William Apess – Reading Notes (NAAL)

INTRODUCTION:

A Son of the Forest is his autobiography

He witness deaths of his people by “fire water” – he also dies this way

He was sold as a “slave” by his grandparents

His goal was to be a Methodist minister

He understood Christianity as incompatible with any form of race prejudice

American Indian and African American issues are very similar

“Pilgrim Crimes” – he reminds his audience, descendents of the Pilgrims, of the crimes of their ancestors

Our excerpt is from The Experiences of Five Christian Indians of the Pequod Tribe, published in 1833.

The first selection in the book is Apess’s own

We are reading the CONCLUSION to the book – “a searing indictment of race prejudice against people of color generally and Native Americans particularly

AN INDIAN’S LOOKING-GLASS FOR THE WHITE MAN:

God is blind to race

Uses RHETORICAL QUESTIONS – throughout!

If you are ignorant of these matters, he will inform you

Uses VISUAL IMAGES of women and children in poverty – PATHOS

• Children half-starved and naked
• Women are left to be prostitutes to white men

Gives REASONS for this condition

Uses RHET. QUESTION -- i.e. SATIRE!?

Asks: why not educate them?

Refers to the OPPOSITION – calls them “Friends”

Brings up skin color and racism

HYPOTHETICALLY turns the tables on them

Directly addresses his AUDIENCE – “Reader” and “White Man”

States THESIS

In terms of all skin colors, white is a minority color, God made us this way

A TAUNT?

Asks: which skin color will have the greatest number of crimes written on it?  WHITE

Looks to Jesus Christ and his teachings and examples

• Uses his training as a minister
• Offers abundant QUOTES from the Bible as SUPPORT

Change of AUDIENCE? – “My brethren in the ministry”

He points out that Jesus was not white

Jesus and his apostles did not look at skin color

Asserts that Jesus’ teachings are not present in current congregations -- WOW!

Some whites did use the word of God to “Justify” their actions

Changes addresses of AUDIENCE? – “my brethren” to “my white brother”

Introduces the topic of inter-marriage between whites and Indians

• Illegal in Massachusetts?

Indians have as much right as whites to choose whom to marry

Christianity does not support racism

Use of IRONY and/or SATIRE