Chapter 3, "Let Me Entertain You"
Please respond to one or more of the following prompts in 2-3 paragraphs.
- When you read this chapter, you'll know for sure that King has decided to begin all of the chapters of his book with the same basic structure. Why does he choose to repeat the same words/themes? What might he wish to emphasize by repeating this opening?
- How does the story of Ishi fit into the major themes of this chapter?
- Describe in your own words how European explorers (such as Columbus, de Caminha, and Cartier) viewed Native peoples when they first encountered them. How do their views and attitudes compare to those of the Puritans?
Afterwards, please comment on two of your peers' responses.
King tells you the same story every chapter over and over again because it tells you about earth and imagination. He says that he has heard that story a bunch of times but its always different but ends the same way because of the different ways and tones the story is told. He likes this story because he likes talking about the earth and imagination, and that story is about both of them.
ReplyDeleteStories make a community fun, because of the way storytelling is. It's different because of the voice they're told in. It reminds me of the old game telephone, because every time you hear the story, it can change a little bit each time. But, each chapter it does end the same way with the response to the audience members question.
Deletethis is exactly what i think. very well said
DeleteWhile I think him choosing this story revolves around his like for the earth and imagination that is not what he is trying to say in my opinion. He is trying to say that while the key elements of the stories remain the same, while certain aspects vary. Some of these aspects would be tone, audience reaction, location, order of events.
DeleteHe talked about stories changing but having the same main point that doesn't change. This is an example when it changes slightly in every chapter.
DeleteI remember reading that a story changes as it gets told over and over. The Story that he tells at the beginning of every chapter does get changed a little as it's told. This may be his way of showing how stories get changed
Delete(#1) Thomas King starts out every chapter with the earth floating on the back of a turtle in space. However, the storyteller, the location, and the audience member changes in each chapter. The response is always the same to the audience members question. His point to emphasize these themes is to say that no matter the story, the details can be different but can have similar responses, no matter who the narrator may be.
ReplyDeleteKing may wish to emphasize that storytelling is important to a community. Storytelling makes a community because no matter what happens, it's a story and will never change. Also, he may want to emphasize that stories never change drastically because only the audience, location, storyteller and some details may change. Whereas, the response will be similar. The theme of the earth riding on the turtle's back never changes. "But in all the tellings of all the tellers, the world never leaves the turtle's back."
I don't really agree. Although the response does stay the same, I think that the story can change drastically enough that in each different way the story is told that it can evoke such different thoughts,feelings, and meanings for everyone. So I think the littlest change in the way it's told orally can turn into a drastic change.
DeleteI agree with Emily in that each detail can change any story drastically.
Deletei dont think the response always stays the same. It is the way that the story teller tells it. Each time they do it the same to get the same response from someone but a bad story teller could tell the story and change the tone or the pace and make the story different and someone might not what to ask that. or if no one in the audience is curious about what is below the turtle
DeleteI agree that the small details arnt the important part, that the main idea is.
DeleteAlthough a main idea is important to a story I would say some of the small details are too. If a detail is changed completely it could give a different view of a character or another part of the story.
DeleteKing chooses to tell you the same story over and over again because it shows you the imagination of how the earth is. King says he knows this story very well because he's heard it so many time but when you read it in every chapter you see that the person and the place changes each time. The point of this is to show that no matter what the story you can always change details.
ReplyDeleteI agree Shelly. You can change details, but it still has the same response. Because the person always asks how many turtles there are, and the response is always the same, saying that its turtles all the way down, and the earth never leaves the turtles back.
DeleteSasha is right. The response is the same. The point of the turtles is an endless theory. The turtles never end, kinda like the galaxy expanding. Mainly change in details is unique to how people want to tell the story.
Deletei agree
DeleteEven though stories may seem very similar, they may be very different. The changes may be in the details or the order of events occur, it may even be in the words of the story, or how the audience responds to the story. Although small details like this are different, the theme is the same.
ReplyDeleteThomas kind discusses the earth floating on the back of a turtle in space, each time the location and the storyteller change, the person in the audience asking the questions also changes. The question the person asks the story teller and the response to that question remains the same. This emphasizes the point that the main idea and theme don't change , but the details can. King emphasizes that story telling is essential for society by doing this.
I agree Andrew. The stories are very similar, but they can also be very different, as long as the same point is made.
DeleteThe stories are similar I agree. We show the same point on how the main idea is the most important, rather then the small side details.
