Thomas Olanipekun
THET290
0101
11/17/07
In a period characterized by unpopularity of theatre and the decline in acceptance of theatrical activities, “The Indian Princess”, written by James Nelson Baker was in no doubt a plus for the rise of theatrical activities in the newly born American society. “The Indian Princess” full of subplots, songs and sexual humor. “The Indian Princess” is the first stage drama that survives in its entirety to feature Native American characters”, (Richard 109). Its popularity can be measured by the audience it attracted within the United State America and Abroad. It was also reputed to be the first American drama to be performed on American state before being performed on European stage.
“The Indian Princess” draws it story line from the famous Princess Pocahontas Story. The play can be described as ideologically shaped to describe the encounter between the European settlers and the Native Indians. This encounter can be described as one that grew from mutual coexistence and to that of superiority of ideology. “Having established strong vigorous colonies, the English extended their power over the Indians as occasion warranted”, (Sons 47). The tension of superiority of ideology increased in the eighteenth century, subsequently leading to laws made to; assimilate the Indians into white, take over and occupy land owned by the Indians and exterminate the stubborn or recalcitrant Indians.
“The Indian problem” as it was called then was the number one problem the new American society had to solve. “The Indians are more stupid than the asses and refuse to improve in anything”, (Sons 9). The inferiority of the Indians to the European settlers was no doubt a bone of contention as the whites saw the Indians as Barbaric, unorganized and void of what they could describe as civilization. To solve these problems concerted efforts were taking to ensure that Indians became assimilated into the white’s way of life. Boarding schools were built, children separated from their parents. As earlier mentioned this process was to ensure that the American society became a full representation of what the settler believed was rightful representation of a modest society; liberty, freedom for all and peaceful coexistence.
Today, the American society is proud of these important factors that bound us together. These factors also remain important in making America the Hub of world activities, and a model for other countries of the world. So here we will look at the processes involved in the development of America’s national identity?
Consequently, as the American society seeks to develop is national identity so also was theatrical activities growing in the United States. Plays staged during this period were mostly used as medium of addressing political problems that existed during this period. The Indian princess was not an exception, the play’s story line, as previously mentioned, was drawn from the famous princess Pocahontas story. The play was also criticized for altering history to suit political activities and effort to integrate the Indians into Whites Americans. How does the depiction of Pocahontas and Miami in “The Indian Princess” relates to the policy of Assimilation and extermination. This is what Rosemarie k. Bank describes as “the Indian of assimilation, indistinguishable from model white people; the negative stereotype is of the Indian in harmony with nature’s violence, crude, treacherous and intemperate….”, (Bank 462). In the play, Pocahontas was characterized as kind, temperate, acculturated, and civilized assimilated Indian. While Miami, was characterized as the villain, unkind, traitor whose character was in harmony with nature’s violence. This distinctions between this characters promotes the policy of assimilation and extermination and the difference between the acculturated Indian and the exterminated One. The last scene also glamorizes the rightness of the dominance of the European settlers over the Native Americans and as Francis Jenning Describes it the “Cant of Conquest”, (Jenning 1).
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
the new creation
Thomas Olanipekun
THET290
0101
11/17/07
In a period characterized by unpopularity of theatre and the decline in acceptance of theatrical activities, “The Indian Princess”, written by James Nelson Baker was in no doubt a plus for the rise of theatrical activities in the newly born American society. “The Indian Princess” full of subplots, songs and sexual humor. “The Indian Princess” is the first stage drama that survives in its entirety to feature Native American characters”, (Richard 109). Its popularity can be measured by the audience it attracted within the United State America and Abroad. It was also reputed to be the first American drama to be performed on American state before being performed on European stage.
“The Indian Princess” draws it story line from the famous Princess Pocahontas Story. The play can be described as ideologically shaped to describe the encounter between the European settlers and the Native Indians. This encounter can be described as one that grew from mutual coexistence and to that of superiority of ideology. “Having established strong vigorous colonies, the English extended their power over the Indians as occasion warranted”, (Sons 47). The tension of superiority of ideology increased in the eighteenth century, subsequently leading to laws made to; assimilate the Indians into white, take over and occupy land owned by the Indians and exterminate the stubborn or recalcitrant Indians.
“The Indian problem” as it was called then was the number one problem the new American society had to solve. “The Indians are more stupid than the asses and refuse to improve in anything”, (Sons 9). The inferiority of the Indians to the European settlers was no doubt a bone of contention as the whites saw the Indians as Barbaric, unorganized and void of what they could describe as civilization. To solve these problems concerted efforts were taking to ensure that Indians became assimilated into the white’s way of life. Boarding schools were built, children separated from their parents. As earlier mentioned this process was to ensure that the American society became a full representation of what the settler believed was rightful representation of a modest society; liberty, freedom for all and peaceful coexistence.
