Jia-yi (Jenny) Cen
Ms. Lovelady
AP Literature and Composition
30 July 2015
Caleb’s Crossing Socratic Seminar Questions
The butchering of the beached whale in Caleb’s Crossing, a novel by Geraldine Brooks, hints a strong sentiment of ignorance and apathy towards the Native American’s beliefs. The Wampanoag believes that “a benevolent spirit threw [the whales] upon the shore for their particular use” (27). Whales, or any animal life in general, are treated with reverence and devoutness because the natives worshipped Pantheism, appreciation and respect for nature. The pioneering English Puritan attitudes were direct opposites of the natives. They were destroyers of the natural order. Conflicts would eventually arise between the Natives and the Puritans due to their clashing beliefs. The butchering was described in such detail to emphasize the cruelty and the lack of interest for the aftermath of their slaughter. Inevitably, the imagery would play a role on the reader’s pathos, creating a cynical and despondent …show more content…
Throughout the whole novel, the Puritans struggle to accept native beliefs and spirituality, going to as far as calling it as blasphemy against God. According to Brook’s Afterword in the novel, the natives are labeled as “salvage,” “sorcerer,” “wizard,” (317) and the like, by white men. While Caleb and Joel have been horribly discriminated by their own peers in college, they did continue to excel in their subjects, trying to earn their place in society. That was Caleb’s ultimate goal for studying English. He hoped to gain respect and recognition from society and get them to accept his innate culture. Although acceptance for Indigenous cultures may bring bloodshed and arduous effort, it is not entirely impossible. Radical reformers like Caleb, will eventually change the mindset of society, and bring in different ways of looking at the
Ms. Lovelady
AP Literature and Composition
30 July 2015
Caleb’s Crossing Socratic Seminar Questions
The butchering of the beached whale in Caleb’s Crossing, a novel by Geraldine Brooks, hints a strong sentiment of ignorance and apathy towards the Native American’s beliefs. The Wampanoag believes that “a benevolent spirit threw [the whales] upon the shore for their particular use” (27). Whales, or any animal life in general, are treated with reverence and devoutness because the natives worshipped Pantheism, appreciation and respect for nature. The pioneering English Puritan attitudes were direct opposites of the natives. They were destroyers of the natural order. Conflicts would eventually arise between the Natives and the Puritans due to their clashing beliefs. The butchering was described in such detail to emphasize the cruelty and the lack of interest for the aftermath of their slaughter. Inevitably, the imagery would play a role on the reader’s pathos, creating a cynical and despondent …show more content…
Throughout the whole novel, the Puritans struggle to accept native beliefs and spirituality, going to as far as calling it as blasphemy against God. According to Brook’s Afterword in the novel, the natives are labeled as “salvage,” “sorcerer,” “wizard,” (317) and the like, by white men. While Caleb and Joel have been horribly discriminated by their own peers in college, they did continue to excel in their subjects, trying to earn their place in society. That was Caleb’s ultimate goal for studying English. He hoped to gain respect and recognition from society and get them to accept his innate culture. Although acceptance for Indigenous cultures may bring bloodshed and arduous effort, it is not entirely impossible. Radical reformers like Caleb, will eventually change the mindset of society, and bring in different ways of looking at the