Thom Versus Original Account Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Thom Versus Original Account Essay, Research Paper Thom versus Original Account Revision Humanistic disciplines 1704, 12:30 T. ? Th. Anita Puckett November 1996 1 Thom versus Original Account Revision Follow the River, written by James Alexander Thom, was based on the gaining control of Mary Draper Ingles by a group of Shawnee Indians and the flight that followed her imprisonment. It was a slightly accurate history of the events that may hold happened during her long journey to and from the Shawnee small town. These similarities are really good because it gives the reader a sense of the factual side of the journey. Therefore, the reader is able to understand how difficult a life the frontier people had to populate. However, there are a few divergences that Thom makes. These differences may be little, but they have a major impact on the apprehension of the factual history of Mary? s journey. In this paper, I will try to depict some of the similarities and divergences between Follow the River and the original histories by John Hale and John Ingles, Sr. and depict how this distorts the apprehension of the true history. After reading the original histories of Mary Ingles? flight, I found that Thom? s version of the event is similar in many ways to the existent history. Thom was really accurate in his description of the existent slaughter that occurred at Draper? s Meadow. In the history written by John Ingles, Sr. , he names the people that were either taken prisoner of killed by the Indians. He writes that his female parent and her two kids, Thomas and George, his Aunt Draper, and Henry Leonard were taken captive by the Shawnees. John Ingles besides states in his narrative that Colonel Patton, Casper Barger, his Grandma 2 Draper and kid were killed ( 8 ) . In Follow the River, Thom describes the same people either being killed or taken confined by the Shawnee Indians. Another similarity between the two histories was the flight of Mary? s partner William. In the original history, William discovers the slaughter and tickers impotently at the border of a field. After standing at that place for a minute, William is noticed by two of the Indians. William runs for the forests and the Indians follow him. While running through the thick forests, William attempts to leap a fallen tree. He trips over the tree and falls to the land. The Indians did non detect that William had fallen and continued down the vale. William rose to his pess and headed in the opposite way to seek to acquire some aid in trailing his household that had been taken confined ( 8 ) . In Follow the River, the same pursuit is portrayed by Thom. The most astonishing factual similarity in Thom? s history was that of Mary giving birth on the trail. John Hale writes of this event in his history. On the dark of the 3rd twenty-four hours out, the class of nature was fulfilled and Mrs. Ingles, with merely a drape of black darkness around her, gave birth to an infant girl ( 28 ) . This birth is written about in Follow the River. This event is really good to the reader. It sets a image of an immortal adult female in their head. This so helps the reader to believe some of the divergences that Thom made. 3 Yet another similarity that I found worthy of observing was the running of the gantlet by the captives at the Shawnee small town. This event was one that I had a difficult clip believing when I read Follow the River. However, John Ingles, Sr. writes that the captives of the Shawnee small town did hold to travel through the Indian usage. He states that the work forces, adult females, and kids that inhabited the small town would organize two rows and each one of them would be armed with a stick. The captives would so hold to run between the two rows while taking the penalty from the Indians. Ingles besides states that his female parent was exempt from this act of anguish ( 10 ) . Thom besides writes about this unusual usage in his history. This event besides sets the image of a difficult life in the reader? s head. The last similarity that I will observe involves the existent flight of Mary and the Dutch adult female. In all three histories, the two Gallic work forces take Mary and the Dutch adult female down the Ohio River to the Big Bone Lick. During their stay at the lick, they enjoyed more freedom than at the Shawnee small town. Besides, there were non as many Indians to track the two if they did seek to get away. The two adult females took advantage of this and made their escape one twenty-four hours while garnering nuts and berries for the work forces. Ingles, Thom, and Hale portray this event in similar manners ( Ingles 11, Thom 156, Hale 38 ) . There were a few minor inside informations of the journey that