When the Legends Die
When Thomas Black Bull was found, eleven years old and living alone in the wilderness, his entire life was flipped upside down. In the book When the Legends Die, the young boy was forced to convert to new ways and new identities, unfamiliar and new to him. His past, origins, and true identities were chopped off, and chained to the bottom of the forgotten sea in his mind. In the process he lost a companion, the bear, and himself, as he was shuffled and controlled throughout his life. People covered and masked his true innerself and not until later in his life did he find it again. Hal Borland uses the symbols of the bear, horses, and names, to show how society disguises, effaces, erases, annihilates, and destroys true identities. The horses symbolize all the people of society who have shoved aside Thomas identity. For example, he begins to take revenge for himself on the horses: He wasnt riding a bronco. He was riding a hurt, a hate (121). In this case these animals represent all the people in his life who have taken advantage of him and cut off his identity. Benny Grayback, Blue Elk, Red Dillon and others are what Tom sees himself riding as he tortures, maims, and kills the broncos, all representatives of society taking over a
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Bears Brothers, Legends Die, Dillon Tom, Furthermore Toms, Black Bull, Hal Borland, Killer Thomas, Ute Thomas, Benny Grayback, Black Death-, black bull, thomas black, thomas black bull, benny grayback, bear horses names, true identities, lost companion, bear horses, true innerself, true identity, horses names, name thomas black, annihilates destroys,
Approximate Word count = 1215
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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