Dances with Wolves Essay
Dances with Wolves is a story of a white man from the US army who chooses to live in the frontier. After months of living their he befriends the local Sioux Indians. He not only befriends but becomes one of them, being accepted as their own. The story reflects this mans encounters with the Indians, and the respect he gives them.
Their is a lot of imagery through the use of animals in this film. In the first scene while he is galloping in front the enemy line he gives the effect of flying while on the horse. He is in some sort of trance, moving from one world to another. He's is letting the horse guide him through this divine moment. The soldier is awarded the horse for this act of heroism during the battle. The horse is soon a trusted companion. Upon arrival at the fort he encounters another spiritual moment.
A drowned buck in the water adjacent to the fort. He is first scared at what he sees but later retrieves and burns it. In a huge bonfire in which he burns all the remains of the fort. After some time of living at this abandoned fort he experiences his first encounter of with an outsider. It's a wolf, his first reaction is to shoot it. He, for some reason, decides not to proceed in this act of barbarism and the wolf continues to visit. Besides the killing of buffalo and other background scenes of animals these three are the most significant. I believe the horse was his courier, of release, of freedom, or maybe escape from the old ways. The horse delivers him to the frontier to his destiny of being a Sioux. The deer is the soldier. The soldier before the frontier, a strong buck drowned in the world surrounding him. He encounters it within the first few days at the fort. When he burns the buck he is cleansing his soul and making his first step away from the white man. This is also highlighted when the merchant he traveled out with is killed by the Pawnee. This merchant was to supposed let 'them' know the soldier was out their. The wolf, Two Socks, is introduced nearly in the next scene. Two socks represents his new being. That is why he stops himself mid aim during his first encounter with him. That is also why he does not react, or shoot at, the hostel Wind in his Hair, during their first meeting. In the first incounters the soldier is very calm with the Indians. He notices they don't represent the lazy, hostile people rumored to be. Towards the end of the movie Dances with Wolves returns to the fort to retrieve his journal. This journal represents the last bit of white man left in him. He arrives at the now occupied fort is thought to be 'injun'. The soldiers shoot and kill his horse. Because the horse was his courier this symbolizes the fact that he shall never return to the world he once lived in. He now not only looks Sioux but now it's in his soul. The death of two socks represents the future of the whole Indian race as well as Dances with Wolves.
This movie shows that not every single white man was against the Indians. It also shows how the Indians were more acceptable to the white man rather then visa-versa. When he does return to the old fort the soldiers have to bring him back. As if he did something wrong. This is ironic because he was a decorated soldier somewhat forgotten in the frontier. The army seems to only care about him when he seems valuable as a spy. Their must have been deserters from the Union. I'm sure some white men got accepted as Indians in different tribes. In the case of Dances with Wolves the army deserted him before he left the army.
Their is a lot of imagery through the use of animals in this film. In the first scene while he is galloping in front the enemy line he gives the effect of flying while on the horse. He is in some sort of trance, moving from one world to another. He's is letting the horse guide him through this divine moment. The soldier is awarded the horse for this act of heroism during the battle. The horse is soon a trusted companion. Upon arrival at the fort he encounters another spiritual moment.
A drowned buck in the water adjacent to the fort. He is first scared at what he sees but later retrieves and burns it. In a huge bonfire in which he burns all the remains of the fort. After some time of living at this abandoned fort he experiences his first encounter of with an outsider. It's a wolf, his first reaction is to shoot it. He, for some reason, decides not to proceed in this act of barbarism and the wolf continues to visit. Besides the killing of buffalo and other background scenes of animals these three are the most significant. I believe the horse was his courier, of release, of freedom, or maybe escape from the old ways. The horse delivers him to the frontier to his destiny of being a Sioux. The deer is the soldier. The soldier before the frontier, a strong buck drowned in the world surrounding him. He encounters it within the first few days at the fort. When he burns the buck he is cleansing his soul and making his first step away from the white man. This is also highlighted when the merchant he traveled out with is killed by the Pawnee. This merchant was to supposed let 'them' know the soldier was out their. The wolf, Two Socks, is introduced nearly in the next scene. Two socks represents his new being. That is why he stops himself mid aim during his first encounter with him. That is also why he does not react, or shoot at, the hostel Wind in his Hair, during their first meeting. In the first incounters the soldier is very calm with the Indians. He notices they don't represent the lazy, hostile people rumored to be. Towards the end of the movie Dances with Wolves returns to the fort to retrieve his journal. This journal represents the last bit of white man left in him. He arrives at the now occupied fort is thought to be 'injun'. The soldiers shoot and kill his horse. Because the horse was his courier this symbolizes the fact that he shall never return to the world he once lived in. He now not only looks Sioux but now it's in his soul. The death of two socks represents the future of the whole Indian race as well as Dances with Wolves.
This movie shows that not every single white man was against the Indians. It also shows how the Indians were more acceptable to the white man rather then visa-versa. When he does return to the old fort the soldiers have to bring him back. As if he did something wrong. This is ironic because he was a decorated soldier somewhat forgotten in the frontier. The army seems to only care about him when he seems valuable as a spy. Their must have been deserters from the Union. I'm sure some white men got accepted as Indians in different tribes. In the case of Dances with Wolves the army deserted him before he left the army.
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