DeleteI like how you said that the story changes, and that they are different. Saying that the story doesn't change but the details can.
DeleteThis is what I thought.
Delete#1 -
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of each chapter remains similar because of it tells you the imagination of earth. It also changes as a result of every little different scene. For each person, for each place the story is told, the story changes. It means a different thing to each person that it is told to. The story is told the same, and the same question is asked. The emphasis put on this retelling of the story is that you may change the details as long as the story makes the same point.
your right because if you tell one story to different people it will mean something else to a person.
DeleteI agree it depends on how you tell it and how well the audience or readers get what is being said.
DeleteQuestion Three
ReplyDeleteWhen the Europeans arrived in American they either objectified the Natives or they thought of them negatively. They viewed them as objects by only valuing them for their skills such as trapping and being guides. The negative view that they formed was that just because they had a different culture they were stupid, immoral, and easily manipulated. Just because they didn't understand the Natives they made inaccurate assumptions.
Furthermore, they Puritans viewed the Natives as a threat in the various wars they were waging. Their forest and aboriginal life supposedly served as an indicator of the Devil's handiwork which made them an opponent in the fight between God's troops and the Devil's mercenaries. The second war that they were hindering was the war for land in the new world.
p.s. Can we PLEASE get some debate up in here?"I agree" as a reply to every post is slightly annoying and pretty boring. Just saying.
your right because the europeans saw them as a threat and tryed to take advantage of them
DeleteI disagree Emily with your first paragragh about the Europeans view on the Natives. I felt that they looked at them in a good manner. That they thought of them as hard workers, who had good potetntial. That is just my opinion.
DeleteI also disagree, the Europeans saw the Natives as very respectable people, in a positive view.
DeleteEmily Smith has a valid point, you both know actions speak louder then words. They did respect Indians the ones from India. Over time they realized that, they weren't the Indians they had in mined. GUYYYS see what I did there. Anyways it's hard to exactly get the right time period of Native American. Puritans was slightly right. Some Native American groups were very cruel. Apache for instance caused destruction across the southwest. Some like the Navajo, minded there own and tried not to get to hot headed. Trying to stay chill like a [penguin]. people want fame money or power, in a way wouldn't you take advantage of this once in ever chance to make some money? Be rich for the rest of your life. Not having to write on a blog for hours to try and go through the school system that is failing. To never have to worry about failing at a job. Or even understanding a concept that you are trying to learn. Well written Emily Gates.
Delete#3
ReplyDeletewhen Columbus first encountered them he said "these people there are poor in everything". Columbus saw them as good servants because he saw that they were fairly tall and well built. He also saw thought they would make good christians because he saw no sigm of any other religion. When Caminha saw indians he viewed them as very innocent because they walked around naked. Cartier viewed them as "gentle, good looking, quick witted people.
Puritans viewed the world at war. Puritans viewed the indians as a threeat to their land acquistions and thier war effort. Puritans compared them to animals and treated them and made them sound like savages. The attitudes are the same because they both though indians were nothing compared themselves.
He should have said*
Delete#3
ReplyDeleteWhen Columbis "found" the new world he came across what he thought was indians. He saw these people and they just looked at him just watching him and they stood there with no shame letting everything air out so to put it. Being European he wouldn't be used to this at all. Columbis thought to himself "these people look relativly strong and hard workers bet they would be preety good free labor workers."
The Puritans would see the Native Americans as the work of the devil and would see them as nothing more than a threat and an enemy to the Puritans and their religion. So they probly wouldn't go to the indian's Pow wows, shame there quite fun.
I like how you added humor to your response, it makes a rather dismal subject seem more cheery.
DeleteWhen the Europeans discovered the natives they didn’t know what to think. Most of the European country’s decided to wipe them out and/or recruit them to Christianity. Many civilizations in the Americas were destroyed because of this method by the Europeans. The Aztecs and Incas were great society’s, thriving in huge cities. Both were wiped out by the Spanish explorers. Many Indians were put into slavery if they weren’t wiped out. It was either summit to white supremacy and become a slave or die basically. The Europeans thought of the natives as savages, animals, wild beasts.
ReplyDeleteAlthough most Europeans did see the natives that way, some (such as the French) tried to live along with the natives. Learn about them and have peace between them. This idea wasn’t popular but there were some who did this. They even mated with some of the natives. Some country’s thought this was blasphemy and declared war on the countries who mated with the natives. Over all the natives were treated very poorly. At least when we had black slaves we didn’t try the wipe them out at first, like we did with Indians.
