These two cartoons might illustrate the following 'key issue' ('problématique'):  How far is the boundary between real and virtual spaces  becoming increasingly blurred nowadays? Study each of the following documents along the following lines: 1. Description 2.Meaning 3. Conclusion: LINK WITH NOTION = KEY ISSUE  To be published before Friday 03/04 3 pm DOC.1    Ace Computers , by Harvey Schwadron At first sight, the cartoon's scene seems to be located in the street. There's a computer shop in the foreground : "Ace Computers". Next to it, there's a man walking by, reading the store's advertisement. The billboard is aimed at Eco-tourists, trying to persuade them that staying home, visiting "exotic travel websites" does zero harm to the environment. Furthermore, Harvey Schwardon wants us to interpret this cartoon, reflectin
2 comments
Read more

POST 11: SPACES & EXCHANGES: A MIND MAP

POST 11: SPACES & EXCHANGES: A MIND MAP Study the mind map on the Baccalauréat notion known as 'Spaces & Exchanges'. Then, please write three paragraphs   describing the clear-cut distinction it is based on (paragraph 1)  and explaining/defining at least ten of the types of spaces (five in paragraph 2) and exchanges (five in paragraph 3) listed in the spidergram. PUBLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday 25/03 6 pm At first sight, we can make up a clear distinction between real spaces and virtual spaces. The latter is composed of spaces only found in the Internet. In opposition, the rest of spaces are found in the real world. As for exchanges, we can see that they are also divided in real or virtual ones First of all, let's take a look at the real spaces.  Different zones of a country can be classified. There's the countryside (with rural lifestyles), there are the small towns, then the big cities. This last location is generally touched by globalization, but i
2 comments
Read more