The question I am answering in this 800 word essay is – how do both texts, “Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice and “The Raven Steals the Light” is a Haida tale – provide answers and teach us “How do we behave as good relatives?” The essay will focus on similarities, using an Indigenous literary theory.
Essay needs to be expanded and not AI generated.
Survival is not just about an individual strength but rather the strength of a community and the preservation of Indigenous traditions. “Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice is about an Anishinaabe community that needs to come together if they are to survive the chaos happening in their world. “The Raven Steals the Light” is a Haida tale about a Raven’s journey to bring light into the world, which has an impact on the entire community. Both “Moon of the Crusted Snow” and “The Raven Steals the Light” provide knowledge on how to be a good relative by focusing on the importance of community and respect.
In “The Raven Steals the Light,” the actions of the Raven significantly impact the entire community, underscoring the interconnectedness of individuals within a collective. The Raven’s quest to steal the light and bring it to the world transforms not only his life but the lives of all creatures. This tale highlights the ripple effect of individual actions within a community, teaching that every member’s behavior affects the collective well-being. Similarly, “Moon of the Crusted Snow” portrays a community’s reliance on collective effort for survival during a crisis. As the modern world collapses around them, the Anishinaabe community bands together, relying on their shared knowledge and unity. The novel underscores that in times of adversity, the strength of a community lies in its members’ willingness to support one another. Both narratives stress that the actions of individuals resonate within the community, illustrating the vital role of interconnectedness in behaving as good relatives.
Respect for both the environment and cultural practices is a recurring theme in “The Raven Steals the Light” and “Moon of the Crusted Snow.” The Haida tale illustrates a profound respect for the natural world and its forces, as the Raven’s interactions with the sun, moon, and stars reflect a deep understanding of their significance. This respect for nature teaches that good relatives honor the natural world, recognizing its integral role in sustaining life. In “Moon of the Crusted Snow,” respect for traditions and elders is emphasized as the community navigates the crisis. Elders’ wisdom and traditional knowledge become crucial for survival, highlighting the importance of honoring cultural heritage. The novel illustrates that respect for cultural practices and those who uphold them is vital for maintaining community cohesion and resilience. Both texts convey that being a good relative involves honoring and respecting both the environment and cultural traditions, ensuring the continuity and harmony of the community.
In conclusion, “The Raven Steals the Light” and “Moon of the Crusted Snow” provide profound insights into how to behave as good relatives through their emphasis on community and respect. The interconnectedness of individuals within a collective and the need to respect both the environment and cultural practices are central themes in both narratives. These teachings, rooted in Indigenous literary traditions, offer valuable lessons for contemporary society, reminding us that the well-being of our communities depends on our ability to act as responsible, respectful, and interconnected relatives
|
Concluding Paragraph |
|
Restate thesis: Restate points of comparison: Give an opinion or a realization (but don’t use “I”): |
Tips for essays:
- do not use the words but or so
- never start a sentence with This
- do not use first person pronouns
- do not reference your quote by saying “this quote shows”, “in this quote”, “through this quote” etc. The word quote should not be in your essay at all.
The Raven Steals the Light Native American (Haida)A long time ago, an old man lived in a house
on the bank of a river with his only child, a daughter. At that time the whole world was dark. Inky, pitchy dark, blacker than a thousand stormy winter midnights, blacker than anything anywhere has been since. The reason for this darkness had to do
with the old man in the house by the river, who had a box which contained many other boxes, each nested in a box slightly larger than itself until finally there was a box
so small it contained all the light in the universe.
There was a raven who didn’t like the darkness so much, since it led to an awful lot of blundering around and bumping into things, and slowed him down a good deal in his pursuit of food and
troublemaking.
Eventually, he found his way
to the home of the old man. As he walked by, he heard a little
song voice coming from it. When
he followed the voice, he found
himself at the wall of the house, and
there, placing his ear against the it,
he could just make out the words,
“I have a box and inside the box is
another box and inside it are many
more boxes, and in the smallest
box of all is all the light in the world, and it is all mine and I’ll never give any of it to anyone, not even to my daughter.” It took only an instant for the raven to decide to steal the light for himself.
The raven thought and thought about how he could enter the house. Finally, he found the solution to his problem. He waited until the young woman, whose footsteps he could now tell from those of her father, went to the river to gather water. Then he changed
himself into a single hemlock needle, dropped himself into the river and floated down just in time to be caught in the basket that the girl was dipping in the river.
Even as a hemlock needle, the raven was able to make at least a little magic – enough to make the girl thirsty she took a big drink from the basket, and in doing so, swallowed the needle. The raven slithered down deep into her warm insides and found a soft, comfortable spot, where he transformed himself into a very small human being, and he went to sleep for a long while. As he slept, he grew.
The girl didn’t know what was happening to her, and her father didn’t notice anything unusual because it was so dark. Weeks later, he suddenly noticed another person in the house: the raven had turned himself into a human boy. He was – or would have been, if anyone could have seen him – a strange-looking boy, with a long beaklike nose and a few feathers here and there. In addition, he had the shining eyes of a raven, which would have given his face a bright, inquisitive appearance – if anyone could have seen it.
And he was noisy. He had a cry that contained all the noises of a spoiled child and an angry raven – yet he could sometimes speak as softly as the wind in the hemlock boughs.
As time went on, the old man grew to love this strange new member of his household and spent many hours playing with
him, making him toys and inventing games for him. As the old man began
to trust him, the raven continued his search for the box of light. After
much looking, he was convinced it was kept in the big box which stood in
the corner of the house. One day he cautiously lifted the lid, but of course
could see nothing – all he could feel was another box.
He went to his new grandfather and begged him to let him have the biggest box. That box, the raven said, was the one thing he needed to make him truly happy. As most grandparents do, the old man gave in and gave his grandchild the outermost box. This pleased the boy for a short time – but as grandchildren do, the raven soon demanded the next box.
It took many days, with many well-planned tantrums, but one by one the boxes were removed. When only a few were left, a strange radiance, never before seen, began to infuse the darkness of the house, revealing dim shapes and their shadows. The raven then begged in his most pitiful voice to be allowed to hold the light for just a moment. His grandfather first would not let him, but soon gave in. The old man lifted the light, in the form of a beautiful bright ball, from the box and tossed it to his grandson.
He had only a glimpse of the child, for even as the light was traveling toward him, the child changed from his human form to a huge black shadow, wings spread and beak open, waiting, The raven snapped up the light in his jaws, thrust his great wings downward and shot through the smokehole of the house into the darkness.
The world was at once transformed. Mountains and valleys were starkly silhouetted, the rover sparkled with broken reflections, and everywhere life began to stir. The raven flew on, proud of his new possession, admiring the effect it had on the world below. He was having such a good time that he didn’t see the eagle that was coming toward him until it was almost too late. In a panic he swerved to escape it, and in doing so he dropped a good half of the light he was carrying. It fell to the rocky ground below and there broke into pieces – one large piece and too many small ones to count. They bounced back into the sky and remain there even today as the moon and stars that glorify the night.
The eagle chased the raven beyond the edge of the world, and there, tired from the long chase, the raven finally let go of his piece of light. It floated gently on
the clouds and started up over the mountains lying to the east and still travels across the sky as the sun.