are similar between the accoun Ts that may non hold much bearing on the apprehension of the book, but are still deserving observing. One of the inside informations that Thom had in Follow the River was the bell that the 4 Dutch adult female wore around her cervix. He wrote that shortly after their flight from the lick, they came across a Equus caballus and decided to take it along on their journey. During the journey they lose the Equus caballus when they tried to traverse the river on a make-shift span and it fell through the logs. However, before the Equus caballus was swept down the river, the Dutch adult female took the bell off of the Equus caballus and wore it around her cervix for the continuance of the concluding stat mis ( 200 ) . John Ingles, Sr. writes of the same event in his history. He notes the fact that the animal had a bell around its? cervix when the two adult females discovered it and so the unfamiliarity of the fact that the Dutch adult female took the bell from the Equus caballus when they were obliged to go forth it in the impetus ( 18 ) . One concluding item that may look hard to believe in Thom? s history was the implorations by Mary to happen the Dutch adult female after her d eliverance by Adam Harmon ( 374 ) . One may believe that this was non true because of the many efforts of the Dutch adult female to kill Mary. However, Ingles and Hale both write of the petition ( Ingles 18, Hale 77 ) . There were besides many differences in the two histories. The divergences that Thom makes from the original history were done to do the book more interesting to the reader. These divergences have a major impact on the apprehension of the factual events that occurred during Mary Ingles? ordeal. The most noticeable divergences that Thom makes involves the confidant feelings that Mary and Captain Wildcat seemingly have for one another. Thom describes the feelings that Mary has for Captain Wildcat as feelings of 5 lecherousness and demand. He even describes dreams that Mary has of confidant brushs that she and Captain Wildcat would bask ( 119 ) . These feelings were likely non true. Mary likely had no feelings for the main except for feelings of hatred ( Ingles 10 ) . This divergence makes Mary expressions like a really unfaithful individual. In Thom? s history, Mary practically gives up her hubby for Captain Wildcat. She seems to replace the love and fondness that she had for William with the turning love for Captain Wildcat. Another divergence that Thom makes has to make with Mary? s two older kids. In Follow the River, the two male childs stay in the same small town as Mary. Thom describes that Mary is non allowed to pass on with them really frequently, but that she on occasion sees them. In Hale? s history, he writes that George was taken someplace in the inside and Thomas was taken to Detroit ( 33 ) . Thom portrays the kids as still being with her so that when she leaves the small town, she will look emotionally sound. She was able to go forth her two boies behind and go forth without much compunction. Another divergence that I will advert is Indian squaw in Follow the River. In both of the original histories the squaw is non-existent. I believe that Thom added this for the same ground that he added the portion about her two older kids. The divergences that Thom puts in his history of Mary Draper Ingles? flight from the Shawnee small town hinder the apprehension of the existent flight. Thom adds these divergences to do certain characters seem to be superhuman. He accomplishes this really 6 readily. With the many adversities that Mary and the Dutch adult female encountered on the journey place, they still managed to return to civilization with no injury to themselves except for exhaustion. While reading Follow the River, I did non pay really much attending to these divergences and similarities. I was under the feeling that most of the events that Thom described were factual. After reading the existent history, I noticed some major differences and similarities between the two histories. The similarities helped me to appreciate the bravery of the frontier people and particularly Mary Ingles. The divergences had a major impact on the manner that I judged Mary and the other characters. I am glad that I was able to bask the factual history of the truly astonishing narrative. Whether it is Thom? s version, or the existent history, I believe that everyone should be introduced to Mary Draper Ingles. 7 Thom, James Alexander. Follow the River. New York: Ballantine Books, 1981. Steele, Roberta Ingles and Andrew Lewis Ingles, eds. Escape from Indian Captivity: The Narrative of Mary Draper Ingles and boy Thomas Ingles. Radford, VA, 1969. Hale, John P. Trans-Allegheny Pioneers. Charleston, W.Va. : The Kanawha Valley Publishing, Co. , 1931.