Friday, March 30, 2007
They was a brave on a ridge, against the sun
In "The Grapes of Wrath," an anecdote is told at a campfire by an old man who fought in "Indian Wars" and was a recruit against Geronimo:
"They was a brave on a ridge, against the sun. Knowed he stood out. Spread his arms an' stood. Naked as morning, an' against the sun. Maybe he was crazy. I don' know. Stood there, arms spread out; like a cross he looked. Four hundred yards. An' the men--well, they raised their sights an' they felt the wind with their fingers; an' then they jus' lay there an' couldn' shoot. Maybe that Injun knowed somepin. Knowed we couldn' shoot. Jes laid there with the rifles cocked, an didn' even put 'em to our shoulders. Lookin at him. Head-band, one feather. Could see it, an' naked as the sun. Long time we laid there an' looked, an' he never moved. An' then the captain got mad. "Shoot, you crazy bastards, shoot!" he yells. An' we jus' laid there. "I'll give you to a five-count, an' then mark you down," the captain says. Well, sir--we put up our rifles slow, an' ever' man hoped some-body'd shoot first. I ain't never been so sad in my life. An' I laid my sights on his belly, 'cause you can't stop a Injun no other place--an'--then. Well, he just plunkered down an' rolled. An' we went up. An' he wasn' big--he'd looked so grand--up there. All tore to pieces an' little. Ever see a cock pheasant, stiff and beautiful, ever' featrher drewed an' painted, an' even his eyes drawed in pretty? An' bang! you pick him up--bloody and twisted, an' you spoiled somepin better'n you; an eatin' him don't never make it up to you, 'cause you spoiled somepin in yaself, an' you can't never fix it up." And the people nodded, and perhaps the fire spurted a little light and showed their eyes looking in on themselves." Against the sun, with his arms out. An he looked big--as God." Chapter 23 page 419.
I wonder what's Steinbeck's source for this anecdote? Could the braves behavior have been related to the Ghost Dance, an Indian religious movement that was influenced by Christianity? The Ghost Dance was described at the time by James Mooney. Later, the anthropologist Weston LaBarre wrote a book with the same title, describing similar movements, sometimes involving nudity, occuring among defeated peoples around the world.
"They was a brave on a ridge, against the sun. Knowed he stood out. Spread his arms an' stood. Naked as morning, an' against the sun. Maybe he was crazy. I don' know. Stood there, arms spread out; like a cross he looked. Four hundred yards. An' the men--well, they raised their sights an' they felt the wind with their fingers; an' then they jus' lay there an' couldn' shoot. Maybe that Injun knowed somepin. Knowed we couldn' shoot. Jes laid there with the rifles cocked, an didn' even put 'em to our shoulders. Lookin at him. Head-band, one feather. Could see it, an' naked as the sun. Long time we laid there an' looked, an' he never moved. An' then the captain got mad. "Shoot, you crazy bastards, shoot!" he yells. An' we jus' laid there. "I'll give you to a five-count, an' then mark you down," the captain says. Well, sir--we put up our rifles slow, an' ever' man hoped some-body'd shoot first. I ain't never been so sad in my life. An' I laid my sights on his belly, 'cause you can't stop a Injun no other place--an'--then. Well, he just plunkered down an' rolled. An' we went up. An' he wasn' big--he'd looked so grand--up there. All tore to pieces an' little. Ever see a cock pheasant, stiff and beautiful, ever' featrher drewed an' painted, an' even his eyes drawed in pretty? An' bang! you pick him up--bloody and twisted, an' you spoiled somepin better'n you; an eatin' him don't never make it up to you, 'cause you spoiled somepin in yaself, an' you can't never fix it up." And the people nodded, and perhaps the fire spurted a little light and showed their eyes looking in on themselves." Against the sun, with his arms out. An he looked big--as God." Chapter 23 page 419.
I wonder what's Steinbeck's source for this anecdote? Could the braves behavior have been related to the Ghost Dance, an Indian religious movement that was influenced by Christianity? The Ghost Dance was described at the time by James Mooney. Later, the anthropologist Weston LaBarre wrote a book with the same title, describing similar movements, sometimes involving nudity, occuring among defeated peoples around the world.
