Coming of Age in the Dawnland Analysis

Science journalist, Charles C. Mann, had successfully achieved his argumentative purpose about the “Coming of Age in the Dawnland.” Mann’s overall purpose of writing this argumentative was to show readers that there’s more to than just being called or being stereotyped as a savage- a cynical being. These beings are stereotyped into being called Indians, or Native Americans (as they are shorthand names), but they would rather be identified by their own tribe name. Charles Mann had talked about only one person in general but others as well without naming them. Mann had talked about an Indian named Tisquantum, but he, himself, does not want to be recognized as one; to be more recognized as the “first and foremost as a citizen of Patuxet,”(Mann 24). Tisquantum wanted to project something, something about people calling him an Indian. He wanted people to call him from where he had come from, Patuxet. Though, not just Tisquantum, but other civilians themselves. There are three confederations that are brought together forming a tripartite alliance; Wampanoag, Nauset, and Massachusett. People from these confederations speak one of two languages, Algonquian or Massachusett. The way they got their language was unknown, until researchers had use “glottochronology” to see how far back in common ancestry. In an…show more content…
They mostly spoke of what the boys do with their education, whereas the girls were not mentioned. The boys were expected to be strong and brave, so their parents had decided to throw them into the snow stark naked. The children are quickly taken out of the snow and placed near the fire to warm up. Aside from being placed in snow, the boys were tested with their survival skills at their coming of age. They were sent into the woods alone with only a bow, knife, and a hatchet. The Europeans were shocked with this discovery of how they taught the children but with also how effective it

When Europeans discovered the new world, the whole world changed. The new world was named the Americas and it changed greatly when the Europeans discovered it. The Natives that inhabited the Americas were not happy with the new foreigners that had settled in their country. In Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, the Europeans sailed to the new world and brought many new items that the Native Americans had never seen before. In Coming of Age in the Dawnland by Charles C. Mann, in this story, it talks about the differences between the Europeans and Native Americans, and the differences between the multiple Native American tribes. Also in The General History of Virginia by John Smith, in this story the sailors and the Native Americans have many conflicts about the changes that the Europeans impose on the Native Americans lives. This causes violence and war among the Natives and Europeans. The Europeans changed the Americas, the day they discovered them.…show more content…
“ They espied five or six persons with a dog coming towards them, who were savages; but they fled from them and ran up into the woods(Bradford 9).” The Europeans and the Natives at first didn 't really know what to think of each at first but, the Europeans threatened the Native Americans way of life. “Once they stole away their tools where they had been at work and were gone at dinner(Bradford 16).” The Native Americans had never seen the tools or guns of the Europeans, the new technology shocked them and would change their lives. Guns would make the Native Americans lives way easier when it came to hunting and the tools would help them build stronger shelters much quicker than

Mann’s purpose for writing the passage, Coming of Age in the Dawnland, was to describe the development of Dawnland as well as the cultures in the community and to compare Tisquantum to the other people within the civilizations. He does this by first giving some insight on Tisquantum, then went on talk about the opinions of English people on the Dawnland civilization and how it was made. Finally, he goes on and talks about the routines of the people in the civilizations, comparing Tisquantum to them, and their customs. Mann accurately uses his knowledge of the civilization and Tisquantum, as well as a few quotes by people in history, which in return helps him to prove his point.

Mann’s understanding of Tisquantum helps him in developing his purpose for writing this passage. He begins by identifying the meaning of his names. Mann says, tisquantum referred to rage, especially the rage of manitou. Mann also states, he regarded himself first and foremost as a citizen of Patuxet, a shoreline settlement halfway between what is now Boston and the beginning of Cape Cod. The author’s insight on Tisquantum is what helps lead him into the next topic. Because of this, it causes for an easy transition into the different cultures and the Dawnland civilization.

Tisquantum’s childhood wetu (home) was formed from arched poles lashed together into a dome. English visitors did not find this arrangement peculiar. Nor did the English regard the Dawnland wetu as primitive. This quote that the author used proves the purpose for writing the passage because he uses the different opinions of people from England and also relates it to Tisquantum’s childhood home. Mann achieved his purpose because he incorporated other ideas of other people, rather than those of the Natives. These ideas that he has incorporated into this passage aid in the progressing of the purpose.

Also, he states the regimen and way of life of Tisquantum and the other people in Dawnland. Mann states, The primary goal of Dawnland education was molding character. Men and women were expected to be brave, hardy, honest, and uncomplaining. Tisquantum’s regimen was probably tougher than that of his friends for it seems like he was selected to be a pniese…pniese had to subject themselves to such miserable experiences to learn self-discipline. This quote compares Tisquantum to other people in the Dawnland community because they both had to learn how to be brave and have self-discipline. These customs that have been elaborated are what bring the passage together, because Mann was able to use these two different people with two different customs and compare and contrast them in order to establish a motive.

Mann did a good job at instituting a purpose for this passage. His use of background information on Tisquantum, ideas from other people in the Dawnland community and how it was made, and lastly the comparison of the routines and lifestyles of people in Dawnland and Tisquantum, is what forms the objective of the passage. All of these key points are what lead Mann into the main purpose of this reading. By using what he knows about Tisquantum and the other natives of Dawnland , as well as using information from other people, such as the English, he establishes his purposes and does an outstanding job of doing so.

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Coming of Age in the Dawnland. (2020, Apr 15). Retrieved October 28, 2022 , from
https://studydriver.com/coming-of-age-in-the-dawnland/