Is it a Curse or a Blessing? Black Elk’s Attitude towards his Vision in Neihardt Black Elk Speaks

Abstract

This paper is a detailed analysis of Black Elk’s great vision in Black Elk Speaks written and documented by John G. Neihardt. It detects Black Elk’s possible intentions behind disclosing his full vision to Neihardt for the first time. This paper tracks the sequence of events and developments changing accordingly with the vision’s progression. It discerns Black Elk’s altering perspective on the vision from resisting it to utilizing it to enlighten people. In addition, this paper lists the burdens that come with the vision and shows how they effected Black Elk mentally and physically. Furthermore, it demonstrates how the vision reflects many of the Native American cultural aspects such as associating each one of the four main directions with a specific colour. It also detects the vision’s elements similarity to ones from other foreign cultures which resulted in questioning the vision’s authenticity such as the Mandala and wheeled carts. Finally, the paper examines doubting critiques and interpretations made by critics and thinkers on the truth behind the vision.