Did you know that the Native Americans created the very first literature? They
told stories that used very consistent ideas. They used a lot of personification, and
anthropomorphism. In almost every story they told, animals or gods portrayed human
characteristics. Many of their stories explained some type of natural phenomenon. Their
stories also included a happy ending, and the theme of good over evil. These three ideas
are the most important characteristics of Native American oral literature.
First, personification and anthropomorphism are heavily used in Native American
literature. A good example of this is in "Why Possum's Tail is Bare". " 'Oh yes,' Possum
replied. 'I cannot miss the dance. I must show off my beautiful tail so everyone can
admire me!' "(Possum, 53). The possum clearly acts and talks like a human. In "Coyote
and Buffalo", the Buffalo and Coyote are smoking a pipe. This is an obvious human
characteristic given to these two animals. In the story, "The World on the Turtle's Back",
the people who lived in the sky world were gods. They did everything like humans. They
even broke the rules just like we do often. This displays the anthropomorphism in that
story. In all three of these stories, personification and or anthropomorphism are used.
Second, the Native Americans explained many natural phenomenon's. They
explained how land was created in "The World on the Turtle's back". The wife planted
the dirt and that was the beginning of creation. Then she added the root to start the
plants. "The woman took a tiny clot of dirt and placed it in the middle of the great turtle's
back. Then the woman began to walk in a circle around it, moving in the direction that
the sun goes. The earth began to grow." (Turtle, 26). In the movie "How Woodpeckers
...