Expectations

As I read Philip Deloria’s account of representation and expectation I found myself thinking back on the novels that we have read and how my own expectations create a lens for my interpretations of the readings and other’s cultures. Deloria points out in his introduction that we are told constantly in our lives what our expectations should be due to our “global mass-mediated culture” (6). I had not thought of the term “expectations” in quite the way that Deloria hopes that we will interpret it in relation to power and domination, but it made a lot of sense to me. When I was reading Kathleen Stewart’s book, my expectations about the people from the Appalachian area differed from the ones I had about Native Americans; perhaps because I am completely unfamiliar with the Appalachian region, I have allowed stories and films to dictate my knowledge of this area and create stereotypes. Growing up in the Southwest, I have had more exposure and opportunity to gain knowledge about Native Americans and this culture does not seem as foreign to me. It is interesting to note which stories, symbols, and truths become dominate and which fade into the background, depending on one’s own exposure and lens; today much of this can be attributed to technology, especially computers and films.
Deloria points out regarding live performances versus films “It's technologies of mass production reaching audiences differently and engaging them for a different set of expectations. They were key to the shifting of Indian violence from 19th-century possibility to 20th-century titillation and metaphor” (55). Recently, I researched and wrote a paper on Shakespeare's Henry V and the differences between an original practices production in a theater and to different film versions. The two films vary greatly in their depiction of war due to the historical context that they were filmed in. Laurence Olivier's film from 1944 was a wartime propaganda film which highlighted England's shining and convincing victory over the French; this was important because at this time the English people desired/expected victory in their own lives over the Germans. In Branagh’s 1989 version, he depicts war as horrific, dark, and agonizing for everyone; the battle scene is full of special effects, which filmgoers have come to expect. In regards to the expectations about Native Americans, Deloria states: “The relatively sympathetic films of the early decades gave way to genre-defining representations of war-whooping Indian savagery that lasted for most of the rest of the century” (105). Because films reached such large audiences and because they can readily create realistic scenarios, they are used to help create people's expectations. People who have not had any exposure or historical context to Native Americans, except in films which portray them as violent, believe that this is truly how these people are and to see them through any other lens is not only unbelievable but humorous. As we become farther removed from this period in history, it is easy to forget or consider the authenticity behind what we expect to be representative of another’s culture. Regarding the various fragments of culture which become a part of people's everyday lives Deloria confirms, “It is far from harmless. It sets and reinforces expectations. Those expectations occur in little fragments and in sweeping narratives throughout American and, indeed, global culture” (225). It is increasingly difficult to work through all of the media-generated depictions of which symbols are authentic and represent a culture in a truthful manner. Deloria reminds us to think of the history behind how a group, place or culture came to be and the importance of learning about that historical context before making assumptions or having expectations. As time moves forward and our histories become longer, we have to question if it will become easier or more difficult for future generations to record and to remember cultures within their historical frameworks. For example, in education today, in many courses, a professor chooses what time frame to cover in a particular class; however, while one may find that it is necessary to teach what has happened previously, one may gloss over much of the historical accuracies in order to focus on current literature, events, etc. Due to the capabilities of technology, we may assume that it will be easier to document and maintain historical accuracy, but we have to acknowledge that the authenticity especially of marginalized groups may become lost in the gaps of globalization. Kristin