I tihnk this is a good summary of allt he different stories king told in this chapter about how indians were treated. It seems like you touched on everything he said.
Delete#1
ReplyDeleteKing Begins each Chapter with the same story to show that many people imagine the earth in many different ways. Wether it be biblical or spiritual belief. There is always a way that the earth can be imagined differently. For Example: The beginning of Chapter 3; The earth is on the back of a turtle, and that turtle is on a different turtle, so on and so forth. Then in Chapter 1; The story about Charm. Then the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Thanks for this i didn't see it this way but its a good point!
Deleteyou had some things i wish i had used
DeleteI'm not sure if I understand what you are saying exactly. Isn't the story of the turtle used in the beginning of each chapter? The town and character asking are different, but the earth is always on the back of a turtle, and that turtle is always above another turtle. It's always turtles all the way down.
DeleteI was going to reply with what Kim said.
DeleteIn this chapter King described how the European explorers viewed Indians in great depth. When European explorers first encountered Native Americans, King mentioned that they described the Natives in the same way. They were generally tall, well built, good looking, ect. A little later in the chapter it was revealed that the explorers saw the Natives as possible slaves.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans, however, had a completely different view of the Native Americans. Because the Puritans pretty much viewed every other religion as wrong and of the Devil, they didn't want any Native Americans in existence.
I agree with your first paragraph on what the Europeans thought of the Natives. I have similar adjectives, as how they were descibed.
Delete#3). In the eyes of the Europeans, Natives were viewved very positively. They were descibed as harmless people who were strong but gentle. The Europeans also stated that they seemed like good workers, with a good potential. However, it was later on when they started to think that it was a possibility that the Natives would also be good workers as slaves.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans on the other hand saw the Natives very differently. They were the outcome of the Devil. Completley threatening, and beastley people. The stories that the Pritans made up about the Natives were horrible, and gave them an even worse reputation.
I completely agree with you Emily.
DeleteI think what king Is trying to emphasize in the beginning of each chapter is just story telling. He Is in so many different places and he is hearing the same story over and over again. The story was given to the world and people are making it their own. Things in the story change because of the story teller, they can change tone, pace, order of events, a few small details but no matter how much they change it is still the same story with a turtle that never swims away ad the earth never leaving its back. No one can change that, The main events in the story stay the same while little details do, depending on the audience. In the first story king told us about charm he would add comments every now and then how he would change it depending on the audience like when charm was digging through the moon and fall out of the hole she dug.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing king repeats in each chapter is the ending. He says “take (insert name here) story, for instance. It’s yours. Do with it what you will. Tell it to friends. Turn it into a television movie. Forget it. But don’t say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. you’ve heard it now.” This is just as important as him retelling the same story at the beginning of each chapter. He has given you a story that you can retell in your own words how you invision it, you can do whatever you want with it. If you wanted you could forget it and move on with your life. Someone listened to those words and took the story of the turtle and made it their own at the beginning of each chapter
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Ishi fits into the major themes of this chapter because people thought Ishi was entertainment. Just like what King thinks about him not getting paid because he isn't an expert, "What are we, I wanted to know, entertainment?" For the story of Ishi people wanted to put him in the circus or some other ridiculous things like he was an object not a human being. The only people who really thought of Ishi as a person were the two anthropologists who gave him a place to stay and a job.
ReplyDeleteEuropean explorers saw Native people as "civil, good looking, gentle, quick witted." They saw them as very nice, respectable people other than the fact that they walked around in the nude. Jacques Cartier had been well treated by them but ironically complained that they were excellent thieves. The Puritans saw the natives with a completely opposite perspective. They believed they were only good for slaves or people of the Devil. They also thought that they didn't need the land they were on and they took it for themselves, for their people to live on.
Chapter 3
ReplyDeletequestion 1
Brodie Jackson
At the beginning of each chapter you notice king starts each one with the same story . The story is about the earth being on the back of a turtle. He uses this story in each chapter because he is showing how the story is passed down from generation to generation. He shows how the story stays the same except for some of the details.
