Who is John Wayne...?

To be honest, I don't really know much about John Wayne, but I do know that he was in The Big Trail, however it wasn't a huge success but it is where he got his name. John Wayne is actually his stage name created by I think the director. He obviously fit the part of a western cowboy. I expect him in his movies to be singing because he was the films first singing cowboy. He wasn't really a big star until the movie Stagecoach came along and gave him his ticket to stardom. His biggest movie that he has starred in is probably The Searchers. He is known for his stunts and his singing talents, which made him an American icon.

I Hated Tonto..[Still Do] and The Lone Ranger

Alexie: I don't get why Alexie hated Indian stereotypes and Tonto so much. He said that "all" Indians are portrayed as blue-eyed, half blooded Indians because in the movies, hollywood wanted to portray Indians as more handsome than they really are. I guess he is offended by how people see these Indians instead of how they really act. "I mean, Tom Laughlin did have a nice tan and he spoke in monosyllables and wore cowboy boots and a jean jacket just like Indians. And he did have a Cherokee grandmother or grandfather or butcher, so he was Indian by proximity, and that was good enough in 1972, when disco music was about to rear its ugly head and bell-bottom pants were just beginning to change the shape of our legs." It seems like he was ashamed for being a real Indian and jealous of the Indians in the movies. "I mean, I knew I could never be as brave, as strong, as wiser as visionary, as white as the Indians in the movies. I was just one little Indian boy who hated Tonto because Tonto was the only cinematic Indian who looked like me." I was surprised by the end of the story that this was the reason why he hated Tonto so much....

The Lone Ranger: Speaking of stereotypes, I felt the beginning scene of this was so stereotypical for a cowboy. He has his cowboy hat, riding fast on his horse, and of course the music. The only thing I didn't understand was the mask. The mask was more of the legend of Zoro than a urban cowboy. I love how old fashion these episodes are with the narrator's voice in the background and the introduction of the famous Lone Ranger. In the episode, there was a lot of silent pauses and I wonder why that is. When the showed the Lone Ranger, it was very dramatic like he was an idol. The Indian helps the cowboy when he gets hurt and nurses him back to health which I think is kind of a legend with Indians. I feel that people think they will make everything better because they are looked upon as very wise. Because he met Tonto, he wanted to make peace with everyone which I don't really understand and put the mask on so no one would know who he was. Back then, it is such a different perspective of a famous cowboy than we have today. The vision I have of a cowboy today is a regular guy on a farm trying to make a living. I feel that the vision of the cowboys back then is more a of protector and a hero rather than today, a cowboy is just someone who likes to wear a cowboy hat, herd his cattle, grow his crops and ride a horse. It is interesting how he got his name "The Lone Ranger" and why he has a mask on.

If I had to write a paper about this novel...

If I had to write a paper about this novel, I would choose between a couple of different topics. One of the topics would be about the phrase "Every Man For Himself". I felt that in the story, Jesse James could only trust one person, that person being himself. He had someone watching after another person and so on to let everyone know that if they messed up they would be basically killed. I also felt the same thing for the narrator. He could not trust the other "detectives" because for all he knew they could turn their backs against him. When he let his guard down when he went into town, he told people what he was doing and of course they deceived him and Jesse found out the real truth. Another topic I would choose is the concept of deception vs paranoia. These two topics could be combined together into one topic because I felt that Jesse was also paranoid because he had everyone watching over everyone because he knew he would be protected if that was the case. The narrator was also paranoid for his life because if Jesse found out the truth ,which he did later in the story, he would be killed. I feel like there are a lot of similarities between Jesse and the narrator.

The most interesting thing about our group discussions..

I feel that Katherine, Brandi, and Garrett made some really interesting points about our story, Jesse James. Katherine said she was pretty mad about how everyone in the story only wanted money and didn't care about anything else, including the "detectives". Brandi and Garrett made the same comment about how no one died in the story. I agreed with them because i couldn't believe that these people were put in these situations and got out of them alive. Jesse was shot in the neck and still survived, that's pretty ridiculous. Dr. Griffiths made the point about how the "detectives" were not really "detectives", they were basically bounty hunters. They were set on trying to capture Jesse James for money, and didn't act like regular detectives. The last point that was made was the fine line between the good and the bad guys. They were very similar to each other. I felt that the narrator was almost as bad as Jesse James was. I wonder where he disappeared to.

Jesse James Chapters 11-13

Chapter 11: The James family basically killed all of their own except for family to help themselves. They found some sort of blood. I also think this chapter is kind of confusing and not really sure what is going on through this. The narrator reaches Bob Younger and desperately wants the information about the child. "I will be brief in summing up the results of the raid. The three Youngers eventually recovered from their wounds, were tried, convicted, and sentenced to the Minnesota State prison for life. The Hites managed to get out of the country. Their usual luck attended the two Jameses in their flight. Brothers in crime as in blood, they clung together with a tenacity worthy of a better cause, Jesse, the younger and abler, aiding his wounded brother, and piloting the way through their long and arduous journey in search of the rest and liberty that neither of them deserved. Frank recovered from his wound." They almost all lived through this which I have no idea how that happened. As the narrator tries to tell people that Tip is still alive, he says that he is the one that will bring back the missing child..some may believe him and others do not.

