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In a message dated 9/19/2005 5:23:07 PM Central Standard Time,
ntd1@... writes:

What he did in the book was to perpetuate the myth of the "noble savage"
-- incidentally disrespecting many of their real traditions along the
way. Some words he used were nonsense words, not even aboriginal
languages. It is unclear whether he was trying an experiment to see how
far he could mess with people's thinking -- I know there are several
academics who have written that that was his motivation, but as he
cannot defend himself I will give him the benefit of a doubt. There is
no question, however, that he didn't do enough research into the
authenticity of everything he presented as Native culture.



~~~
From someone who read it because it looked interesting, didn't know a thing
about the author or the backstory....it's just a book. I never assume any
work of fiction has any kind of authenticity which can be regarded as true to
any culture. It's the author's idea and imagination and it's just a book.

Like "Thriller" is just a song. ;)

Karen


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In a message dated 9/19/05 4:45:08 PM, tuckervill2@... writes:


>   I never  assume any
> work of fiction has any kind of authenticity which can be regarded as  true
> to
> any culture. 
>

For MANY years, and still in many libraries, it's marked as true, and filed
under autobiography.

I DO assume that the biographies and especially autobiographies I've read are
true. For those in the mood for an autobiography, I really liked the Dalai
Lama's (which I read 2/3 of the way through, and which he wrote himself in
English--it's not a translation) and Kenneth Branagh's.

When I was a kid I used to read autobiographies just to the point where the
people were grown. Now I read until they're in their 40's or so (and so
Branagh's I read to the end <g>). It's the equivalent of little kids only
watching the parts of movies that have kids or animals. I guess when I'm old I'll
read them to the ends.

Sandra


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In a message dated 9/19/2005 6:48:42 PM Central Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:

> I never assume any
> work of fiction has any kind of authenticity which can be regarded as
true
> to
> any culture.
>

For MANY years, and still in many libraries, it's marked as true, and filed
under autobiography.



~~~

What I'm saying is that I thought it was a work of fiction when I read it,
and that means I didn't take any of the Native American culture as points of
fact--just artistic renderings. I was saying that I don't get my information
about any subject from works of fiction. I was pointing that out because of
the paragraph I quoted seemed to imply that we should put some credibility in
the NA culture represented in the book. It doesn't hold credibility for me
because I thought it was a work of fiction.

I looked around for my copy to see how recent it is and see if it claimed to
be autobiographical, but I couldn't find it on first glance. I'll look
upstairs later.

Karen


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