Today, the American society is proud of these important factors that bound us together. These factors also remain important in making America the Hub of world activities, and a model for other countries of the world. So here we will look at the processes involved in the development of America’s national identity?
Consequently, as the American society seeks to develop is national identity so also was theatrical activities growing in the United States. Plays staged during this period were mostly used as medium of addressing political problems that existed during this period. The Indian princess was not an exception, the play’s story line, as previously mentioned, was drawn from the famous princess Pocahontas story. The play was also criticized for altering history to suit political activities and effort to integrate the Indians into Whites Americans. How does the depiction of Pocahontas and Miami in “The Indian Princess” relates to the policy of Assimilation and extermination. This is what Rosemarie k. Bank describes as “the Indian of assimilation, indistinguishable from model white people; the negative stereotype is of the Indian in harmony with nature’s violence, crude, treacherous and intemperate….”, (Bank 462). In the play, Pocahontas was characterized as kind, temperate, acculturated, and civilized assimilated Indian. While Miami, was characterized as the villain, unkind, traitor whose character was in harmony with nature’s violence. This distinctions between this characters promotes the policy of assimilation and extermination and the difference between the acculturated Indian and the exterminated One. The last scene also glamorizes the rightness of the dominance of the European settlers over the Native Americans and as Francis Jenning Describes it the “Cant of Conquest”, (Jenning 1).
THET290
0101
11/17/07
In a period characterized by unpopularity of theatre and the decline in acceptance of theatrical activities, “The Indian Princess”, written by James Nelson Baker was in no doubt a plus for the rise of theatrical activities in the newly born American society. “The Indian Princess” full of subplots, songs and sexual humor. “The Indian Princess” is the first stage drama that survives in its entirety to feature Native American characters”, (Richard 109). Its popularity can be measured by the audience it attracted within the United State America and Abroad. It was also reputed to be the first American drama to be performed on American state before being performed on European stage.
“The Indian Princess” draws it story line from the famous Princess Pocahontas Story. The play can be described as ideologically shaped to describe the encounter between the European settlers and the Native Indians. This encounter can be described as one that grew from mutual coexistence and to that of superiority of ideology. “Having established strong vigorous colonies, the English extended their power over the Indians as occasion warranted”, (Sons 47). The tension of superiority of ideology increased in the eighteenth century, subsequently leading to laws made to; assimilate the Indians into white, take over and occupy land owned by the Indians and exterminate the stubborn or recalcitrant Indians.
“The Indian problem” as it was called then was the number one problem the new American society had to solve. “The Indians are more stupid than the asses and refuse to improve in anything”, (Sons 9). The inferiority of the Indians to the European settlers was no doubt a bone of contention as the whites saw the Indians as Barbaric, unorganized and void of what they could describe as civilization. To solve these problems concerted efforts were taking to ensure that Indians became assimilated into the white’s way of life. Boarding schools were built, children separated from their parents. As earlier mentioned this process was to ensure that the American society became a full representation of what the settler believed was rightful representation of a modest society; liberty, freedom for all and peaceful coexistence.
Today, the American society is proud of these important factors that bound us together. These factors also remain important in making America the Hub of world activities, and a model for other countries of the world. So here we will look at the processes involved in the development of America’s national identity?
Consequently, as the American society seeks to develop is national identity so also was theatrical activities growing in the United States. Plays staged during this period were mostly used as medium of addressing political problems that existed during this period. The Indian princess was not an exception, the play’s story line, as previously mentioned, was drawn from the famous princess Pocahontas story. The play was also criticized for altering history to suit political activities and effort to integrate the Indians into Whites Americans. How does the depiction of Pocahontas and Miami in “The Indian Princess” relates to the policy of Assimilation and extermination. This is what Rosemarie k. Bank describes as “the Indian of assimilation, indistinguishable from model white people; the negative stereotype is of the Indian in harmony with nature’s violence, crude, treacherous and intemperate….”, (Bank 462). In the play, Pocahontas was characterized as kind, temperate, acculturated, and civilized assimilated Indian. While Miami, was characterized as the villain, unkind, traitor whose character was in harmony with nature’s violence. This distinctions between this characters promotes the policy of assimilation and extermination and the difference between the acculturated Indian and the exterminated One. The last scene also glamorizes the rightness of the dominance of the European settlers over the Native Americans and as Francis Jenning Describes it the “Cant of Conquest”, (Jenning 1).
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