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    The document discusses the film Pocahontas and how it misrepresented the real relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith. Pocahontas was actually around 10-12 years old when she met the 27-year-old John Smith. It suggests the film took artistic liberties to make the story more commercially appealing. It also analyzes John Smith's writings on establishing colonies in North America and argues he may have embellished details to encourage more settlers and present himself as a hero, thus serving commercial and political purposes through literature.

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    Mod 2 Litt 3

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    The document discusses the film Pocahontas and how it misrepresented the real relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith. Pocahontas was actually around 10-12 years old when she met the 27-year-old John Smith. It suggests the film took artistic liberties to make the story more commercially appealing. It also analyzes John Smith's writings on establishing colonies in North America and argues he may have embellished details to encourage more settlers and present himself as a hero, thus serving commercial and political purposes through literature.

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    The document discusses the film Pocahontas and how it misrepresented the real relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith. Pocahontas was actually around 10-12 years old when she met the 27-year-old John Smith. It suggests the film took artistic liberties to make the story more commercially appealing. It also analyzes John Smith's writings on establishing colonies in North America and argues he may have embellished details to encourage more settlers and present himself as a hero, thus serving commercial and political purposes through literature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    22 views2 pages

    Mod 2 Litt 3

    Uploaded by

    A. Magno
    The document discusses the film Pocahontas and how it misrepresented the real relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith. Pocahontas was actually around 10-12 years old when she met the 27-year-old John Smith. It suggests the film took artistic liberties to make the story more commercially appealing. It also analyzes John Smith's writings on establishing colonies in North America and argues he may have embellished details to encourage more settlers and present himself as a hero, thus serving commercial and political purposes through literature.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    2/19/23, 7:09 PM G-LITT001 BSA34 CLASSIC LITERATURES OF THE WORLD 2nd Sem ( 2022-2023 ) - https://dlsud.edu20.

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    G-LITT001 BSA34 CLASSIC LITERATURES OF THE WORLD 2nd Sem ( 2022-2023 )


    Midterm Module 2: Literature is Power

    Commercialism
    Immersive Reader

    If you have watched the animated film Pocahontas, you might have been moved by the scene where Powhatan’s daughter,
    Pocahontas, saved John Smith from being beaten to death.  Based on the film, it was love toward the Capt. that led Pocahontas to
    save him but let us set some things straight.  In 1607, John Smith was already 27 years old while Pocahontas was around 10 to 12
    years old.  Apparently, this misrepresentation of Pocahontas (in terms of age) in the movie, as well as of the idea of a romantic
    relationship between here and the Capt. had to be done as far as the movie industry is concerned. 
    Pocahontas and John Smith.  Could you imagine how the movie would have gone when Pocahontas’ representation remained faithful
    to the facts?  Or the image of John Smith remained faithful to his real appearance?  You could bet that this would not have been as
    famous as it has become.  Movie makers somehow know what to sell and how to sell them to their audience regardless of the
    accuracy of facts; hence, commercialism. 
    Commercialism is the practice of selling something for the sole purpose of profit with minimal thought on the quality of the product
    being sold or its benefit to its market (customer).  Imagine how many children (even adults) believed that Pocahontas was captured by
    Capt. John Smith’s charm?  Or the thought of Pocahontas instantly learning to speak English when the magical wind blew?  Romantic
    as it may seem, the movie has covered the bitter facts about colonialism – that the Indians were treated as inferior to the Englishmen,
    and that the English language was somehow forced to them as it was seen superior over the native language of the Indians. 
    John Smith was criticized by many as a questionable writer.  Many parts of his journal, especially in What Happened till The First
    Supply have received a not-so-good review by the critics.  The Capt. referring to himself in third person point of view has received
    mixed reactions.  For one, this is seen as his writing style to project an objective writer in presenting the events; however, others see
    this as a sign of his egoistic behavior as if promoting himself as the brave captain.  Another questionable part of the excerpt is the one
    in which, according to John Smith, 300 Indian bowmen attacked them, and from which, he was the only sole survivor as he used
    their savage guide as his human shield from all the arrows.  This event could not be verified since no one else survived the attack. 
    How certain was he that there were 300 bowmen?  For this, Smith was considered more of an embellisher than a writer, and his
    journal as something of a recount rather than an account of events.  In addition, the journal was published in 1624 – that is almost two
    decades of recollection on his part and therefore, his memory might not have served him well to provide real and accurate
    information.  Nonetheless, John Smith had a purpose for writing the journal  The General History of Virginia, and it is not only for
    record-keeping.  So, what could it be?
    Perhaps commercialism still has something to do with it.  What was he selling?  The New World.
    For the settlement and the colony to flourish, Englishmen had to occupy and claim the land as theirs.  But what would convince the
    people to voluntarily travel for 4 months at sea and start to live their lives in a foreign land?  Until this time, The New World (North
    America) was an uncharted territory for the Englishmen.  Aside from the facts presented by Columbus upon his discovery of the land,
    people did not have any other concrete things they know about it.  In fact, it took 13 years for the next settlement to be established in
    Plymouth, Massachusetts. People needed something to give them security and assurance that the settlement has been successfully
    established amidst hardships of the first settlers.  Most importantly, people had to be assured that everything was put in place through
    the effort and bravery of their leaders – some sort of a hero—to encourage people to come and live in The New World. 
    True enough, The General History of Virginia is one, if not the earliest writing about the establishment of colonies in North America,
    and people started to immigrate.  In addition, more and more settlements were established.  And the rest, as they say, is history.
    Literature can be a very powerful thing.  Aside from expressing significant human experiences, it can also be used to gain power for
    oneself and over others; hence, literature may also serve its political purpose just like what we see in What Happened till The First
    Supply.  Writers use varying styles and approaches to realize their goals for writing.  It may be questionable for others, unacceptable
    even, but it serves its purpose.
    What Happened till The First Supply is an example of colonial literature which tells the story and adventures of a character from the
    colonizing country.  Aside from its historical contribution, it has also contributed to the success of establishing the English colony in
    North America.

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