Main Blog 1

Abdirahman Abdi

ENG & 244

9/30/15

Blog Assignment: Smith (9/29 pp.88-99)

John Smith was an English explorer, soldier, and author. He was one of the first explorers of English descent to reach the Americas. Smith has written quite a bit about his experiences in the “New World”. This particular story takes place around the time England renewed its colonial involvement in America. John Smith is said to have played a significant role in the establishment and creation of the Jamestown Colony. Since he was young, Smith had been captivated by stories of war, colonization and exploration. Along with his interest in exploration, his father’s death propelled him to venture off and explore. John Smith was drawn by stories of wealth, a thirst for action, and to make something of himself.

In the text, Smith wrote about his experiences in America. The beginning of the reading was about how the supplies on the boat perished which lead to the crew having to scavenge for food that was not contaminated. Afterwards, Smith and some of his crew went off to do some trading. However, Smith, who is known for using unnecessary force, fired his gun and created tensions with the Natives. Throughout the text, Smith continued to describe his encounters with the Indians. Toward the end, he expressed his gratitude toward Pocahontas for saving him. There was nothing unique about what Smith has written. It is very similar to the works of other explorers/ Europeans who reached America. It seems as though Smith wrote about his experiences so the people back home could read about them.

John Smith referred to the Natives as savages multiple times. He used derogatory terms and believed he was better than the Natives. This reading is quite similar to the others. All the other writers referred to the Natives as savages as well. In addition, they too had tensions with the Indians and went through famine and other hardships.

Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th Ed., New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.