The World Turned Upside Down: Section Six

Joseph Brant, an Indigenous Person living in the 18th century, was affluent in both "White" and Indigenous culture. Though accepted by "White" culture, he realized many flaws that still exist and he vividly contrasts them to that of Indigenous culture. The cruelty of prisons are contrasted to perceptions of Indigenous acts that Brant claims cannot hold a candle to that of the prison system.
         Joseph Brant 1776

Using the Rhetoric that Brant learned in schools, he juxtaposes the ideas of cruelty held in imprisoning people for trivialities such as debt. Brant goes on to state that execution would be less cruel than keeping one in prison and from living naturally.  Utilizing the rhetoric learned in white schools, Brant takes on the language of the oppressor in order to prove his point on grounds that white culture cannot disregard. One of the most interesting points comes right at the end when shows great intuitiveness by condemning the term "savage," "Cease to call other nations savage, when you are tenfold more the child cruelty, then they." (Calloway 180). The retort was made much before the realization that the term was archaic, and shows a great amount of foresight in an essay for the most part ignored when viewing American literature.