Critical Assessment of Layli Long Soldier’s “38”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Many authors are very good and beautiful at conveying the idea that they put into their works. One such undoubtedly outstanding text is “38” by Layli Long Soldier. However, while quite interesting in its structure and presentation, the opinion expressed by the author and the basic idea formed, although popular in today’s discourse, can cause disagreement among readers familiar with at least basic historical facts.

Discussion

To broaden the audience and understanding of what will go into this critical work, a brief introduction to the purpose and arguments of the original text is initially necessary. In this case, even a brief indirect paraphrase is possible since “38” is not remarkable for its size. The work itself describes the conflict between the American settlers and the Native Dakota people, which was preceded by multiple land and trade treaties with the tribe. As a result, when the tribe began to starve, it raided the settlers but was repulsed by a surging army.

The title of the work captures the essence of the tragedy of the indigenous Dakota people of Minnesota. It was 38 members of the tribe were hanged by order of President Lincoln on December 26, 1862, as a result of the military conflict (Soldier). Moreover, it is in the genocide and extermination of the tribe members that the author accuses the American authorities of that time. It is totally clear and understandable since the settlers from the Old World often maltreated the Indigenous peoples, and many tribes were destroyed because of the colonization processes.

It is generally accepted that when writing any work, the author introduces the reader to his or her own opinion and the opinion of the opposite side if it exists. Regardless of the style and subject matter of the text, whether it is fiction or journalism, scientific or simply informational, the superiority of the author’s argumentation should convince the reader. Of course, there are other types of presentation of information, but for the most part, they have a very narrow focus.

To begin with, the writing style of Layli Long Soldier can be taken apart. It is fascinating, reminiscent of poetry in prose, but at the same time, in “38,” she added publicist methods of operating with the reader. An example of this is the references to the structure of the text itself to emphasize the contrast with its meaning: “… I italicize ‘same week’ for emphasis.” (Soldier). It is rare enough to note this kind of skill in one’s writing, and few would have a complaint about this aspect of the author’s work.

However, the argumentation of one’s position with these same magnificent examples is almost completely cut off by the author. For example, “So, I will recount facts as best as I can, given limited resources and understanding.”, “…I am not a historian.” (Soldier). In the end, the purpose of the text is achieved – it evokes the emotions that the author hoped for, thanks to the text structure alone. Particular emphasis is placed on the “hanging” and the date itself, which occurred in the same week as the Emancipation Proclamation (Soldier). What is interesting is that the author very indirectly voices the reason for the execution, cleverly concentrating on the fact that this reason was caused by the colonists themselves.

The author accuses the government of making “unfair” deals with the Dakota tribe that resulted in their loss of land and starvation. It is doubtful to justify any violence by dissatisfaction with a document, especially if it was signed by both parties. Therefore, from a certain perspective, this arrangement of the detail looks like victim-blaming, which is unacceptable in our time of struggle for equality – it turns out that the peaceful settlers were themselves to blame for being brutally murdered. After all, just a few insignificant words glimpsed, “Dakota warriors organized, struck out, and killed settlers and traders,” which became a reference to the beginning of the Sioux Rebellion (Soldier). This small passage hides several hundred murdered settler civilians, including women and children, which the author chose not to mention.

Furthermore, the substitution of concepts can be noted, probably to mislead the reader and emphasize the “murkiness” of the treaties. It is expressed by parsing the semantic origins of the word Minnesota and drawing a parallel to the unfairness and obscurity of the treaties. However, this is irrelevant – Minnesota is indeed a very muddy river in some places, and it has that name for that very reason. Separately, the author admires the murder of a civilian, a merchant, who had his mouth filled with grass for words that the author herself is not entirely sure of (Soldier). It will be left to the reader to evaluate the ethics of such an act in the civilized world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be reported that such texts contribute more to fomenting ethnic conflicts than to eliminating such conflicts and their consequences. Colonization has brought much grief to Indigenous and immigrant populations, and the entire conscious population is trying to correct its terrible legacy these days. Layli Long Soldier’s origins in the Oglalas, a sub-tribe of Lakota who was allied with the Dakotas, certainly explain her negative emotions and her entitlement to having them. Nevertheless, be that as it may, it is hard to call it rational to use such splendid writing talent to manipulate and masterfully bring hatred to the agenda in our already turbulent times.

Work Cited

Soldier, Layli L. “38.”The On Being Project, Web.

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Critical Assessment of Layli Long Soldier’s “38”

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