In Beloved by Toni Morrison and Tonto Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie the symbols of storytelling and dance play an important role in showing how the preemptive characters keep two disenfranchised races unified and resilient.
In both novels, the authors have a central character that holds the people together through the stories they tell their people. For instance, in Beloved, Baby Suggs is the rock for the oppressed blacks who have escaped Sweet Home. Her preaching inspires the people to love themselves because no one else will. “Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it” (108). In Sherman Alexie’s novel, Thomas Builds-The-Fire tells stories to remember the past that many Indians on the reservation do not want to hear until Thomas is put on trial. Baby Suggs and Thomas have central roles in similar and different ways, and they embody the importance of storytelling and dance within their culture.
In both novels, the authors have a central character that holds the people together through the stories they tell their people. For instance, in Beloved, Baby Suggs is the rock for the oppressed blacks who have escaped Sweet Home. Her preaching inspires the people to love themselves because no one else will. “Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it” (108). In Sherman Alexie’s novel, Thomas Builds-The-Fire tells stories to remember the past that many Indians on the reservation do not want to hear until Thomas is put on trial. Baby Suggs and Thomas have central roles in similar and different ways, and they embody the importance of storytelling and dance within their culture.
Individuals living at 124 cannot wait to listen to Baby Suggs in the Clearing because she helps them understand how to come to terms with the life they lived on the plantation and the free life they lived afterwards. At the clearing Baby Suggs, told them things like, “... the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. That if they could not see it, they would not have it” (107). This is significant because it encourages the people to create a positive image towards themselves that others around them will not have (specifically Whites). The importance of imagination is also stressed in Tonto Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven when the narrator states, “Survival= Anger x Imagination. Imagination is the only weapon on the reservation” (150). This is further exemplified by Thomas’ storytelling in court. Prior to Thomas’ trial, many Indians on the reservation were not interested in hearing any of Thomas’ stories. When Thomas tells the stories in court he gets several reactions from his people, “Thomas opened his eyes and found that most of the Indians in the courtroom wept and wanted to admit defeat” (97). One lady even reacts by saying, “Thomas…we hear you” (99).
Dancing also plays a vital role in the lives of both African and Native Americans in both stories. Many Native Americans go to the Powwow Tavern in hopes to escape the pain and suffering experienced in real life. While, African Americans dance in the Clearing to release frustration and anger that they cannot express through words. In fact, when Baby Suggs is dancing, the narrator describes it by stating, “Saying no more, she stood up then and danced with her twisted hip the rest of what her heart had to say while the others opened their mouths and gave her the music” (108).
One of the most differentiating factors between Thomas and Baby Suggs is what happens when they both face adversity. When the white people come into Baby Suggs yard she feels that there is nothing she can do and her entire ideology on life changes. In fact, when asked by Stamp Paid to continue preaching in the clearing she states, “There is was no grace- imaginary or real-and no sunlit dance in a Clearing could change that” (109). Baby Suggs becomes like many people on the Indian Reservation who do not see the importance in storytelling and lose faith in their lives. She feels as if they is no need to continue fighting when she and other Blacks will continue to be oppressed in the end. “There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks” (109). However, even when Thomas is put on trial and imprisoned he continues to tell stories in jail to other inmates.
It is quite ironic that there are so many similarities between the importance of dance and storytelling in both African and Native American culture because of the fact that many Europeans sought to create a rivalry between the two groups. They turned many Native American tribes into slave hunters, and tribes such as the Cherokee actually owned slaves. These similarities may have been some of the causes behind Whites making sure that these two indigenous populations did not unify.
Storytelling and Dance are significant factors in both novels and both authors emphasize the importance of uniting their people through these symbols. Although, both cultures have similar characteristics and traditions they were separated by Whites to further disenfranchise the population. Through storytelling and dance both Native and African Americans allow themselves to imagine a better life where they are in control of their own past and future.
Works Cited:
Weaver, Hilary. "A Boiling Pot Of Animosity Or An Alliance Of Kindred Spirits? Exploring Connections Between Native Americans And African Americans." Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare 35.4 (2008): 115-132. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.
Ford, Douglas. "Sherman Alexie's Indigenous Blues." Melus 27.3 (2002): 197. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.
Lydia, I really enjoyed reading your post and how you made the connection between Beloved and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. I had not considered the similarities between the Native American and African American cultures of the two books. In your post you mention that the Whites did not want the Native Americans and African Americans to unify. Could you expand a little more on that? That point in your paper really brought the comparison between Baby Suggs and Thomas Builds-The-Fire together. Both of those characters had a strong dislike for the Whites however they both showed it a different way as you mention in your post. With a little more historical evidence on how the Whites did not want the Native Americans and African Americans to unify will make your comparison between Baby Suggs and Thomas Builds-The-Fire ever stronger.
ReplyDeleteKelly, thanks for your comments and advice! To elaborate more on the ways that Whites kept Native and African Americans separated, Native Americans were assimilated to participate in many of the activites that whites were involved in. (Mainly the "Five Civilized Tribes"-the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Seminoles). For instance, during the 18th century whites encouraged Native Americans to be slave-holding landowners in hopes that they would become more "civilized"(Weaver 119). A good example of another way Native Americans and African Americans were encouraged to not unify are "buffalo soldiers." These were African Americans who fought Native Americans during the Indian Wars and helped whites move Native Americans out of their land.
DeleteBoth groups were taken advantage of because of the lack of education towards one another, and both were taught biases by whites directed at each other.
Toni Morrison also incorporates this into Beloved. In the section where it talks about Paul D's journey to 124 it states, "The Cherokee saw the chains and went away...Buffalo men they called them... Nobody from a box in Alfred, Georgia, cared about the illness the Cherokee warned them about, so they stayed, all forty-six, resting, planning their next move" (137). It is not until Paul D is the last "buffalo man" left that he admits he needed help from the Cherokee Indians and asked for guidance."Weeks later Paul D was the only Buffalo man left without a plan...Paul D finally woke up and, admitted his ignorance, asked how he might get north...The Cherokee smiled and looked around" (138). Do you guys think this is a metaphor for how much the two groups needed each other? Why would Toni Morrison choose a Native American to help Paul D reach freedom?
I would just like to say that I really like the fact that you wrote about Beloved. I think the more I read it, the more it became one of my favorites of all the stories that we read this semester.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about connecting the two stories and I really enjoyed your post. And I think Toni Morrison chose a Native American because of the "struggle." Native Americans were treated badly by "the white folk" and so were black people.
Like you said, I think it is a metaphor for how much the two groups could use each other for things because I think they related to one another more closely than they would to other groups.
Thanks for the comment Ciara! I completely agree. I think they are more similar to each other than any other racial group in America during this time period. I feel that because of these similarities it was a priority to keep both cultures separated.
ReplyDeleteGreat connection! I really enjoyed reading your paper. It was a nice refresher! And I agree with you. I think the treated of these two races were very similar and on a random tangent, and not to be racist myself, but I think that Basketball, which is a big theme in Tonto although not beloved, is common among the two races. Both races have at one point been forced into a confined piece of land, the "ghetto" after enslavement and Indian reservations. However basketball seems to serve as a common theme of escape from these places. Sorry again for the tangent I just think that there are so many possibilities that you can write on this subject! Great job again!
ReplyDelete-Aryn