Chapter 12: Mattie visited the narrator and told him about the Younger girls. "It's just this, that you're the only man that knows of its being in existence, so far as I am concerned. And then, again, no other detective'll ever be any wiser through me. Then, again, not one of the gang themselves outside of Jess James and perhaps, Frank James, knows as much about that treasure secret as you do at this day, through those dying words of Ed Miller, whose curiosity lost him his life. As for me, I wash my hands of the whole thing, the Lord be thanked, with your permission. You're the sole outsider possessin' henceforth a clew to Jess James' buried heap -- the sole, single, only possessor of poor Ed Miller's directions -- for what they're worth -- and if any one ever unearths it in the future, with Jess James alive or dead, you ought to be the man. There's an awful pile of lucre hidden away somewhere in the old crust. May you live to get it." I feel that this quote sums up the path where the narrator needs to go. This journey was meant for him. I didn't like it when they changed the style of writing for the narrator because I could barely understand what the words meant when it was changed I guess to country style. He now knows when and where Jesse will go to get his child.

Chapter 13: The narrator finally finds Jesse and Tip for the first time. He grabs the child and changes back to his real voice revealing who he really is. "It means just this!" cried I, in my natural voice, "Judge Rideau wants this grandchild of his, and my search for him, though a long and perilous one, is ended at last. Jesse James, throw up your hands and crawl out of that saddle, or I'll cheat the hangman of his due!" The bad boy Jesse James was afraid of this fight for wearing armor under his clothes although it was a smart move. The narrator however injures him by shooting his wrist to let go of Tip. In the end, the narrator rescued the child, Tip from the outlaw Jesse James.

Jesse James Chapters 8-10

Chapter 8: I can't believe how fast Jesse and his men caught up to the narrator and his crew. I feel that the narrator learned a lot of skills and things from being with Jesse and his men. He toughened up after being with them because he got Cole Younger's gun from him before he tried to shoot it. I didn't really understand the fight scene because it is hard to follow who was who. At first, I thought Jesse was dead and the narrator killed him but I don't think that was the case. I feel that the narrator was not so violent until he became in Jesse's gang. He tortured Bob Younger to get information about Jesse's child Tip.

Chapter 9: I was surprised when Cole Younger out of no where, shoots the narrator and wounded him. I still didn't think he was going to make it out of there alive until he was rescued by his crew. He was taken to the hospital where Mattie Collins visited him. He basically questioned her and got her husband on his side. Her husband came up to the hospital and told him he would let him know any information he would find out.

Chapter 10: Little tells him all the information about the meeting of Jesse and his gang and all the information about who will be at the meeting. I don't know if the narrator should have trusted any of these people. If I was him, I would not let my guard down. Little also told him about Jesse and Ed Miller going off together creating their own meeting off the mountain side. Jesse killed Miller to keep the treasure hiding spot to himself. I feel like all of these men are so deceiving. They caught up with Jesse and his men and are about to catch him before the chapter ends. This story is so back and forth on who is deceiving and who is going to win the battle.

Jesse James Chapters 4-7

Chapter 4: When they wanted to rob the train, I didn't think they were going to pull it off or let the narrator partake in it but then again I was wrong. I didn't think they would let the narrator be a part of their "inner circle" so fast. I also thought the Sheppard guy was going to rat out the narrator to Jesse to make himself look better and to be accepted again by the gang. However, in a way he helped the narrator with some information where he thought the little boy was.

Chapter 5: Well, at the end of the chapter, Cutts found out in Booneville the truth about the narrator. He explains the story to Jesse so Jesse and his men all pull guns on the narrator for deceiving the gang. Surprising, the narrator keeps his cool even while about 4 guns are pointed to his chest. He thought quickly on his feet and came up with a plan. I didn't think he would remember about the sign he should give Jesse's wife. He did that, bolted for his horse, and began shooting to all of Jesse's men. I can't believe he got away from Jesse and his men by himself. The cops/detectives start devising a plan on how to catch Jesse.

Chapter 6: I don't know how I feel about this Sheppard guy because one day he's a good guy and the next day he's bad. I really don't believe George for telling the detectives that he killed Jesse James. I don't trust him. I knew he was trying to trick the narrator and his men. Jesse had a man that looked like him killed to make it look like that he himself was killed. The detectives find out and should be scared for their lives. Jesse is not dead.

Chapter 7: I was very surprised when the narrator and the detectives got away from Jesse and his men for the second time. Jesse wants revenge and won't stop until he gets it. He is not happy at all with the narrator. I believe that this explains the relationship that they had with each other. Jesse had a lot of trust within the narrator and the narrator used him all along.

