Essay About Harold Cardinals Essay And Mystery Of The White Man

A Comparison of “the Mystery of the White Man” and “i Am a Native of North America”
A Comparison of “the Mystery of the White Man” and “i Am a Native of North America”
Harold Cardinals essay, “The Mystery of The White Man” and Dan Georges
essay, “I Am a Native of North America” both deal with the issue of the way Natives
and their culture are treated by white North Americans. Each authour approaches the
subject in a different manner but emphasizes the differences between the two cultures
and many faults of those in the white way of life. The essays shed light on the hypocrisy
of white people and how much could be learned from Aboriginal peoples morals and
values. Although each essay is written with a different tone they are very similar in many
ways.
In “I Am a Native of North America” George uses a reflective tone that is
considerably less angry than that of Cardinal in his essay. George writes about the
differences between the values and lifestyle he experienced growing up and those of
white North Americans. He discusses a few things that white people do well but focuses
on the many faults they have and how they could be changed by simply learning about the
Aboriginals culture which they have refused to do. In his essay he emphasizes that the
main thing white culture is lacking is love of creation. Georges essay states that he
wishes whites would learn from the Native culture before it is too late and white values
have taken over as that is already happening.
Cardinals essay, “The Mystery of The White Man” is written in quite an angry
tone. He writes about all the problems that white people cause and how hypocrytical
they are. Cardinal does say that white people have done some good things but that the
few things they did do had been done by Native people before. He speaks about the
prejudice of whites towards Aboriginals and how many Native people do not speak out
about it but should. Cardinal ends by speaking about all that could be learned from the
Native culture by the whites.
The main difference between the two essays is in the tone. Cardinal uses a very
angry unsympathetic tone while George seems more understanding and sympathetic.
Cardinal speaks of his culture as the better of the two throughout his essay and belittles
the ways of the white people but George seems