Thursday, October 31, 2013
#1 Interpret/explain/explore the context and the significance of the quote "We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child" (35) (Hattie)
When Alexie says that "We were to kill the Indian to save the child"(Alexie 35) he was saying that they the teachers were all trying to break the spirit of the kids and their culture. Mr. P says that everyone in the rez is killed and has their dreams crushed and that when he was being trained to be a teacher, he was to do the same. "I hurt a lot of Indian kids when I was a young teacher,"(Alexie 35) This quote shows that Mr. P was trained to break the spirits of the kids, and their bodies. They were trying to "save" the kids by making them disciplined and break their traditions of songs and dancing and stories. I think it was wrong that Mr.P tried to break Indian kids because there is nothing wrong with who there are.
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I really like how you related your question to Mr.P and showed a quote. However, there is a little more you can say. Not only is Mr.P trying to break them, but he also has to harden them. This meaning, he has to teach them that what they have, is what they're getting. Mr.P has a job and it is to break you.
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