Alyssa Perez

Eng 328
Novak
2/19/14
Taming America's Musangs! T"e #reaking o$ a Peo%le
T"ey run& 'il( an( $ree& racing "e sun across "e en(less sky $rom "e secon( i %eeks a)ove
"e "orizon "e "e minue i (isa%%ears un(er "e sars* T"ey "ave no rules& no "ome& no )oun(aries&
)u "e "orizon* T"eir "ome is 'i"in eac" o"er& an( "ey 'an(er "e vas %lains a "eir leisure conen
in eac" o"ers com%any* + seems "ey are a %ar o$ "e 'in(& an( one canno ame "e 'in(* ,r so i
'as iniially "oug"* T"e American Musang& "oug" once a )eaui$ul %iece o$ "e -es& 'as .uickly
seen )y "e /0 1overnmen as a nuisance an( (eal 'i" accor(ingly* T"is )eaui$ul animal 'as
%rom%ly roun(e( u% an( ame(& $or "e )eermen o$ sociey* T"e ragic sory o$ "e American
Musang %arallels ano"er& $ar 'orse& rage(y o$ "e aming o$ "e Naive Peo%le* Muc" like "e
Musang& "e Naive Americans )ecame seen as a nuisance an( "us "a( o )e (eal 'i" accor(ingly*
T"e relaions"i% )e'een "e aming o$ "e American Musang an( "e civilizing o$ "e Naive
Americans is seen in Naive American 2ieraure an(& more s%eci$ically& is (iscusse( in 3'Arcy Nickle's
The Surrounded. Nickle uses "e sym)olic e4am%le o$ an age( )ay mare& '"ic" Arc"il(e (es%eraely
ries o "el%& as a mea%"or $or "e 'ay "e /nie( 0aes 1overnmen rie( o "el% civilize "e Naive
%eo%le an( ra(iions* T"is mea%"or is im%eraive )ecause i re$lecs various "emes 'i"in "e novel
suc" as! "e con$lic )e'een mo(ern an( naive culure& (esrucion cause( )y %ri(e& an( (ea"*
T"roug" "e mea%"orical use o$ an age( )ay mare& %arallels )e'een "e American Musang
an( "e Naive Americans 'ere illusrae(* T"ese %arallels are im%oran )ecause "ey sugges "e
animalisic 'ay "a "e Naive %eo%le 'ere reae(* T"eir sories are similar! "ey 'ere a %ar o$ "e
lan( )e$ore "e -"ie man& "e came an( (eeme( "em a nuisance& "ey 'ere "en "er(e( u% a'ay $rom
"eir "omes an( relocae( o sui "e -"ie man* ,nce in "eir ne' locaions& "ey 'ere $orce( o
assimilae o "e -"ie man's culure* 5or "e Musangs "is mean )eing )roken in o )e ri((en an( o
'ork $or "im* 5or "e Naive %eo%le i 'as a (i$$eren kin( o$ )reaking& )u )reaking never"eless*
T"ey 'ere raine( o 'ork $or "e -"ie man as 'ell an( o 'ors"i% "is 1o(* #o" "e Musang an(
"e Naive %eo%le los "emselves 'i"in "e -"ie culure* An( al"oug" "e age( )ay mare in "e
novel 'as a reire( ranc" "orse& i is very likely "a s"e 'as& or 'as (escen(e( $rom& an American
Musang* #o" Arc"il(e an( "e mare are (escen(ans o$ a (i$$eren ime an( are caug" u% in a
ransiion o$ culure* T"e mare is a re%resenaion o$ civilizing o$ "e American -es& an( 'i" "is
civilizaion& Arc"il(e's %eo%le& an( "is 'orl(& are c"anging* T"e re$lecion o$ "is %eo%le 'i"in "e )ay
mare is '"a + )elieve %ro%els "im o %ursue "el%ing "er 'i" suc" (eerminaion*
T"e )ay mare also "el%s o illusrae "e con$lic )e'een mo(ern American culure an( Naive
American culure* T"is con$lic is seen "roug" Arc"il(e's sruggle o "el% "er& '"ic" inevia)ly en(s
u% "in(ering "er* T"roug"ou "e novel "ere is an un(erlying "eme o$ "e -"ie man rying o "el%
"e Naive %eo%le )y saving "eir souls 'i" religion* T"e '"ie man ruly )elieves "a "e is "el%ing
"ese %eo%le )y convering "em an( ri(ing "em o$ "eir 6)ar)aric7 culures* 8e )elieves "a '"a "e
