Black Robe
In the Novel, Black Robe by Brian Moore, there were hardships. These hardships were in the form of weather, communication, food, and cultural differences. There were also conflicts such as, inner, social, and moral. This novel begins with a very anxious Jesuit priest waiting to find out if he was going to be approved for the mission. The purposes of these missions were to convert the Indian savages to Christianity. He has high hopes but doesn't truly realize the dangers and troubles that lie ahead. I found this novel to be well written, with a tremendous amount of detail. I was offended by some of the material in this book; sexual content mixed with religion was the most offensive to me. But I also understand the purpose of that material and respect it. I believe it is fact-based and the author did a lot of research before starting this novel. Moore mentioned the many sources from which he got his information like " relations." The only thing I believe to be false is the use of foul language by the savages. I find it hard to believe that they would use those words in everyday life to that extent. Though Moore stated in the Authors note, that the savages' had " scatological tongues"(page vi
Earlier, I mentioned the hardships they all had on their mission. The weather started out warm with sunny days, but as the months passed winter fell upon them. They had to deal with the cold, rain and snow, even in their shelters with campfires; they could not get warm. Laforgue had an ear infection when he started the journey. He became more ill with what they called "the sickness", though he was strong enough to get well. I also mentioned three different types of conflicts: Inner, Social, and Moral. Father Laforgue and David had inner conflicts. Father Laforgue's inner conflict was trying to go along with the savages' ways but yet protecting himself. He did not want to offend the savages, get ill from the food, or be considered one who doesn't share. David's inner conflict was his love for Annuka verses his loyalty to Father Laforgue. David wanted to marry Annuka but also wanted to make sure Laforgue got to his destination. Annuka's inner conflict was that she wanted to marry David but she didn't want to go against her family. Chomina's conflict was that he wanted to take Laforgue and David all the way to the rapids, as the Hurons promised, but the council wanted to leave them. The Huron people (savages) were unique. They were cruel, brave, and warlike. The Hurons had very different beliefs from the Jesuits'. The savages believed that the wind spoke, dreams told them of their future, and the dead could see at night. They also did not discipline their children. For religious reasons, they practiced ritual cannibalism and exposed their enemies to extended torture. They were also pleasure loving, giving and sharing, and sexually open with everyone. The Huron people roused fear, animosity, and hopelessness in each other. In the end, their enemy, the Iroquois, would defeat the Huron people. When Father Laforgue and David start their mission, the mood is happy, and excited. One thing Father Laforgue doesn't know is that David has a different motive for going. David has fallen in love with a savage girl n
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Approximate Word count = 1362
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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