Essay on "When the Legends Die"
While Hal Borland was writing "When the Legends Die", he incorporated not only a perceivable plot but he also gives an account of history. In this non fiction account of a boy torn between two worlds Tom Black Bull has to decide whether to follow tradition or to move forward to the new world. After Tom’s father is killed his mother and him seek refuge in the wilderness. Then, after his mother has died he has to decide what to do and where to go. Under the guidance of Blue Elk and the guileful Red, Tom has many unusual experiences, obstacles to overcome, fears to conquer, and truths to discover.
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The novel acknowledges the fact that every person has to discover an identity and the peace that comes with that. His identity is his heritage, how he was raised. The background of most Native American traditions is in their religion. Spirituality is at the base of what everything Tom does and goes through in the novel. It shows that background and tradition come before reform of beliefs and life. Tom Black Bull has to realize that participating in rodeos and collecting money isn’t what he was called to do. He was called to a Ute life and follow in the footsteps of his father, mother, and native people. This story shows a young man trying to find his way in life and his inner self. Hal Borland uses Tom as an example for each of us to follow. He wants us to be the best we can without having to go on that identity roller coaster like Tom did.
On a scale, I feel that Hal Borland’s When the Legends Die was balanced with some strong aspects that made the reader feel like he was actually experiencing what was going around him, and he also painted a transparent picture of Tom Black Bull in my head. It seemed that Borland couldn’t portray the environment around Tom Black Bull very well, but he did portray the main character well. One could see the transformation from Thomas Black Bull, to Tom Black, and back to Thomas Black Bull throughout Borland’s novel. This metamorphosis is central to the theme of the story, the pursuit of one’s identity, and is presented well. Details of Tom’s struggle, including his initial isolation in the mountains, his attempts at school and rodeo, and in the end his presumed return to the reservation, weave an interesting look at one man’s inner struggle. In the places where Borland strays from the central idea, the departure is not detrimental to character development. For example, the encounter with the doctor at the hospital allowed Tom to add to our knowledge of him. You could see him beginning to lean more toward his Indian side in a scene that might have seemed incidental to the whole story at the time.
If we focus more on the strengths of When the Legends Die, the reader needs to realize that this was not by any means a poorly written novel. Borland gives not only a literal meaning throughout the novel, but he also addresses hidden figurative meanings many times. For example, in a strong quote that Borland uses he states , “He had punished it, gouged and fought and mastered it, rode the horse to its death...”(101). This showed that Tom was the best at rodeos, but it also showed his anger at Red. He had been Red’s slave and he wasn’t going to allow that to happen any more. That moment in time was a turning point not only in the novel, but how the reader viewed Tom Black. He was starting to find his inner self, who is Thomas Black Bull. The other strong aspect of When the Legends Die is that one can see Tom Black Bull develop relationships with many different people, animals, and places. These all don’t have to be friendly relationships but Hal Borland allows us to be a part of what is going on. Tom has a very personal relationship with his mother and father which the reader experiences during the early stages of the novel. Then, he develops a relationship with a bear which is another healthy relationship. It gets to the point where Tom eventually calls himself Bear Brother.
No story or novel is perfect. Being human there always has to be a flaw in something. That is the case in Hal Borland’s When the Legends Die. It was evident in reading that Borland experienced difficulties in expressing supporting characters. There were many minor characters compared to Tom, but it seems that Hal Borland could have been a little more detailed with his descriptions with them. This would allow the reader to expand his mind, and allow him to understand what the author is trying to display. It would have been beneficial to know more about the background of Red because there might be a reason why he is such a bitter person. There could have been something in his childhood that the reader could relate to, which would allow him or her to understand why Red was such a person as he was. Then again, no story is perfect and a story can’t tell everything.
When the Legends Die provides the reader a rare book to enjoy and apply to their own personal life. Hal Borland informs the audience of what it was really like to be a Native American in those harsh times. He realizes that all books do not have to contain gross and violent stimulants to envelop the reader. When the Legends Die gave the privilege for someone to take part in another’s unique and unforgettable journey.
