Impressions are the only tools one has when tackling the unknown. These impressions are often passed down through oral or written traditions. Much like how a parent’s preferences could be pass down to a child, impressions shapes one’s attitude towards a certain topic or situation. In a sense these impressions are comparable to the idea of Stereotypes, or preconceived notion placed on a certain groups of people . In Celluloids Indians Jacquelyn Kilpatrick describes stereotypes as such, “‘ [s] tereotypes are evaluative concepts about status and roles and as such are central to interpreting and evaluating social groups including one’s own.”’ (xvi) Using this idea Kilpatrick explores “the social, ideological and political construction” (xvi) of stereotypes in literature, film and politics in accordance to different perspectives. In short we explore how the interpretation of film and literature relies on the perspective in which it is told, as different perspectives manifest different stereotypes.
Prehaps some of the most prevalent examples are Literary works. These works often stem from stories of experience in encounters with Native Americans. Many of these literary …show more content…
Nanook of the North is a silent documentary film directed by Robert Flaherty. The film follows an Eskimo family endurance and survival of the harsh topography of Canada’s Arctic. There were many controversies surrounding this film. Some of the scenes in the film were staged by Flaherty, for example the igloo scene. It is very obvious that the camera can't fit inside the igloo with causing damage to it so Flaherty created a staged igloo. Also in this scene the women and the men all lay naked together in the same bed. Choosing these senses Flaherty is enhancing some of the stereotypes of native Americans not wearing any