The Land of Enchantment by Marian Russell Essay Example for Free

The Land of Enchantment by Marian Russell Essay The book titled â€Å"Land of Enchantment† by Marian Russell (1845-1936) is an account of her travels along the Santa Fe Trail as a child during the 1850s and 1860s. The book is addressed to her daughter in law, Miss Hal Russell, to whom she dictated it in the 1930s. But, the aim of the book, according to the author is â€Å"to preserve to posterity the truth and the warmth of an unforgettable period in American history; the stirring decades in which sturdy pioneers blazed trails across a strange and wondrous land of prairies, plains and mountains†. Hence the book may be considered as addressed to all future generations of readers who are fascinated by the American West and in particular the Santa Fe trail. It was published in a limited edition in 1954 and due to high ratings by leading critics, the demand for the book far exceeded the stock. The Santa Fe Trail was historically a popular route in New Mexico that was used for commercial travel across the West. As such it was used more frequently by merchants than by emigrants. It was rare to find women on the Santa Fe Trail and this makes this account by Marian Russell a very special one. It is one of the few firsthand accounts by a woman of life on the Santa Fe Trail. The book brings to life nineteenth century New Mexico from the eyes of a seven year old girl. Adding more color to the accounts are Mrs. Russell’s memories of several well-known western figures.   This book is truly a historical account of the Santa Fe Trail. The book is a first-person account of the author’s travels and hence the book is highly authentic. Moreover, the meticulousness of the details included in this travel account provides the book with a high degree of value as a historical book. Marian Russell was the third and last child of William and Eliza St. Clair Sloan, who were of Scottish ancestry. She was named after Lady Marian Wallace whose tragic story touched her mothers heart. In this book, the author traces her life story from 1848 to 1936. During this period, she moved from St. Louis to California with her mother. The travel took her across the Santa Fe Trail – the historic nature of which is best brought out through Russell’s words: â€Å"It led from our eastern seaboard to the waters of the blue Pacific. If we could but measure it by the tears and the smiles it has known we would never be able to trace its way through American history†. The style of writing is very simple but very colorful. The author uses descriptive words to bring the scene before the readers: â€Å"†¦as we bore westward, the deer and the antelope bounded away from us. There were miles and miles of buffalo grass, blue lagoons and blood-red sunsets and, once in a while, a little sod house on the lonely prairie-home of some hunter or trapper†. She also includes minute details such as the freight charges during that period in time.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The freight rate to Santa Fà © was $10.00 per hundred pounds. Teamsters and drivers were paid $25.00 per month plus rations†. The narrative is partly child like and partly adult in perspective as this is an account of the experiences of a small child dictated in an adult voice. The author talks about the dangers due to native Indians on the Santa Fe Trail. She recounts with horror the night when the Indians attacked the camp she was staying in and stole a herd of two hundred army horses. During this account, the author also gives deep insights to the culture of the people she met. The Indians she noticed valued some relatively small worth articles such as charms and disposed easily of some things of real value. These charms could be in the form of a war bonnet or a breech clout or even just a smooth pebble from the river. But charms were never for sale. Apart from Indian culture, she also gives accounts of the animals and plants along the route: big spiders, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, rattle snakes and lizards. There was also a variety of cactus that resembled trees, wild asters, scarlet honeysuckle, and night blooming poppies. Her poetic way of perception binds the reader’s interest in the book: â€Å"Sometimes a cactus, an old bone or a bunch of red grass caused the desert mirage to assume gigantic proportions†. Through her dialogue with Captain Aubry, Marian Russell traces the history of New Mexico. She also includes great details on Fort Union. She describes Santa Fe as a place full of â€Å"donkeys, goats and Mexican chickens†. During her stay at Santa Fe and Albuquerque, she gives accounts of Mexican food, their housing, their lifestyle, the legends they believed in, the Mexican Mandolin, their dressing style, the tragic story of Mrs. Adelaide Wilson, and the faith of the Catholic nuns. She crisply notes: â€Å"The old Mexican was pure Spanish and Indian, and often the Indian blood predominated; a class of people as colorful as the land in which they lived†. Thus, the book â€Å"Land of the Enchanted† by Marian Russell is a must-read for anyone with a fascination for Mexican history and culture. With the kaleidoscopic nature of details included, the book will be highly informative from many viewpoints: science, history, sociology, archeology, spirituality and humanity as well. Bibliography: Russell, Marian (1981). Land of Enchantment: Memoirs of Marian Russell along the Santa Fae Trail. University of New Mexico Press, 1981

