The World On The Turtle's Back Analysis

The novel “The Back of the Turtle” by Thomas King is relevant to Canada in both present day and history. Through the setting, characters and theme the story is portrayed in a way that makes it sound like a calamitous prediction for the future of Canada’s treasured natural world. Riddled with corporate greed and environmental disaster, the story follows those involved and affected by the catastrophe that destroyed Samaritan Bay. His lifelike characters are tangled with labyrinthine emotions that add another layer of complexity to the story. In my opinion, the novel “The Back of the Turtle” by Thomas King is a great novel because of the depth of storytelling that the author can achieve, and deserves to be recognised as a “Great Canadian Novel”.

The United States of America is a big, powerful and wealthy country in the world. The diversity of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the embellishments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. America has been formed upon them, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single means in common; a single concept; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple theory; success.

Native American myths consist of many folklore stories that all are similar, yet different. One type of folktale is the creation myth written by the Iroquois, The World on the Turtle’s Back. It tells about the world and how it was created. Another type of folktale is a trickster tale, Coyote and the Buffalo, which tells the story of an arrogant, greedy coyote and a big buffalo. While both stories have their similarities, they also have their differences.

America still to this day holds on to the idea of the “American Dream”. This is rather surprising in today’s society and the ups and downs that the nation is facing. The dream in the past was more about freedom and equality. Moving through the decades, this dream has morphed into something quite different. Instead of what America means for all of its inhabitants, the nation has become more individualized. Society has moved to interpret the dream of what America can do for the one. Instead of the unified nation, America has been known for in the past, a shift has started creating an inconsistency in who can realize the dream. The myth of the “American Dream” has been hugely affected by increased materialism, the gap in economic status, and the fantasy of “rags to riches” idea.

2) Although the main concept of this myth was to tell how the good and the evil evolved, it also shared many other ideas on how life was created. For example, it showed how animals such as the deer and the bear were made to make balance in the world. Without the good and the bad our earth wouldn't function because balance is needed for everything to work properly. Americans’ beliefs differ from the Iroquois’ because we believe that in the end, the good will always prevail. Meanwhile, the Iroquois think that the good and the bad are almost created equal because both are needed to make the universe run smoothly.

In both stories the man and the wife are the first couple and Adam and Eve are the first couple in the Bible. In “The World On The Turtle's Back” the wife wanted some bark from the tree, when the husband thought it was a bad idea. The wife ended up falling or was pushed by her husband down to the underworld. She ended up making another world underneath the world. However in the Bible Adam and Eve ate the apple from the tree when God was telling them not to. They both were punished by getting thrown out of the garden and eventually would die. Both of these stories have many

"I am sad that you had this dream. It is clearly a dream of great power and, as is our way, when one has such a powerful dream we must do all we can to make it true. The Great Tree must be uprooted." (Turtles Back) Native Americans did not have any way such of writing. So the elders taught the youth and eachother stories and life lessons by word of mouth. The Native Americans depended on nature to survive so much so that their way of life was depicted by nature. The sources When Grizzlies walked upright (source A), World on Turtles Back (Source B), and Navajo (Source C) all depict their way of life and nature in a common way. Source A was about the Sky Chief moving from the sky to the Earth which he creates yet at the same time, some of his creations like the Grizzle Bear symbolizes rules and culture. Source B represents determination and life. Source C represents life and strength. Although, Sources A, B, and C depict the Native Americans different views of life, they all show how nature has a part in them.

American literature has evolved greatly from the Native Americans to 1870’s. American literature has changed, it teaches us how we have become more independent ourselves. The World on a Turtle’s Back, a myth, The Scarlet Letter, a book in a puritan setting, and A Rose for Emily is a southern gothic story. American literature would not be the same today without these forms of writing. The teachings from these are passed down generation to generation.

As children, we grow up believing that we can do anything, be anything. The world is our playground, and we were free to imagine our future. Consequently, this imagination and boundless opportunities is what draws so many to the ideals of the American Dream. The unwavering hope that anything can be achieved through determination and a tireless work-ethic. The common misconception is once we have attained the dream, the luxuries will come soon after.

While the motivation of the American Dream may be materialistic or moralistic, it is based on the sole property of opportunity. As shared by Martin C. Jischke in “The American Dream,” “the American dream is the ‘dream of a land…with opportunity for each according to the ability or achievement’” (75). Because the qualities of an individual are unique, the measurement of success varies. Improvement in any sense must be sparked by a window of hope at a richer life. The American Dream is easily attainable when paired with opportunity and a strong work ethic. Without the necessary investment of time and labor, the skill sets and knowledge of those working towards the American Dream are laid to waste.

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

The forty-first president of the United States, George W. H. Bush, once said, “The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something…” As the years fly by, so does the American Dream. With busy lives, many Americans tend to forget the purpose of the American Dream. Failing to make ends meet, not being able to afford the new iPhone and the lack of success that is not America’s fault. People create their successes and failures based on what they desire. Through a person creating their own definition, not quitting once things go wrong, and creating opportunities the American Dream still floods the streets of America today.

The American Dream has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. It has become a foundation of ideals and hopes for any American or immigrant. Specifically, one of the ideals that always exist is the dream of America free of class distinction. Every American hopes for a society where every person has the opportunity to be whomever he or she desire. Another ideal in the American dream is the drive to improve the quality of life. As one’s idea of the American Dream gets closer and closer, often times political and social ideals of America cause their American Dream to take a turn for the worst.

“The American Dream” is advertised as being the act of a person having an idea, goal, or as the saying suggests, a dream, and then them spending time, energy, and money to make it come true. However, if you haven’t realized it yet, there’s a reason they call it a dream because it hardly becomes a reality. More and more people are realizing this so called “dream” is nothing but a hoax, and that the promises America assures and guarantees such as equal opportunity and equal success are nothing but pure manipulation. Furthermore, the American dream no longer stands by the virtue of discrimination and prejudice, overwhelming debt, and failed establishments.

The United States of America is the most powerful and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The