38 pages 1 hour read

Camilla Townsend

Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2004

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Essay Topics

1.

How does Townsend use moments of in-scene storytelling to enhance her research in Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma? How would the book have been different without this narrative technique?

2.

The powers and dangers of myth are a frequent theme in this book. According to Townsend, how do myths around historical events emerge, and what is the historian’s responsibility when approaching mythologized events?

3.

What cultural beliefs and myths are revealed in the story of Pocahontas rushing in to save John Smith from execution? What does the story tell us about its inventor and his culture’s inherent beliefs about Englishmen and Indians, in particular, Indian women?