My Antonia Essay: Importance of Setting -- My Antonia Essays

The Importance of Setting in My Antonia The setting of the story has tremendous impact on the characters and themes in the novel "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. Cather's delicately crafted naturalistic style is evident not only in her colorfully detailed depictions of the Nebraska frontier, but also in her characters’ relationship with the land on which they live. The common naturalist theme of man being controlled by nature appears many times throughout the novel, particularly in the chapters containing the first winter. The Burden's and the Shimerda's, try as they might, cannot fight the harsh climate of the Nebraska prairie. Rather than attempt to control the environment around them, they must learn to work with it and adjust to make do with what they have. Jim learns this his first winter, as well as the Shimerda's, for they are both newcomers to a strange place. They realize that trying to fight the wind and snow will do more harm than good, and adapt themselves to work when weather permits and hope nature... My Antonia Essay: Importance of Setting -- My Antonia Essays The Importance of Setting in My Antonia The setting of the story has tremendous impact on the characters and themes in the novel "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. Cather's delicately crafted naturalistic style is evident not only in her colorfully detailed depictions of the Nebraska frontier, but also in her characters’ relationship with the land on which they live. The common naturalist theme of man being controlled by nature appears many times throughout the novel, particularly in the chapters containing the first winter. The Burden's and the Shimerda's, try as they might, cannot fight the harsh climate of the Nebraska prairie. Rather than attempt to control the environment around them, they must learn to work with it and adjust to make do with what they have. Jim learns this his first winter, as well as the Shimerda's, for they are both newcomers to a strange place. They realize that trying to fight the wind and snow will do more harm than good, and adapt themselves to work when weather permits and hope nature...

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

In the autobiography, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, there is an underlying theme of knowledge as the path to freedom. During Douglass’ time, slave owners deprived slaves of an education and as a result, the slaves were thus deprived of freedom. Knowledge among slaves is what the white men feared the most, as knowledge not only â€Å"spoiled† slaves, it also provided them with the insight that ultimately paved their road to freedom. Knowledge corrupts, or â€Å"spoils† slaves, as it happened with Frederick Douglass. Because uneducated slaves could not think for themselves, they were thus forced to obey their masters, or â€Å"thinkers† who made their decisions for them. After Douglass learned to read The Columbian Orator, a book that boldly denounced the immorality of slavery and the whites, he began to harbor such bitter resentment toward his masters that he â€Å"wishes [him]self dead.† Knowledge emboldened Douglass, and gave him the courage to rebel against his masters. As a result, Douglass vowed to â€Å"run away† from the â€Å"band of successful robbers †¦ that reduced him to slavery.† Indeed, wisdom had â€Å"spoiled† Douglass; he has now gained a keen insight that allowed him to fully articulate the inhumanities of his masters. Knowledge gave Douglass the ability to recognize the enormities of the corrupt white slave owners. Douglass, for instance, points out that it was the white man who â€Å"shut [Douglass’] mouth, and then ask why [he doesn’t] speak,† thus proving that slave owners neither allow slaves to think for themselves, nor do they allow the slaves a voice in that decision. Furthermore, slave owners had previously instilled in their slaves the idea that any man who is independent is doomed to fall; consequently, slaves were misled to believe that freedom is slavery. However, Douglass, an educated slave, was able to realize that he too was created equal, that he too had rights, and also that he was not a slave, but a free man. In this way, Douglass managed to set into motion the gears of his emancipation. For Frederick Douglass, education was his â€Å"pathway from slavery to freedom.† With his wisdom, he not only dispersed his experiences to other slaves but also stirred up sentiments within the white abolitionists as well. Unlike  their ignorant fellows, educated slaves can band together and finally reach for freedom. Works Cited 1. Douglass, Frederick. â€Å"The Church and Prejudice.† Plymouth County Anti-Slavery Society. Massachusetts, Plymouth County. 14 Nov. 1841. 2. Douglass, Frederick, Houston A. Baker, and William Lloyd Garrison. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass : An American Slave. New York: Penguin Books, Limited, 1982.

