Pocahontas song "Savages"

1) Ratcliffe
What can you expectFrom filthy little heathens?Their whole disgusting race is like a curseTheir skin's a hellish redThey're only good when deadThey're vermin, as I saidAnd worse
English Settlers
They're savages! Savages!
Ratcliffe
Barely even human
English Settlers
Savages! Savages!
Ratcliffe
Drive them from our shore!They're not like you and meWhich means they must be evilWe must sound the drums of war!
English Settlers
They're savages! Savages!Dirty redskin devils!Now we sound the drums of war!

2) I chose the song “Savages” from the movie Pocahontas. This song occurs in the movie when the Indians capture John Smith and the English decide that it is time to attack the Indians, and to kill them off. I chose this song because it represents how the English settlers viewed the Indians as savages. I also chose this song because it showed how the English settlers believed they owned the land instead of the Indians.

3) The song “Savages” relates to the class material because it shows how the English believed that they Indians were savages. This song best relates to Chapter 2 in Takaki ‘The “Tempest” in the Wilderness’ because during this chapter Takaki talks about how the English viewed all other civilizations as savages. The English believed that they were the superior race because they knew about possessing the land. They settlers also knew that they had superior technology compared to the Indians. Also during Takaki chapter 2, Takaki talks about how greed was a basis for the English actions. This is related to the song “Savages” because during that song Ratcliffe says “Drive them from our shore!” (Song Lyrics). By Ratcliffe saying “our shore” shows that Ratcliffe believed that he and the English settlers owned the land and not the Indians. Ratcliffe was greedy and wanted the land for himself so that he could search for gold so that he could make a profit along with the rest of the settlers. The song also relates to Takaki chapter 2 because during the song Ratcliffe calls the Indians “dirty little heathens” and “vermin” (Song Lyrics). This is making the Indians look like they are the worse race and that they white settlers are superior to them. Ratcliffe also mentions to the other settlers that the Indians are “Barely even human” (Song Lyrics). He says this to show that they are superior and that since the Indians are not like them, that they are not human. Also during the songs the rest of the English settlers yell the words “Savages! Savages!” in response to Ratcliffe’s speech during the song, about the Indians (Song Lyrics). The settlers yelling, “Savages! Savages!” shows that they agreed with Ratcliffe that they Indians were inferior to them and that they were savages who did not deserve to own the land. Also it shows that since the Indians were savages they did not deserve to live because they song says “They are only good when dead” (Song Lyrics). This means that the Indians are not good people and that they are not useful to the English.

4) I believe that the Indians were not savages even though they were viewed that way by the English settlers. They knew how to raise crops, keep animals, and how to form communities that work together. Since they were able to do all of this for many years, they were not savages. They had families, their own technology, and knew how to best live off of that land. I believe that if the Indians were really savages they would not have survived that long and would not be living together in communities.