(#1) well you see the general opening stays the same but if you look very closely you have noticed things have changed for instance the first chapter it was in prince rupert where a little girl had asked the question. the second Chapter it was a little boy in Lethbridge and the third has a woman in peterborough. there even may have been small changes that i have missed its just proving his point that telling the story can be based on who tells it where it was and how people react to it and over time the story may change just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteDescribe in your own words how European explorers (such as Columbus, de Caminha, and Cartier) viewed Native peoples when they first encountered them. How do their views and attitudes compare to those of the Puritans?
ReplyDeleteWith history I try not to believe anything. There is an old saying "When fact becomes legend, print the legend." And the other good one. "his-Story" Columbus Day is not celebrated in the west at all. That should sum up most of the thoughts of people about Columbus. I really think Columbus wanted to befriend Native Americans so he could make some money. I hate talking about this because WE will never know what they really though. The nice side of me wants to think they really want to respect the Natives, yet I didn't see any of the stand up for them when they were got taken advantage of. Lets pretend Columbus was nice and kind and respected them. Puritans would be totally opposite he must of thought that Natives were savage beings that had no point in living. Therefore they are better off dead.
Oh, Mike. I love you, I do, but sometimes I just don't know how your mind works. I get what you're saying, but perhaps you could have also included some of what the chapter said about European explorers and the Puritans.
DeleteWe were too good for Columbus anyways Mike.
Delete#1
ReplyDeleteKing tells the same story over and over about the turtle and the earth. Every time he tells about the story things are different. It is different in who tells the story, where the story is being told, and the different audience it is being told to. He starts with the same story because it shows how stories change but the message is still the same.
King may wish to emphasize that a story is what a person makes of it. The story is meant to be told differently and by different people. The story may be passed down by generations and change slightly but the premise of the story is still there. He may also want to emphasize how important stories are to people.
I did the same question,and answered similarly. We both say how he is just changing little details each time.
Delete#1
ReplyDeleteRepeating words and general themes relates to stories in themselves. In the first few pages, King mentions how stories are always different; character names, level of detail, tone, voice, audience reaction, etc. Him starting chapters in the same way reiterates this concept. Each part uses similar, but not identical wording. Each chapter uses a different character, but conveys the same message.
The relation between King's ideas of the stories and how he writes makes one really think about what he is saying. His introductions are a perfect textual example of the point on which he focuses.
Conclusions wrap up in a similar manner. They all end by saying "take ____'s story, for example. Do with it what you will... But don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now". The examples of what to do with the story vary, but with each, the reader gets the same message. Starting with the turtles, we hear the stressed importance of oral story. Ending as he does emphasizes how stories are to be shared and used at will, but focuses especially on how you can't say you would have lived any differently had you not heard the story. You chose what to do with what you hear, and that is what is most important.
#1
ReplyDeleteI believe that by repeating the same intro for every chapter, he gives it more meaning. He says the story changes slightly everytime it is told. At the begining of every chapter, the story is slightly different. It shows the point that every story gets changed over time. It could be a minor change, or a major. He tells the same story at the begining of every chapter to allow you to see the diffferences.
By doing this he emphasizes not only the stoory, but the point that the small details are not the important part. The important part is the theme of the story, the tone, and how you preseant a story. I think Kings repetition is a perfect way for him to change the small details. At first i wasnt sure if the chapter begingings were right, but by the third i saw that they were all slightly different. By doing this King shows that stories change from person to person.
#1)
ReplyDeleteKing starts off with the same story each time to set a point. In the begining of the first chapter of the book, King explains the basics of a story. He talks about how stories are all the same,but can be told so many different ways.Sometimes its in whos telling it,sometimes its tone,sometimes people change little details.
He uses the same story each time to go off of the details that every same story,is different.He changes a place, and a character each time. Its almost to show how its the same story, but yet its different from the few minor changes in the way he's telling it.
I like how you worded that, how he words it differently each time, and changing the tone. I agree.
DeleteI am responding to the third question. The question is to describe in my own words how European explorers viewed Native peoples when they first encountered them, and how do their views and attitudes compare to those of Puritans. The explorers saw the indians as crazy and not being organized. They also thought that the indians seemed dangerous for reasons I don't know.
ReplyDeleteThese explorers went back to Europe telling these tales about what they thought about the indians and made everyone thinking that indians were wierd dangerous creatures that don't deserve respect. This then made it worse for the indians when all these new settlers from Europe came to America with a pre idea of these indians and made them scared and ready to attack these indians. Also saw these indians as very stupid and the new settlers being superior the indians in their own land.
