"An Indian's Looking Glass for the White Man"

Charles So
English 48A
Journal for Apess

Author Quote:
“[God] who will show no favor to outward appearances but will judge righteousness”(1053)

Internet Quote:
“Apess is now celebrated for his ability to combine the perspectives of Native Americans and European Americans and to manipulate the accepted modes of discourse to suit his subversive ends. Scholars have also described Apess's struggle to construct an identity as a Native American living among whites as strikingly contemporary” (found at enotes.com search William Apess)

Summary:
It starts off briefly describing the conditions of a Indian reservations and how the Indians living there have lost their morality. He blames many of the problems on the white man who oversees the reservation, Apess believes they do not care if the “Indians live or die“. William Apess, through his moving narrative brings up the concept of a chosen race by the white people and he suggest that there is no pure or chosen race or ethnicity. He also talks about the inconsistency of white peoples behavior with the words of the bible.

Personal Opinion:
Apess is burning as he reveals the underbelly of American society, for his people the Native Americans and also African Americans (the slaves) are being systematically being murdered or used as labor. Apess talks of a rebellion from such a evil government which reminds me of Frederick Douglass and Henry David Thoreau. However, Apess in many way is more critical he points out the cruel intentions of the white race and try to tell white people how they treat other races, “I would ask you if you would like to be disfranchised from all your rights, merely because your skin white, and for no other crime,”(1054) he is very bold as he talks about the inhumane acts of white people towards who they feel are inferior races.