What is Sleep Deprivation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 749 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/07 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Sleep Deprivation Essay Did you like this example? Sleep deprivation is the lack of the usual requirement of sleep we need as humans. Sleep deprivation results in problems with your health such as an immune system shortage where as your immune system doesnt fight off illnesses as well. Sleep is needed for body functioning and homeostasis maintenance. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "What is Sleep Deprivation?" essay for you Create order The required amount of sleep needed to stay alert is efficiently eight hours, although you can still perform activities with less than eight hours. When having SD, you can repeatedly fall asleep throughout the day. The risks of injury or accidents on the road increases because you are not fully aware of your surroundings because of how tired you are. To fix your sleep deprivation, you must sleep off the amount of sleep you lost. As a teen, having sleep deprivation can affect you in many ways, including, not focusing on the road while youre driving, which can cause a wreck. You will have a poor attitude and possible mood swings. Getting enough sleep can help you in so many ways. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP? To get enough sleep, do not nap during the day. It will make you less tired at night and you wont be tired enough to fall asleep. When you are about to go to bed, I advise you to turn your phone off, or put it on do not disturb, because I know how easy it is to get distracted and look at the time and five more minutes turns into the two hours of sleep you couldve had extra. When trying to get enough sleep, avoid any types of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, which are all bad for you anyways. Even though having a caffeine buzz can cause you to fall asleep, it disrupts your sleep cycle and interacts with the sleep you should be getting. Limit the food you eat and drinking before going to sleep because digestion can interfere with sleep. Going out into the sunshine can increase your melatonin release, allowing your brain to shut down as your falling asleep. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR TEENS TO SLEEP MORE? Teenagers need about 8-10 hours of sleep every night, but most teens get about 7 hours of sleep every night which is less than efficient for their needs. Most teenagers are going through puberty, and their hormones release melatonin throughout the day which makes them fall asleep frequently. If sleep deprivation comes to teens during school days, it can cause lack of memory, mood swings, slow reaction time, and negatively affect performance. Getting more sleep reduces the chance of being overweight and getting obesity. If you try too hard to catch up on your sleep on the weekend, your chances of gaining weight increases. People with sleep disorders will most likely get depression because of their lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep is the worst thing you can do for your health because it can cause so many problems that you dont need. As a teenager, you need as much sleep as you can get because your body is constantly changing an you need to stay energized so your body can function right. WHAT CAN HELP YOU STAY HEALTHY? I advise you to go to sleep at a good time, so you can get eight hours of sleep and be well rested for the upcoming day ahead of you. When driving, it is very dangerous is you are tired because you might accidentally fall asleep and get in a wreck, which can affect you and the their lives around you. Approximately 100,000 crashes a year occur due to drowsiness driving, which is not good at all. So please, before you go off on the road, make sure you are fully rested so you do not harm yourself or other drivers. Getting enough sleep is a very good idea for all teens, it will keep you going throughout the day, and keep you fully energized at all times. On Sunday, before you start the long week of school, you need to establish a bedtime routine so you can get used to it throughout the week and stay energized and healthy. You can sleep in on the weekend, but do not go over 2-3 hours than normal. Make sure you do not nap more than 30 minutes during the day because you will not be able to fall asleep at night. If you follows these steps and take them into consideration, you can avoid sleep deprivation and live a happy, healthy lifestyle.