Vocabulary

 

p. 197, “It’s going to be a scorcher”: It’s going to be very hot today.

p. 198, “C’mon”: Come on (not normally a written contraction)

p. 199, He was thoroughly stumped: He was completely bewildered

p. 216, relieve onself: urinate

 

 

1. What do you think Lt. Dunbar’s dream means? (Ch. XX, Pt. 6, p. 197)

 

a. I think that Lieutenant's life is full of Indians. Only the Indians can make him feel comfortable and accept him. His mind becomes happy just like a warm day. He does not have to live the life of a drifter.  In his mind, it seems he has his own home now. (Jennifer, 04/14/07)

 

b. Lieutenant Dunbar usually thought that he was side-man among the Indians. However, after hunting buffalo with other Indians, Lieutenant Dunbar realized that he and the other Indians considered him as a member of the tribe. When he went back to his Indian house, he slept comfortably. In his dream, he found his room among a lot of rooms. There were so many Indians in his room, and he couldn’t find any strange thing. He just thought the Indians were his family. I think his dream means that he had become a real member of the Indian tribe. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07)

 

c. I think Dunbar's found that every room in his life was either locked or inhospitable until he came to that place, filled with Indians. He became more comfortable and felt happy and warm with the Indians. He dreamed to be one of that Indian tribe. Finally his dream came true and he found a family. (Mohamed, 04/16/07).

 

d.Dunbar felt like livinig life and enjoyinf life when he met indians,indians showed him humble and downto earth nature ,that he felt like family when he was them .(shaheen(kashish)).

 

2. In Chapter XX, Pts. 9-10, Lt. Dunbar is given his Comanche name.  The Comanche take adult names which suit their personality and accomplishments. How are names selected in your culture?

 

a. In my culture, Taiwan, people like to select their kids' names in several ways, such as popular words in that year, famous people's names, or names selected by a fortuneteller. People will check and select  the meaning of each word carefully. For example, my Chinese name is Li-Shu, Li means beautiful, and Shu means like a lady. I think my parents hoped that I could be a lady; however, I am very grumpy!! (Jennifer,041407)  You are the least grumpy person I know!

 

 b. In South Korea, many people use both Korean and Chinese writing. When Koreans speak, they only use the Korean language. Although the sound of a word is Korean pronunciation, most meaning is the same as Chinese. For example, although Yu-hung, our Taiwanese classmate, cannot speak my name in Korean, he can know the meaning of my name. When Korean parents decide on their child’s name, they usually think of the meaning of the name. Parents want to put their desires for their child into the name of a child. For example, my name is Dae Gun, whose Chinese meaning is “Big Construction.” My parents hoped that I would be an engineer and that I would have a big dream. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07) They got their wish!  (Too bad they didn't call you Big Piano!)

 

 

 

c. In my country, Egypt, most people give their childern Islamic leaders' names and famous names, but some people like to give their childern names which have beautiful meanings. For example, my name is Mohamed, which is the name of the prophet of Islam and which means a person who thanks. My daughter's name is Sara, which is like Ibrahim's wife. (Mohamed, 04/16/07). FYI: In English, we say "Abraham."

 

 

D.In my country,Iran, some religious people choose Islamic name ( which include the name of the prophet ) but others, choose different names which have beautiful meaning. My name in my country means lovely! (04/21/07, nazanin)

 

f. In my contury ,people give their childern islamic names ,whcih have good meaning ,example boyes are usually given names of prophets ,and girls are given names of prophest wifes ,or daughter,my name is shaheen kauser ,shaheen menas a falcon ,and kauser means a river in heaven .(shaheen(kashish)).

 

3. What is the significance of Dunbar’s acceptance by the Comanches as “a man of medicine” (medicine man, shaman)?  (Ch. XXI, Pt. 1, p. 203)

 

a. The Indians believed that Dunbar was a very special person in that he had survived the war.  It was an important moment when he became one of the members in this group.  Everyone respected him and welcomed him. Dunbar's spirit gave Indians a good mirror of bravery. It just reflects the Indians' culture!! (Jennifer,041407)

 

 b. Becoming a man of medicine in the Comanches means that Comanches trusted Dunbar, unlike other white men. Many warriors continued to visit him and there were many people who wanted to just see Dunbar. This is because he was a medicine man. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07)

 

c. I think it just an Indian habit to name people with names for many reasons. Dunbar became very famous in the tribe. Some of the Indian people in the tribe came to see him as a medicine man, white soldier. Dunbar was so satisfied and felt warm and happy. He became one of the most famous people in the tribe. (Mohamed, 04/16/07).

