Abstract
This work examines the popularity of captivity narrative among Americans as well as its importance for American culture and history. Captivity narratives clearly describe the relationship between the new settlers and the Native Americans. In such narratives the stories of settlers being captivated by the Indians are often described. Moreover, the popularity of captivity narrative at present time also symbolize Americans’ fear of losing their freedom and their identity. As an example, in the world of Star-Trek, people were afraid to be assimilated by the Borgs and to lose their identity. As Tindol states, captivity narratives describe people’s fear of being assimilated or captivated.
Key words
Captivity narrative, American culture, assimilation, Star-Trek
In his article “The Star-Trek Borg As An All-American Captivity Narrative” Robert Tindol draws parallel between the Borgs (half-human, half-robot beings) that first appeared in Star Trek franchise and captivity narrative. In fact, Tindol tries to prove that the Borgs symbolize the American paranoia of being assimilated or captivated by the Other. The author claims that the popularity of captivity narrative lies in American history as it recalls the times when European settlers were captivated by Native Americans. All in all, it is clear that being an integral part of American culture, captivity narrative is still popular at present time.
First of all, in his article the author gives definition to Star-Trek Borgs, trying to describe their nature. According to Tindol, “the Star-Trek Borgs are always whomever is unfortunate enough to be assimilated and forced into a life of near-mindless collective existence, fated to serve the needs of the greater society with no individuality or self-interest to be manifest, and with no ultimate goal other than to turn every non-Borg humanoid into a member of the collective” (Tindol). The author also connects the fear of Borgs in the Star-Trek with Communist threat that was accurate during those times when the movie first appeared. Such creatures symbolized negative idea, something that could become quite dangerous. At the same time, Tindol mentions that the Soviets finished their existence long time ago. However, the image of the Borg is still popular in the media. This image is still associated with the potential threat of being captivated by something that is Other. So, Tindol claims that the Borgs are a certain kind of manifestation of captivity narrative.
Furthermore, Tindol briefly mentions the history of the captivity narrative. In such a way the author tries to explain the popularity and significance of this narrative for Americans. The author believes that it's genre has gained its popularity due to the work of Mary Rownaldson in which she depicted her being a prisoner of the Indians. Tindol also states that the popularity of captivity narratives is largely associated with American history and with its culture. Thus, it is obvious that in a certain way such stories depict the way the new settlers used to fight for their freedom from the Other. They depict a romantic quest where people tried to gain their independence. No wonder captivity narrative is still important at present time and it occupies one of the central roles in American fiction. Tindol also states that this literary genre could still be seen in modern world. And the world of 24th – century Star Trek is a good example. In it Earthlings try to do everything in order not to become the victims of the Borgs. They are even ready to kill their crew members who transformed into the Borgs. Indeed, as Tindol states, the threat of Borgs dominates in the Star-Trek series.
Considering the work of Tindel, it is possible to say that the author touched quite an accurate topic – that is the importance of captivity narrative in modern world as well as American threats to be captivated by others. All in all, it is possible to agree with Tindel that the importance of captivity narrative for modern America lies in the history and culture of the country. Indeed, this genre appeared mainly after the first contact between Europeans and Native Americans. Thus, “the important difference between American culture and other national cultures is the extent to which the country was settled by outsiders who imagined that in this world they would find the solution to the problems which had been unsolved in Europe” (Culture as a Battleground: Colonial Life and the Captivity Narrative). At that time a number of settlers arrived at America and a great number of them were taken by the Native Americans. So, captive narratives clearly depict the history of relationship between Europeans and Native Americans. As Fons states, “because capture by Indians was a ubiquitous threat causing fear across the American frontier, these narratives served to educate readers about the experiences of captives as well as familiarize readers with the Native American culture” (Fons). With the help of such narratives Americans used to romanticize these events despite the fact that they caused a lot of fear. Captivity narratives were also of great importance for the audience as they helped people to learn more about the history and the culture of their country. They were also used in order to explain and justify westward expansion. Thus, new settlers occupied the land where other people had already been living. It is true that they started the colonization of a new land. However, it is important to note that in captivity narratives white settlers were often depicted as victims. And Native Americans, on the contrary, were often described as the main villains of the stories. As a result, it is possible to state that such narratives justified the colonization of the country. Probably, the events that are often depicted in captivity narratives have left a great trace on the lives of Americans. That is the main reason why these narratives are still so popular and why Americans still tend to suffer from fear of being captivated by the Other. As Tindol claims, in various versions of the Star-Trek the Borgs “represent the age-old American paranoia of being held in thrall by an Other who would drag Americans where they do not wished to be dragged” (Tindol). It is clear that Americans are still afraid of being assimilated by the Other as it means that they could lose their identity. They still have a fear that someone or something may threaten their freedom and their independence. That is the main reason why captivity narratives are still have a significant influence on modern American culture.
Works cited
Tindol, Robert. “The Star-Trek Borg As An All-American Captivity Narrative”. Digital Library of the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2016
Fons, Katherine. “Captivity Narratives in Colonial America”. University of Michigan. n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
“Culture as a Battleground: Colonial Life and the Captivity Narrative”. Radford University. n.d. Web. 29. Feb. 2016