The novel acknowledges the fact that every person has to discover an identity and the peace that comes with that. His identity is his heritage, how he was raised. The background of most Native American traditions is in their religion. Spirituality is at the base of what everything Tom does and goes through in the novel. It shows that background and tradition come before reform of beliefs and life. Tom Black Bull has to realize that participating in rodeos and collecting money isn’t what he was called to do. He was called to a Ute life and follow in the footsteps of his father, mother, and native people. This story shows a young man trying to find his way in life and his inner self. Hal Borland uses Tom as an example for each of us to follow. He wants us to be the best we can without having to go on that identity roller coaster like Tom did.
On a scale, I feel that Hal Borland’s When the Legends Die was balanced with some strong aspects that made the reader feel like he was actually experiencing what was going around him, and he also painted a transparent picture of Tom Black Bull in my head. It seemed that Borland couldn’t portray the environment around Tom Black Bull very well, but he did portray the main character well. One could see the transformation from Thomas Black Bull, to Tom Black, and back to Thomas Black Bull throughout Borland’s novel. This metamorphosis is central to the theme of the story, the pursuit of one’s identity, and is presented well. Details of Tom’s struggle, including his initial isolation in the mountains, his attempts at school and rodeo, and in the end his presumed return to the reservation, weave an interesting look at one man’s inner struggle. In the places where Borland strays from the central idea, the departure is not detrimental to character development. For example, the encounter with the doctor at the hospital allowed Tom to add to our knowledge of him. You could see him beginning to lean more toward his Indian side in a scene that might have seemed incidental to the whole story at the time.
If we focus more on the strengths of When the Legends Die, the reader needs to realize that this was not by any means a poorly written novel. Borland gives not only a literal meaning throughout the novel, but he also addresses hidden figurative meanings many times. For example, in a strong quote that Borland uses he states , “He had punished it, gouged and fought and mastered it, rode the horse to its death...”(101). This showed that Tom was the best at rodeos, but it also showed his anger at Red. He had been Red’s slave and he wasn’t going to allow that to happen any more. That moment in time was a turning point not only in the novel, but how the reader viewed Tom Black. He was starting to find his inner self, who is Thomas Black Bull. The other strong aspect of When the Legends Die is that one can see Tom Black Bull develop relationships with many different people, animals, and places. These all don’t have to be friendly relationships but Hal Borland allows us to be a part of what is going on. Tom has a very personal relationship with his mother and father which the reader experiences during the early stages of the novel. Then, he develops a relationship with a bear which is another healthy relationship. It gets to the point where Tom eventually calls himself Bear Brother.
No story or novel is perfect. Being human there always has to be a flaw in something. That is the case in Hal Borland’s When the Legends Die. It was evident in reading that Borland experienced difficulties in expressing supporting characters. There were many minor characters compared to Tom, but it seems that Hal Borland could have been a little more detailed with his descriptions with them. This would allow the reader to expand his mind, and allow him to understand what the author is trying to display. It would have been beneficial to know more about the background of Red because there might be a reason why he is such a bitter person. There could have been something in his childhood that the reader could relate to, which would allow him or her to understand why Red was such a person as he was. Then again, no story is perfect and a story can’t tell everything.
When the Legends Die provides the reader a rare book to enjoy and apply to their own personal life. Hal Borland informs the audience of what it was really like to be a Native American in those harsh times. He realizes that all books do not have to contain gross and violent stimulants to envelop the reader. When the Legends Die gave the privilege for someone to take part in another’s unique and unforgettable journey.
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Warning!!! All free online essays, sample essays and essay examples on When the Legends Die topics are plagiarized and cannot be completely used in your school, college or university education.
If you need a custom essay, dissertation, thesis, term paper or research paper on your topic, EffectivePapers.com will write your papers from scratch. We work with experienced PhD and Master's freelance writers to help you with writing any academic papers in any subject! We guarantee each customer great quality and no plagiarism!
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Warning!!! All free online essays, sample essays and essay examples on When the Legends Die topics are plagiarized and cannot be completely used in your school, college or university education.
If you need a custom essay, dissertation, thesis, term paper or research paper on your topic, EffectivePapers.com will write your papers from scratch. We work with experienced PhD and Master's freelance writers to help you with writing any academic papers in any subject! We guarantee each customer great quality and no plagiarism!
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