An Indian Remembers :: essays papers

An Indian Remembers This paper is an attempt to discuss the biography of bloody shame Englunds An Indian Remembers based on her childhood stimulates in a Christian European convent. Her story starts from the day she is taken a guidance from her family to be raild in a distant residential school. Englunds experience in the school could be described as European way of civilizing the young inwrought people that includes compulsory assimilation, segregation, control and racism. The concept of acculturation is perceived to be for the best pertain of the Indian community, or at least this is what it seems to appear like. Thus, this paper will tackle the issues of methods used to civilize the Natives and its effects on Englunds personality and mentality as thoroughly as the real purpose behind civilization. Is it re all(prenominal)y for the best interest of the Indian people or is it a form of exploitation of the Natives to expediency the European colonialists?Assimilation is one form used to civilize the native children. This seems to put Englund to a lot of curiosity eventually to confusions. On her offset day in Mission, Englund learns about the assimilation policy implemented by the convent which draws out her curiosity about its purpose. In her experience, she learns that boys and girls live in evidence buildings and wonders why. She appears curious and thus questions a lot scarcely she gets no adequate answer to satisfy her curiosity. Englund also observes girls being divided in groups to received tables during meals and girls are assigned to different jobs, some goes to the dormitory while others to kitchen or classrooms. Again, she does not seem to understand the purpose of these procedures. This explains her ignorance about the system of a Christian convent. Anyhow, she seems to let go of her curiosity and simply accept it as a form of instruction she ought to follow with no question asked. With all these curiosities, she has possibly develope d a sense of confusion on why things are done in these manners. Another form used by the school is by segregation. Through this, Englund seems to suffer from isolation. Englund recalls when a priest takes her from her family (430). magical spell she is expected to feel sad leaving her mother, she seems to feel nothing but excitement. She says that We were left alone so many times we never had the leaning to say, Well, Im sorry Im going to go away and leave my mother because we were alone most of the time.