is (oing is 6$or "eir o'n goo(7* T"is i(ea is re$lece( in "e 'ay Arc"il(e ries o "el% "e mare* 8e
even allu(es o "e $ac "a s"e 'oul( %ro)a)ly "ave )een $ine& 60"e %ro)a)ly kne' )eer "an "e "o'
o reac" 'aer an( $ee(& )u "aving (riven "er o e4"ausion "is $eelings 'oul( no allo' "im o
a)an(on "er7924:;* Arc"il(e kno's (ee% (o'n "a "is mare is sel$<su$$icien an( (oes no nee( "is
"el%& "o'ever since s"e "as no me "is san(ar(s o$ $in(ing $oo( an( 'aer& "e $eels "e nee(s o se%
in* T"is is a (irec %arallel o "e 'ay "e -"ie man "as (eeme( Naive living con(iions o )e
insu$$icien o "is san(ar(s an( "as ook i amongs "imsel$ o a(=us "is* 5ur"ermore "e color o$ "e
"orses %orray "is i(ea* A )ay "orse is a )ro'n "orse 'i" )lack legs an( a )lack mane an( ail& "us is
coloring is re%resenaive o$ "a o$ "e Naive Americans* T"e mare '"ic" Arc"il(e ri(es is a '"ie
"orse& '"ic" re$lecs "e -"ie man* Evenually Arc"il(e ca%ures "e mare an( lea(s "er a'ay o $in(
a )eer li$e& 6***a ri(er on a srong '"ie "orse le( an un%roesing skeleon on a ro%e79241;* T"is line is
sym)olic o "e 'ay "e -"ie man (rove "e Naive Americans ou o$ "eir "ome an( ono "e lan( "e
(eeme( suia)le* 5inally "e mares (ea" is a suggesion as o "o' "e -"ie man "as kille( "e s%iri
o$ "e Naive Americans* -"en s"e (ies s"e 6***groane( alou(& a $inal noe o$ re%roac" $or "e ears o$
"e man '"o "a( aken i u%on "imsel$ o im%rove "er con(iion79242;* T"is line is a %o'er$ul voice
s%eaking ou agains "e 'ays o$ "e -"ie man* + )elieve "e mares (ea" is also a %lay on "e %"rase 6
>ou can lea( a "orse o 'aer& )u you can' make i (rink7* + $eel "a "is line is (irecly s%eaking o
"e -"ie man as a %lea o sim%ly )e le$ alone*
Ano"er i(ea (iscusse( "roug" "e use o$ "e )ay mare is (esrucion cause( )y %ri(e* T"is i(ea
is relae( o "e con$lic o$ culure as 'ell& )u is e4"i)ie( "roug" Arc"il(e's (eerminaion o "el% "er
$or "is o'n sais$acion* As menione( )e$ore& Arc"il(e kne' (ee% (o'n "a "e mare 'oul('ve )een
$ine 'i"ou "is "el%& "o'ever u%on (eci(ing "a "e 'ane( o give i o "er& "e re$use( o )ack (o'n*
8e $el com%elle( o "el% "er& 68e "a( o s"o' "er kin(ness in s%ie o$ "ersel$* + 'as more im%oran
"an ever7924:;* ,nce "e came o "is revelaion& "e )ecame o)sesse( in "el%ing "er* 0a(ly& "is is o
"e %oin o$ "er o'n (esrucion* T"e scenario 'i" "e )ay mare& o Arc"il(e& )ecame less a)ou (oing
'"a 'as )es $or "er an( more o$ (oing '"a 'oul( make "im $eel )eer* 8e se ou o "el% "er an( in
"is min( "a 'as '"a "e 'as going o (o* 8e (i(n' realize "a "e 'as making "ings 'orse $or "er
)ecause "e 'as so caug" u% in "is o'n sense o$ %ri(e* T"e novel (e%ics "e sory o$ "e )ay mare an(
s"o's "er (ecline "roug"ou "is e$$ors* /sing %"rases suc" as 6***"e 'ore "er (o'n***7924:; an(
6***"er (e=ecion 'as "is re'ar(***7924:; o (escri)e "e mare& an( %"rases suc" as 6***"e
%ersise(***7924:; an( 6***"e mus***7924:;& "e moo(s o$ "e 'o creaures are illusrae(* + is .uickly
o)serve( "a "e mare is no )ene$iing $rom "is "el% an( "a Arc"il(e is sim%ly coninuing )ecause
"is %ri(e in "is (esire o "el% "er is %ro%elling "im $or'ar(* Evenually "is %ri(e %roves o )e
(esrucive '"en "e %oor mare $alls o "e groun( a (ies& a resul o$ Arc"il(e's unrelening e$$ors*
