In the novel The absolutely diary of a part time indian novel why was Mr P taught to “kill the Indian and to save the child” in the efforts of getting rid of the Indian culture.
In the novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, Mr. P is Junior's teacher at the Wellpinit School on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The phrase "kill the Indian and save the child" is a real historical policy advocated by the U.S. government during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a part of the assimilation policies aimed at eradicating Native American culture and forcing Native children to adopt Western ways of life.
Mr. P, like many other well-intentioned teachers during this time, was taught this philosophy and believed it to be the best way to help Native children succeed in the "white" world. He wanted to ensure that Native American children would be able to break free from the socio-economic constraints of reservation life by assimilating into the dominant American culture. He believed that by eradicating their Native culture and traditions, Native children would be able to achieve success and escape the cycle of poverty and limited opportunities.
However, as the novel explores, this policy had significant consequences on the mental and emotional well-being of Native children like Junior. It forced them to deny their cultural heritage and caused a sense of shame and confusion about their own identities. Junior's experiences demonstrate the challenges and complexities of cultural assimilation, the loss that comes with it, and the importance of embracing one's cultural roots.
In the novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, Mr. P is the protagonist Junior's teacher at the Wellpinit School on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Mr. P is portrayed as a complex character who believes he is helping Native American children by assimilating them into the dominant white culture.
The phrase "kill the Indian and save the child" refers to the historical Indian boarding school system. This system was established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the goal of assimilating Native American children into mainstream American society. The idea was to eradicate Native American culture and language, believing that this would lead to the "saving" or improvement of these children's lives.
This philosophy was based on the belief that Native American culture and traditions were inferior, and that adopting a white American identity was necessary for these children to succeed in the wider society. Mr. P, as a representative of the school system, has been taught this ideology and believes that it is the path to success for his students.
However, throughout the novel, Junior questions and challenges this assimilationist viewpoint, recognizing that his identity as a Native American is an integral part of who he is. He struggles with the notion of abandoning his cultural heritage in order to conform to the expectations of the dominant society.
Ultimately, the novel explores the themes of cultural identity, the impact of assimilation, and the resilience of Native American culture in the face of historical and contemporary challenges.
In the novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, the character Mr. P is a teacher at the protagonist's school on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The quote you mentioned, "kill the Indian and save the child," refers to a historical policy called the Indian Boarding School system.
The Indian Boarding School system was an assimilationist policy implemented by the US government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its aim was to "civilize" Native American children by removing them from their tribes, their families, and their cultural heritage. The primary goal was to replace Native American traditional ways of life with Western culture and values.
To understand why Mr. P was taught to "kill the Indian and save the child," it's important to recognize the context of those times. Assimilation efforts were driven by the belief that Native American culture was inferior and needed to be eradicated in order for Native American individuals to be successful in the dominant society. The idea was that by eradicating their Indigenous identities, Native American children could gain access to education, employment, and other opportunities available to non-Indigenous people.
In the book, Mr. P represents this historical perspective. He believes that Native American students would have a better chance at success in the wider world if they abandoned their Native cultural practices and adopted the ways of the dominant society. This belief is reflected in his teaching methods, such as encouraging his students to focus on Western literature and not valuing their own Native cultural traditions.
Ultimately, the quote "kill the Indian and save the child" highlights the destructive impact of the Indian Boarding School system and the ideological viewpoint that informed it. It draws attention to the cultural assimilation policies enforced during that era and the negative consequences they had on Native American individuals and their communities.