Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Realism Project- "I Will Fight No More Forever"

"I Will Fight No More Forever" is an incredibly sad and depressing piece of literature in which Chief Joseph is finally giving up and giving in. Chief Joseph was the chief of the Nez Perce, who were threatened by the government and began fighting with U.S. armies after members of the tribe attacked a group of white settlers ("Meet" 531). All Chief Joseph really wanted to do was to return his tribe back home so they could be with their families and avoid fighting and conflict; however, too many had died or fallen ill, and return was becoming more and more realistic in their eyes ("Meet" 531). In "I Will Fight No More Forever," Chief Joseph writes that, basically, he is just tired of fighting (Chief 533). He wants to go home, he wants to find his children, and he wants to relax and just be able to enjoy the rest of his life. However, he knows that this will most likely not happen, since the chances of survival alone are slim. He is incredibly upset because of the death of two other chiefs who were close to him, along with the death of his brother. He also really does not know where his family is or even if they are still alive (Chief 533). Basically, Chief Joseph is realizing the reality of what is happening and what will most likely happen to him, and this reality depresses him deeply (Chief 533).

Realism is quite prominent in this work. As previously mentioned, the reality of the entire situation seems to have caught up to Chief Joseph, and an utter wave of sadness, depression, and despair seems to overwhelm him (Chief 533). By expressing the reality that he lives in, as well as making it easily relatable for a reader, Realism can easily be seen within the passage (Diamond). Although a chief, Native Americans were not necessarily looked highly upon, so Chief Joseph was most likely a middle class citizen who is trying his hardest to act as a hero for his tribe, himself, and his children, which again is an example of Realism (Diamond).

Regionalism is also briefly shown in the passage. Although Chief Joseph is really the only person focused on in the writing, readers can infer the situation that he is in. Their dialect is prevalent; the names of his peers as well as his own name are an example of that. The real name of Chief Joseph, Minmaton Yalaktit, means "Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain" ("Meet" 531). His peers were named Looking Glass and Too Hul Hul Suit (Chief 533). This alone is different than the names of typical people; it is obvious that their dialect and the way they name people or refer to people is much different than the norm. This proves that Regionalism is being expressed (Werlock). The setting is also given; Chief Joseph speaks of the children freezing to death because of the cold weather and the adults dying of sickness and hunger (Chief 533). This allows readers to see the awful environment these people lived in, and it allows one to relate to the story in a better way. Although a very small passage, "I Will Fight No More Forever" is a sad yet all too realistic work of literature that exemplifies both Realism and Regionalism.

WORKS CITED

Chief Joseph. "I Will Fight No More Forever." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 533. Print.

"Meet Chief Joseph." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 531. Print.

Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "realism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= GEWW480&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 28, 2011).

Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 13, 2011).

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