Jesse James Chapters 1-3

Jesse James, The Outlaw:

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the story until the narrator shot one of the detectives he was with to save his own life from Jesse James. I wasn't expecting that at all. I didn't know how Jesse was going to react to this man who killed his own until he started talking about Jessie's fiance from six years ago, Miss Blanche. He told Jessie that she had passed away. At this point, I felt that Jesse trusted the narrator because he had the information about Blanche and what she had to say to Jesse.

I thought it was interesting that in the next chapter, they accepted the narrator so quickly. They let him go to the fair without their supervision to see what people that of Jesse and his men. "I wouldn't pay a cent for your ridiculous monkey shines -- not one cent, sir. Better wash the black off your face and enter upon some honest occupation." I thought this was really offensive that he said this to these men. It's obvious that this story was written a long time ago because this comment would not be acceptable today. Anyways, after the fair, the narrator witnessed Jesse rob the treasurer and he couldn't do anything about it. For some reason, I have a feeling that Jesse and the narrator will become friends.

Starting to read through Chapter Three, I feel that Jesse was still in love with Blanche even after marrying someone else. He wanted to know everything she told the narrator. The story of Blanche was quite interesting and entertaining. She was married to some man named Tom Younger who she had a baby boy with. She left Tom when she went back to her home and parents. Tom stole the baby from her and was killed by Kansas City officers. Jesse made love to Blanche and they were to be married while he was going to restore the baby to her until her uncle made her give up Jesse. Jesse kept the boy hidden in revenge for not marrying Blanche. I think it's kind of strange for Jesse's wife to want to find where the child is hidden and run off from Jesse. She tries to persuade the narrator into running away to find the boy. By the end of this chapter, I wonder if this one eyed man will recognize who the narrator is and will tell Jesse.

Deloria, Charlot, and Baum

Deloria: The Boston Tea Party is one of my favorite history moments. It's interesting to think about why these people dressed up in these particular disguises and poured out all of the tea into the harbor. One of the disguises was the Mohawk Indian. I have always wondered why they chose that particular disguise. Some believe it was an act of secrecy and others believe it was to blame another group of people. These people put great thought into how they wanted to disguise themselves. The idea of playing indian is very popular throughout American culture. I wonder if this is an act of being accepted as regular people instead of "noble savages".

Charlot: I give Charlot a lot of credit for standing up to the government/white men and not wanting to pay taxes on his own land. The white men acted like they were going to help the indians but instead they basically took everything they had. I understand why him and his people are upset of what the white men have done. I would be upset too if someone tried to move me for no reason and take everything I had. At least when he died, he died for something he believed in and was never violent about it until the white men became violent.

Baum: I feel that Baum wrote about Sitting Bull with a lot of passion and gave him much credit for what he did in his lifetime. He had a lot of fight in him it seems like. He wanted revenge for anything the white men did to him or his people. He was a beloved warrior and I feel that he would be missed for fighting for his tribe and his people even though he wasn't a chief. I feel that in his second editorial, they finally realize that they need the indians for their protection otherwise it could result in big problems.

Helen Hunt Jackson, Zitkala Sa, and The Noble Savage

Helen Hunt Jackson: I felt that she described the tribes, the land and also the individuals well. It created a picture in my mind of what everything looked like. It made it easier to read after understanding the image of the tribe. This became depressing when the tribe and the warriors were being destroyed for being too small. Although, the United States created a treaty in 1817 which was a peaceful treaty and made the indians hopeful and at peace foe the time being. The United States agreed to protect the Poncas when they needed it. I felt that this excerpt kept my feelings up and down. It would become depressing to hopeful from the United States to depressing again after everything being destroyed once more. It was interesting to see the relationship between the United States and the indian tribe.

Zitkala Sa: The description of her life really impressed me. She was a very strong and talented woman from being a writer, orator, and debater; a singer, pianist, and violinist and also an activist on behalf of women's and Native American rights. Basically starting at the age of eight, she began her life wanting to make an impact as being a Native American. She obviously looked up to her mother and wanted her to be happy and listened very carefully of what she had to say. It was clear that her uncle was a loved man in their village and her mother was truly affected by his death. I liked how she shared the coffee making story because it was an embarrassing story for her making coffee out of dead ashes. It was sad to see that she wanted to go East just because of these red apples and that her mother was so against it but Zitkala wanted to go so badly. I thought it was brave of her to go by herself not really knowing where and what she was going to.

Noble Savage: I think its odd that they call themselves savages because when I think of a savage I think of it in a bad way but after reading this passage I have a new understanding of the word. They say it could simply mean wild. They also said Savages are truly noble meaning they enjoyed the right to hunt the game which is different than I thought the phrase would be. In Charles Dickens, the Noble Savage, he described indians as dirty, cruel and constantly fighting among themselves. I thought his opinion was very strong and I didn't really agree with him on how he saw the indians in that way.