Joshua Brundige

American Literature 1

Creel

Dear Felix, 

It's me, Wisecat! How is Felidae? How is all of the string? I'm sure it is just as dangly. Oh, how I miss pawing at the dangly string. Anyways, Earth is great! The people here aren't too terrible. They have taught me a thing or two about what life is like on another planet. I haven't been able to travel much myself since I lack opposable thumbs, but I did manage to enslave a human to read me their greatest literary works from the 17th century onward so I could learn about their origins and the way life works here. The conclusion I have come to is that these Americans have a great amount of freedom in the speech they use to create these literary works. I mean, these "Native Americans" they speak of, whom they stole their land and treat as a scourge of the continent, are STILL allowed to circulate works of literature! Can you Imagine If we spoke ill of the might string or laser pointer? It is a freedom that you really learn to enjoy.

The first literary work I had my human slave read me was "The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" by Mary Rowlandson from 1682. In this work Rowlandson states "Little do many think what is the savageness and brutishness of this barbarous enemy, Ay, even those that seem to profess more than others among them, when the English have fallen into their hands." (Rowlandson). These humans slander one another so harshly and openly, and yet the writing is still circulated and read by hundreds or even thousands! Even though that Mary's race murdered and stole the land of the race she speaks so harshly of, she writes with such a dramatic tone that the work is a propaganda-thriller of sorts, and continues to be read! One of the humans who I felt deserved her freedom because of her intelligence said "Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative operates as an effective piece of propaganda to justify the Puritans’ negative treatment and racist views of the Native Americans and to glorify and vindicate Puritans’ religious beliefs." (Brady). Brady's quote brings me to my next point about the freedom of their speech in that these humans can not only say what they want, but can bend the truth about it. In reading the rest of Rowlandson's captivity narrative, it turns out that the Native Americans kept her well fed and she was returned to her people after a war with the Whites came to an end. This literary work led me to an interest in the works of these Native Americans and their perspective.

That being said, I decided to have my slave human read me "Reply of the Stung Serpent" by Stung Serpent. Stung Serpent was the last chief of the last Natchez tribe, and in this short speech, eventually published in "The History of Louisiana" by Antoine Le Page Du Pratz, Stung Serpent pleads with the French people, who invaded his lands to be reasonable. Stung Serpent states "In fine, before the arrival of the French we lived like men who can be satisfied with what they have; whereas at this day we are like slaves who are not suffered to do as they please." (Serpent). I will now quote another human that I let live. "The big difference I found between the Native American speeches and the other writings written by various colonists is that the Native Americans really seem to still hold some respect for the English colonists whereas the other colonist writings only seem to condemn the Native Americans as being evil." (Mulhollam). This quote helps reinforce my idea that when the Native Americans appeal to the Colonists it is a plea, and when the COlonists appeal to the Native Americans, it is a demand. I found the work of Stung Serpent later published by Du Pratz particularly interesting because Du Pratz is a Frenchman, and published works against his own countrymen. If I did that on planet Felidae, I would surely expect a couple of claws to the face. The fact that a Native American can have works published by a Frenchman speaking ill of the French, which would later be translated into English where the Native Americans were despised, truly is free speech.

Not only is the way their literary works are written and distributed unique, but the freedom in the use of meter, verse, prose, and other devices that make language interesting is truly remarkable. The last piece of literary work I had my human slave read me before I disposed of him was "The Prologue" by Anne Bradstreet. In this poem (apparently a poem is a writing that is usually rhythmic, and rhythm means a repeated pattern. Haha silly humans and their words. I'll stick to string. Anyways...) Bradstreet says "Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are/Men have precedency and still excel,/It is but vain unjustly to wage war;/Men can do best, and women know it well." (ll. 36-40).  Bradstreet uses these nifty language devices, and in 4 lines says a lot more than the amount of text suggests. Line 36 uses a simile, showcasing the difference between the Greeks and women. The Greeks were the great thinkers of the past, and the what the humans know of the Greeks, all the writings and discoveries made relevant by greeks, all came from men. Bradstreet is saying let the men have their ideals about life and poetry and let women have their own because it just might teach you something. In line 40, Bradstreet uses my favorite tool in the English language, called sarcasm. Sarcasm is a bitter remark that employs irony, and irony is "The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect" (Google). (Again, I LOL at the humans and their use of words to get to the point of what another word means) Anyway, in line 40, Bradstreet says men can do it best and that women know it, but she DOESN'T REALLY THINK THAT! Haha...She's being sarcastic! Get it? I love that. The best part about this poem being so great is that it was written by a women, who apparently at the time (and some might even argue presently) weren't as respected as the men for some odd reason? It boggles the mind. Anyway, to quote another silly human "Her words may be plain, and lacking in the ornamental and over-the-top style of the male metaphysical poets, but they are true and wholesome." (Brady). Bradstreet wrote with such eloquence at a time where women had few rights compared to men, and her freedom in her words was very inspiring for generations of female poets to come. It were actions such as these that served as a base for the changes that would come in the future of America here on earth.

Well Felix, I grow sleepy and seek a warm laptop to nap on. I hope that these literary works I have explained helped you to understand the way life is here on earth. It is the writings like these that allow me to write you this letter in the first place. These Americans went on to write something called the constitution, which laid out the rights for all their citizens, and they made freedom of speech part of the very first part. Even in the 18th century, this ideal was laid out right away to guide all of their people, and believe me, I have learned that it is a very precious gift to speak as you please. It has contributed to open and closed mindedness, sparked countless debates, and created many other laws, all because these Americans can say what they want. Beautiful. I shall return to Felidae after many naps on these warm laptops, as we dont have them at home (Seriously, why don't we have these?"

Salutations, 

Wisecat

P.S.-Mroooooooow