3ea" is ano"er "eme "a is seen "roug"ou "e novel an( "e (ea" o$ "e )ay mare allu(es
o o"er (ea"s 'i"in "e novel* + is sym)olic o$ Ma4's (ea"& as 'ell as $ores"a(o'ing "e (ea" o$
Arc"il(e's mo"er* -"en Ma4 (ies& Arc"il(e is le$ 'i" a $eeling o$ grie$ as 'ell as un$inis"e(
)usiness* + seems "a "im an( "is $a"er 'ere =us )eginning o men( "eir sraine( relaions"i% an(
gain an( un(ersan(ing o$ eac" )e$ore Ma4's (ea"* + is e4%resse( "roug" "e novel "a Arc"il(e
)elieves "is $a"ers su((en (ea" a "e ime o$ "eir reckoning as )eing un$air* T"is same un$airness is
seen in "e )ay mare* ?us as Arc"il(e 'as )eginning o )elieve "eir 'as going o )e a "a%%y en(ing&
s"e akes a urn $or "e 'orse& 6+ 'as =us "en& as every"ing 'as coming o a "a%%y conclusion***"a
"e %erverse creaure a "e en( o$ "is ro%e su((enly sum)le(& %ic"e( $or'ar(& an( rolle( over79242;*
Al"oug" s"e (i(n' (ie a "a momen an( Arc"il(e evenually 'as "e one o en( "er li$e& "e
circumsances surroun(ing "er (ea"& as 'ell as Arc"il(e's emoions o'ar(s i& re$lec Ma4's (ea"*
-"en Arc"il(e $inally a(mis o "imsel$ "a "e mus %u "er ou o$ "er misery "e un(ergoes 6***a rage
"a 'as %arly resenmen a "e un$airness o$ "e '"ole e%iso(e***79242;* + )elieve "is rage& '"ile
%arially )eing (erive( $rom "e mare& is also (erive( $rom "e $eelings o$ grie$ o'ar(s "is $a"ers
(ea"* +n "e novel& "e is no (escri)e( as going "roug" ma=or grie$ an( + $eel "a "e ries o re%ress
"is $eelings o'ar(s "is $a"ers (ea" in or(er o )e "e man o$ "e "ouse* 8o'ever& '"en "is mare is
los& 'i" "e same sense o$ un$airness& "ese emoions sur$ace an( "e see's "is $a"er re$lece( 'i"in
"e mare* + )elieve "is is '"y "e san(s guar( over "er carcass all nig"& )ecause "e is vie'ing "er as
an e4ension o$ "is $a"er* Also + "ink "is may )e $ores"a(o'ing "is mo"ers (ea"* To'ar(s "e en(
o$ "e novel& "is mo"er is (escri)e( several imes as aging an( looking more $rail* T"e )ay mare also
"as age( an( is very $rail* -"en s"e (ies& i's as i$ Arc"il(e is no only mourning "is $a"ers (ea" )u
"as also come o "e realizaion o$ "is o'n mo"ers moraliy* 2aer on in "e novel& '"en "is mo"er
(ies& "e circumsances are similar* #o" "ave age( an( )ecome very $rail an( una)le o coninue* T"e
e4em%li$icaion o$ "is mo"ers moraliy as 'ell as "is $a"ers unimely (ea" )eing re$lece( in "e
mare is '"a + )elieve cause Arc"il(e o guar( "er )o(y all nig"*
,verall "e ma=or "emes "roug"ou "e novel are re$lece( in "e mea%"or o$ "e )ay mare*
T"roug" "e sym)olic use o$ "e )ay mare& i(eas regar(ing "e con$lic )e'een mo(ern an( Naive
culure are e4%lore( as 'ell as i(eas o$ (esrucion cause( )y %ri(e an( aiu(es regar(ing (ea"* T"e
close relaions"i% )e'een "e Naive Americans an( "e American Musang is (erive( $rom "eir
similar reamen )y "e /nie( 0aes 1overnmen& an( "us %roves as a %o'er$ul mea%"or* T"roug"
"e use o$ "e evaluaion o$ "e )ay mare& i(eas regar(ing "e Naive Americans are illusrae(* ?us as
"e American Musang 'as once $ree o roam "e o%en %lains as a sym)ol o$ "e American -es& "e
Naive Americans also s"are( "is $ree(om* 8o'ever as "e -"ie man inva(e( "eir lan(s an(
c"ange( "eir 'ays o$ li$e& "ey .uickly )ecame surroun(e(*