The plot in the story starts with True Son, a white boy who was raised by Indians
since he was four years old. A Native American family raised him as their own when their
son had died and True son was taken as prisoner. True Son's Indian parents said words
that made him an Indian. True Son considered this to be his life, and these people to be
his family.
One day when he was 15, he was told by his father that a new law was passed and
because he was white, he had to go back and live with his real family. Then True Son is
escorted by white soldiers back to the place where his parents live. His cousin and best
friend Half Arrow accompanies him on part of this journey.
True Son is reluctant to go and hates his white family. They force him to wear their
clothes, speak their language and interact with other whites daily. The only white
person
he likes is Gordie, his younger brother. Gordie is the only one who tries to understand
True Son, he's also the only one to call him True Son instead of John Butler, his real
name.
Once while he was living with his white family he tried to escape. When Gordie
begged to go too, True Son brought him too. But Before they could get very far, they
were
caught. A while later, True Son became ill and did not seem to get better with the
medicines that the Whites had. One night Gordie told True son that some Indians had
been seen in the town. Once he was left alone in his room, True Son put on his Indian
clothes and went out the window to meet his people.
He finds Half Arrow who had come with another Indian, Little Crane who was
married to a white that was taken to live with her real family. True Son's uncle had seen
Little Crane and scalped him. True Son and Half Arrow tried to kill the uncle in revenge
but were almost killed and decided to escape instead.
The climax of the story is after they have escaped and are in the woods. They
spend many days in the woods on the journey back home and Half Arrow informs True
son of the things he has missed while he was gone. Once they get back there is much
celebration and feasts in their honor. When Cuyloga and the others found out about the
death of Little Crane, they planned to go and kill the person who had killed their
friend
and relative.
When it came time to chose who was to go, True Son was allowed after much
debate. The Indians heard of a white boat that was coming along the river where they
were traveling. They planned to ambush the boat, but True Son warned the people when
he saw a little boy that reminded him of Gordie. The other Indians thought that True Son
should be killed for betraying his own people. His father said not to kill him, to send
him
back to live with the whites. In the end Cuyolga said for True Son to go down one path
and that he would go down the other. From that point on they were enemies.
The conflict in the novel starts when True Son finds out that he has to leave the
Indian village where he was born and raised to live with his true parents and family
which
he hasn't seen in eleven years. This begins the major conflict in the story, an example
Man
vs. Himself. It is an inner conflict for True Son to intellectually and spiritually
accept the
idea of having to become a white.
The main conflict is divided into various smaller ones, revolving around True Son
having to endure the ways of a white person. These conflicts begin when True son is
staying at the camp of the white soldiers. He is treated poorly by the soldiers and he
is
unwilling to be helpful and try to understand and obey the soldiers. The only bringing
him joy is cousin, Half Arrow who is with him for a while. After half Arrow leaves, True
Son thinks of a plan to escape and how much he hates the whites.
Once he gets to his white parents, he thinks that many of the things that the whites
do are ridiculous. He wonders why they wear uncomfortable clothes and shoes. This also
is the beginning of two more conflicts, Man vs. Society and Man vs. Authority. True son
had to obey his parents and do all of the things they told him to even though they
seemed
pointless and made no sense to him. He also had to learn a new strange language and say
things the way he was told. He had to stand differently. Basically he had to go through
a
total metamorphosis.
The resolution to these problems is when True Son and Half Arrow are in the
woods talking in their native language. True Son dressed in his traditional Indian dress
and moccasins. Before True Son is trying to escape with Half Arrow, there is an
important
conflict when Little Crane is killed. This starts another conflict with the Indians
trying to
get revenge on the person who killed Little Crane. There are some minor conflicts while
Half Arrow and True Son are in the woods.
Another major conflict occurs when the party of Indians were trying to ambush
the whites' boat, and True Son warned them so that none would be hurt. The climax of
this conflict is when the Indians are deciding whether or not to kill True Son. This
conflict isn't resolved because the story ends in a cliffhanger.
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