Dances with Wolves Today

There were so many different themes shown in the movie Dances with Wolves. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to write my journal entry on. I've decided I want to write about the evolution of Lieutenant Dunbar into Dances With Wolves. At the beginning of the movie Dunbar is completely committed to the United States Army. He was seen as a hero for the action he took part in on the frontlines of the civil war. This action caused him to be able to choose wherever he wanted to be posted. He chose to be sent to the frontier.

When he found the abandoned fort he settled in all alone. Dunbar made this place comfortable; he was clearly planning on being there for quite awhile. To me, this showed that he was searching for something within himself. He chose to stay there at the fort completely alone. If this were myself, I would have continued on to find other troops to keep me company. I think that unconsciously he wanted to get away from the whites; he knew of their greed and pridefulness and it didn't suit well with him. Later in the movie, this was shown when he witnessed the buffalo that had been murdered. He saw the wagon tracks and was appalled knowing that it was his people who did this for no reason at all except to take the fur.

Once Dunbar saw the first Indian, he was watching at all times for them to come. They were considered a threat to him. Slowly, he got to know them through patience and understanding. The way he handled his first meetings really showed what a great man he was. Many of the other army men probably would have been killed by the Indians because of their pridefulness. Dunbar was always kind and respectful. He began to earn their trust with each meeting they had. Not only did he earn the Indians trust, but also the white woman. When they first met she tried to run away, by the end they were married and in love.

The lieutenant also began to trust the Indians. They were considered his neighbors and friends according to his journal writings. One of the most pivotal moments of this establishment of trust between them was when he warned them of the buffalo. Not only did he tell them the buffalo were near, he went hunting with them. Another huge moment when he proved himself was when the other Indians came to fight and he supplied them with weapons. This was also when his betrayal to the army came in. Weapons and ammo were precious items back then. Giving these to the Indians officially proved his loyalty to them. Then, he began giving away his gear such as his coat and hat. These were traded for some of the items the Indians wore. Slowly, he began to dress like them. By the end of the movie almost everything he was wearing was from the Indians; he didn't have his lieutenant uniform on anymore. Also, he moved in one of the tee pees the Indians had up. He abandoned