#2. How does the story of Ishi fit into the major themes of this chapter?
ReplyDeleteWhen King starts explaining how Ishi, the Indian that was unexpectedly found near death after escaping a killing spree and allover mess of his home, he goes on about how he was segregated, put into jail because the town didn't know what else to do with him, but ultimately got offered a job, and home. He accepted and was thrown into the much different world than what he was used to. civilization. Ishi had to adapt to his new lifestyle. He started riding Trolleys, observing doctors, working and otherwise acting completely American. He had no other choice, he had no where else to go. No home, no family. Just himself. He had to change.
I think King told Ishi's story because it pretty much concluded what was happening to Indians throughout history because of the white man. King said that Indian's were always considered a dying breed, said to need to either adapt or die. Survival of the fittest.
Indian's became separated into two groups. They were either well adjusted, educated and productive members of society, or stayed in tribes, stayed out of the way and stayed completely in tune with their culture. Ishi was a good example of an Indian becoming "main stream", becoming what he needed to to survive, like so many others have had to do in the past.
King uses the same story to start off each chapter to show how to tell the same story in different ways. He never changes the main topic but rather uses different tones and changes minor details to show the different way of changing the story but keeping the main idea all the time. king changes little minor details to show how the same story can be told many different ways. King always uses the turtle story to begin each chapter but changing the people in it to make each one a little different for the audiences reaction.
ReplyDeleteKing starts the chapter off the same way to say that all stories are alike but are told differently when different people tell the story. He starts the chapters the same but makes small changes to show how a story can be told differently. I think King is trying to show that there are many ways to tell the same story.
ReplyDeleteKing chooses to repeat the same words and themes to get a point across. The point is that stories stay the same but some details can change. In the beginning of the chapter there was always the story about the earth being on the turtles back. The place where he told the story and the person who asked about the turtles changed.
ReplyDeleteI think he wants to emphasize that stories will always be told but they will change slightly. Different people might tell it different ways. They might forget a part or change it to make it "better" but the main point of the story will remain the same.
#3
ReplyDeleteThe explorers opinions of the natives generally reflected their intentions and reasons for exploring the new world. Explorers like Columbus, Francis Drake, and Caminha who had sailed to the new world looking for wealth had often time left the better reviews of the Natives. All three of these explorers described Indians as innocent people without knowledge of evil. The worst of these reviews being made by Francis Drake when he expresses his concern over how much influence the devil might have over them, but he is merely saying that because the Indians had no knowledge of Catholicism. Explorers who were exploring for prestige left negative reviews of the natives. Cartier said the natives were great thieves, while Amerigo said the Indians were indecent and cannibalistic. They are only saying these things for fame. Look at Samuel De Champlain, he often told stories of him fighting off and defeating thousands of Indians by himself with nothing but his trusty musket by his side. Though we know this story is made up, it probably made him famous back in Europe. That is why explorers left negative reviews about the Indians, so they could tell stories about fierce battles with a bunch of cannibals. The Puritans had a greatly different view than the explorers. They full out believed that natives were the enemies of god, and set out on trying to mass exterminate an entire race of people simply because they didn't build houses or know who Jesus was. All the reviews made by the explorers and Puritans often reflect their own interest and in most cases weren't true.
#1
ReplyDeleteKing tells the same story at the beginning of every chapter to show that it has the same concept but is told differently. They all mean the same thing, just told differently.
I think King wishes to emphasize that the same story isn't always going to be told by the same person, in the same way. People could forget parts or change parts.
"same concept" wish I included this idea.
DeleteWhen you read this chapter, you'll know for sure that King has decided to begin all of the chapters of his book with the same basic structure. Why does he choose to repeat the same words/themes? What might he wish to emphasize by repeating this opening?
ReplyDeleteKing picked this story to start all of the chapters because instead of explaining something like racism or how stories control our lives he wanted a story that was both simple and complex at the same time. Simple by explaing how the Earth is where it is, complex by trying to show a deeper meaning. King chose a story that was first told to explain something that was not understood at the time and demonstrates how powerful the story is.
Chapter3 Q1: He repeats it because he says himself that he sees the same story a different way each time it's told. And he is retelling that part of the story to be able to allow the readers to try and notice something different or to find a deeper meaning to the story. He wishes to emphasize his own feelings by trying to allow you to feel the same way.
ReplyDelete