Essay Questions

Show how the theme of a perfect nation is brought out in The Light in the Forest.

The notion of each nation’s nobility is apparent in the way that both the whites and the Indians view each other. Both of these believe to be perfect in their own way. For instance, the Indians see the whites as rather cruel and ferocious whereas the whites view the Indians as barbaric. As a result of the prejudices that these two groups have with respect to each other which may not be true in some instances, they are unable to live in harmony with one another.

Variability in knowledge in different nations is brought out in The Light in the Forest. Show how this is brought out.

The notion that different nations have different knowledge is well brought out in the work. While the Indians become aware of the apparent lack of knowledge of the whites in matters pertaining to their environment and nature. They note that whites are more interested in financials and profits than their surroundings. On the other hand, the Indians depend on their environment for survival. As a result of the variability in the knowledge of these two nations, there is an evident difference in their survival tactics.

Show how the theme of identity is brought out in The Light in the Forest.

In this work, True Son having been raised as a native Indian when he is essentially white is at the centre of an identity conflict. Having been raised as an Indian, True Son is taught to hate the whites even though he is white. Later, when he is taken by the whites, they force him to behave like a white something that he has been raised to hate throughout his life. In this way, he becomes conflicted with regards to his identity and the novel follows his exploration of the same.