Transcript A Man Called Horse” - ECHS English I Literature

“A Man Called Horse”
By: Dorothy M. Johnson
English I Literature
East Clarendon High School
C. Edge
Summary

In 1845, a young man from Boston, unhappy with his
comfortable and safe life, travels west to the fringes
of the American frontier. He is taken captive by
Crow warriors and brought to their camp as a slave.
He tries to retain some dignity by thinking of himself
as a horse, a docile and patient bearer of burdens.
Adopting the name “Horse,” he learns the Crow
language, learns to hunt, acquires five horses, and
marries (and falls in love with) a young Crow
woman. Over time, he recognizes the humanity of
the Crow and learns to appreciate his life with them.
When his wife dies in childbirth, he voluntarily stays
for a while to care for his mother-in-law, who has
humbly begged him to stay by calling him “Son.”
The man accepts by calling her “Mother.”
Vocabulary
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Restive – adj.: restless; unsettled
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Synonyms: agitated, contrary, edgy, fidgety,
fretful, jittery, nervous, on edge, restless, tense,
uneasy, unruly
Antonyms: calm, patient
Vocabulary

Piteously – adv.: in a way that arouses pity or
compassion

Synonyms: commiserable, distressing, heartrending, heartbreaking, miserable, mournful,
moving, pitiful, ruined, sad, sorrowful
Vocabulary

Detractor – n.: one who makes something
seem less important or valuable

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Synonyms: belittler, defamer, disparager, disputer,
doubter, maligner, nitpicker
Antonyms: advocate, champion, supporter
Vocabulary

Forestalled – v.: prevented by doing
something ahead of time

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Synonyms: avoid, deter, frustrate, halt, prevent,
ward off
Antonyms: cause, help
Vocabulary

Docile – adj. easy to manage; submissive

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Synonyms: accommodating, agreeable, amenable,
compliant, easygoing, humble, laid back, obedient,
orderly, quiet, teachable, willing
Antonyms: defiant, stubborn, uncooperative,
unruly
Elements of Literature—Setting

Compare the settings of Boston and the West in
1845.
BOSTON
 THE WEST OF 1845


One of the largest and
most developed
American cities
Center of education and
culture
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
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Open, free, and, in some
places, uncharted
A dangerous place
Make your own rules
Choose your own course
Critical Thinking

After the young man is captured by the Native
Americans, how has his status changed?

He goes from being a wealthy and cultured
gentleman, to being naked and tethered, and
reduced to the level of an animal.
Cause and Effect, p. 170

Why does the man pretend to be a horse?
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It gives him an identity as something useful to the
Crow
It is a status that is below the Crow, and since he is
a captive, that is how he is viewed
This identity allows him to bury his pride, not
rebel, and therefore survive
Drawing Conclusions, p. 171

When the man asks three small boys to teach
him how to shoot the bow and arrow, this
shows that a change has occurred in him.
What is now different?

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He has begun to take action, and to assert his will.
He has begun to be a man again.
Elements of Literature—Setting
p. 171

How does the setting help determine the man’s
actions?
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The setting isolates the man, acting almost like a
prison without walls
It limits his choices—because he cannot survive in
this setting without resources
He must remain with the Crow to live
Elements of Literature—Setting
p. 173

Why are horses so important in this time and
place?
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The distances are vast and cannot be traveled on
foot
To get home, Horse needs a horse for
transportation
The horse is important to the Crow culture—
without it, the buffalo hunt, on which the Crow
depend for survival, is much more difficult
Critical Thinking, p. 174

Why does Horse refer to his wife as Freedom?

Horse plans to use his wife as a way to get what he
wants—his freedom
Elements of Literature—Setting
p. 177

How do the items that are sacrificed relate
directly to life in this setting?

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Nearly all of the items come from animal life in
this place
Nearly all are necessary to human survival in this
place
Cultural Connection, p. 177

When Greasy Hand and Pretty Calf sacrifice
their belongings, Horse fails to understand the
values of the Crow. Why do the women act as
they do?

It is the way people in their culture express their
grief
Critical Thinking, p. 178

Think back to the beginning of the story. What
is the significance of Horse’s calling Greasy
Hand “Mother”?
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He has accepted responsibility for her
He never knew his own mother and now
unselfishly allows someone to take her place
Critical Thinking, p. 178

Is this an appropriate ending to the story?
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YES, because the ending completes the young
man’s quest for a feeling of worth and belonging

NO, because it would have seemed more complete
to know about his return to Boston
Question #1, p. 179
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Did you want Horse to get home to Boston or
stay with the Crows? Why?
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To stay with the Crows, where he has learned his
worth and strength
To return home to prove to himself that he has
grown
Question #2, p. 179

By the end of the story, Horse has changed. In
your own words, explain what he discovers
about himself—and other people—in his years
with the Crow. How do you think becoming a
horse helped him become a man?
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He learns that he is equal to any human and can
survive great hardship
He learns new ideas about respect and status
Being a horse gave him time to heal, to see things
from a new point of view, and to learn new
customs.
Question #3, p. 179

Name at least two incidents in the story that
remind us that all people, no matter what their
culture, share certain feelings.
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Pretty Calf falling in love and enjoying Horse’s
attention
Pretty Calf and Greasy Hand mourn the death of
Yellow Robe
Greasy hand mourns the death of her dauther and
grandchild
Question #4, p. 179

Which character showed you most forcefully
what the human spirit is capable of? Explain.

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Horse, because he survives
Greasy Hand, because she wants to go on living
even after everyone she loves dies
Question #5, p. 179

How did you respond to the ways the Crows
“counted coup” and to how a grieving mother
chopped off a joint of one of her fingers for
each dead child? How do you think the writer
wants you to feel about the Crows?

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Some may express horror at the violence
Some may see the deep emotion expressed by the
acts of mourning or the necessity of killing for
survival
The writer may want readers to sympathize with
the Crows’ harsh struggle to survive and their
heartfelt observations of old customs