 

D. Dunbar is a unique character.He is able to look another man in the eye, and see the man, rather than his attitudes about the man. (Nazanin 04/21/07)

 

f.Indians are know to be humble in nature ,and they if they recive  respect in turn they would consider him m a good person and start prasing amoung others and that is what happend with  Dunbar's from Indians .(shaheen(kashish)).

 

4. Why do you think Dunbar continued to go to Ft. Sedgewick, even when he didn’t enjoy going there?  (Ch. XXII, Pts. 1-2)

 

a. Dunbar was filled with guilt and it seemed a chore that he had to visit often.  I think that Dunbar could not forget the past and the old haunt put him in a dilemma.  There were a lot of memories he could not completely give up and forget!! He did his duty for the Army, which was why he cared about it. (Jennifer,041407)

 

b. Although Dunbar had a close relationship with the Comanches, he was still a soldier in the USA. He thought that he already did his best for his army and there was nothing more that he could do. It was very boring for him. However, Dunbar knew that his army would come back to the fort. Until his army comes back, he wanted to do his best although visiting the fort was meaningless. According to the lines 1~4 on page 212, Lieutenant Dunbar thought that he could keep discipline by regularly visiting Ft. Sedgewick. Also, he believed that his visits would give him the identification of Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, USA. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07)

C.Basicclay he thaught that by visiting Ft.Sedgewick would give him feeling as true lieutenanat Dunbar.(shaheen(kashish)).

 

 

5.  Lt. Dunbar faced a dilemma of how to respond to Kicking Bird’s questions.  What happened to the Comanches and other Plains Indians as the United States expanded westward in the period following this novel? (Ch. XXII, Pt. 3)

 

a. As the United States expanded westward, the Comanches and other Plains Indians felt very confused.  The Comanches and other Plains Indians did not like the whites, who seemed to want peace in the country; however, it was not the truth. (Jennifer,041407)

 

 b. When Dunbar met Kicking Bird, Kicking Bird asked Lt. Dunbar the real reason why white men tried to come into Indian territory. Actually, Lt. Dunbar didn’t know the real reason. He just thought that white men wanted to pass through the Indian place. However, Kicking Bird didn’t agree with Dunbar. Kicking Bird had already heard news; white men had already broken their promises to other Indian tribes, white men destroyed the woods, white men killed a lot of buffalo, and white men killed many Comaches who visited Texas to negotiate something with white men. After hearing the news, though Dunbar wanted to say his opinion and to warn them about white men’s behavior, he couldn’t do that. Also, Dunbar couldn’t tell an untruth in front of the medicine man. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07)

c.Plain Indians were scared ,frigtened and confused when white expanded towards westwords.(shaheen(kashish)).

 

 

6.  In Chapter XXIII, Dunbar finds a sacred cave and has a mystical dream.  How would you interpret this dream?  Do you believe that dreams can foretell the future? (Pts. 2-3)

 

a. In my opinion, Dunbar’s mystical dream is a message to notice a holocaust. His dream told him that white men would kill many Indians in order to make a profit. I believe that dreams can foretell the future. My mother has four brothers. About 20 years ago, her eldest brother died. After that, her eldest brother emerged in my mother’s dream. The eldest brother gave his hand to the second brother. At that time, my mother shouted to the second brother, “Don’t touch his hand.” This is because shaking hand with a dead person means he will die soon. However, the second brother touched the eldest brother’s hand. Two days later, my mother heard the news that her second brother had died the next day. Actually, I don’t want to believe in dream warnings, but there are many examples that dreams foretell the future. Therefore, I cannot but believe its message. (Dae Gun Kim 14/04/07)

 

b. I would interpret Dunbar's dream as his desire  to go back to his former life. He also considered the war would happen again. I believe that dreams can foretell the future.  In my culture, people always say that if you always think about something, then you will dream about it.  Our ideas reflect what is on our minds. (Jennifer,041407)

 

c.Yes i bileve that what you think ,comes in your dreams ,at some pont of time dreqams do foretell future in my case ,and i  think same happend to Dunbar in his dream.(shaheen(kashish)).

 

 

Write your questions for Nina below:

 

1.