Brideshead: American Indian Perspective

by Steven Denson

Brideshead symbolized a lost and dying order for me,
similar to the world of the American Indian from the
1950's thru 1980's. We have not had the grandeur, but our lives
in the tribes have been full of big ranches and generous
government funds and laughter and living in a sort of
unreal state of being, where all we are or have
had to be was the stereotype, charming, well-educated
Indians, speaking English and Latin as well as our native
languages, showing that assimilation and multi-cultural
education are the keys to dealing with American Indians.

This world is dying off, ranches are being broken up and sold
off, similar to the Australian experience. Agricultural
economies are so demolished that we are having to leave
the tribes to find work. Our education and degrees are mainly
humanities and social sciences, so employment is difficult and
scarce.

All of this, for me, was apparent in Brideshead, as Charles
acclimated to a progressing world and progressive time,
while Sebastian and his siblings, with their ancient pedigree,
bowed gracefully, if somewhat unsteadily, into the past.
In essence, Sebastian and his brother, like so many old families,
seemingly disdained joining the modern progression. It is so easy
to give up sometimes, and live in past glories rather than turning
loose and riding the inevitable tide of change.

Oftentimes, I think Sebastian was happier in his illusions
than Charles in his reality. At the conclusion, I felt that
Charles found an illusion worth holding on to, perhaps
the need to find Julia and resettle Brideshead. It was easier
for Charles to progress, he did not have centuries of tradition
holding him as tightly nor as strictly as Sebastian.

Steven Denson, Imosackta,
Chickasaw Nation, kentd@oio.net

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