Petra Huhnert

Interpretation of the Indian Burying Ground by Philip Freneau Petra Huhnert

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (FTSK Germersheim), course: "Democracy Ma Femme. Looking for Liberty in American Letters.", language: English, abstract: Philip Freneau describes in his romantic poem from 1787 "The Indian Burying Ground" the differences between European funeral traditions, influenced by Christianity, and the traditions for funerals of some Native American tribes. He shows in detailed pictures the activity that is still visible in the Native American dead opposing the sleeping posture given to European dead. He also points out how close the Native American way of life and death is to nature in its partially wild and savage way by describing their habits and clothes. Their natural concept of handling life and especially death is here seen as superior to the civilized European world. The European people could have learnt something from the Indians instead of attempting to civilize them according to their ideas and ideals.