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As it was in the Beginning


            
            
             "As it was in the Beginning" gives a brief glimpse of the.
             horrible injustices inflicted upon the Native people in.
             the name of religion. While Pauline Johnson may have.
             glossed over some of the graphic details, the betrayal.
             of trust and the prejudice comes through very well.
             Religion is used as a smoke screen to assimilate Native.
             children and stamp out their culture. The oppression in.
             "As it was in the Beginning" is subtle, Father Paul is.
             never out right cruel to Esther, but it is there none.
             the less. Johnson uses irony and religious symbolism in.
             this story to convey the hypocrasy of Father Paul's.
             ideologies about the Native people. .
             Father Paul is a fraud and a hypocrit in that.
             he presents one face to Esther and another to Laurence.
             He pities Esther rather than loving her as he says he.
             does. She is his project. He molds her into the closest.
             thing she can get to being a nice, white, Christian.
             girl, yet when the possibility of marrying Laurence.
             comes up, Father Paul's true feelings come to light. For.
             all her education in the ways of the white, Protestant.
             world, she will never be an equal in Father Paul's eyes.
             She will forever be "one of them":evil, pagan, Indians.
             He imposes these prejudices on Laurence, convincing him.
             not to marry Esther without a thought to how Esther.
             might feel. Father Paul doesn't even regard her as a.
             person, much less a woman with thoughts and feelings and.
             intelligence. How ironic that he teaches love and.
             acceptance on one hand and yet does not practice what he.
             preaches. Father Paul is also a coward because only a .
             coward keeps his true feelings to himself and presents a.
             false front to the people he secretly loathes. He hides .
             behind his religious beliefs so he does not have to .
             admit that his sole desire is to manipulate and control .
             the thoughts and ideas of a whole race of people so that .
             they fit his own. .
             In "As It Was In The Beginning" religion is .
             used as a way to assimilate aboriginal children.


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