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'Now, This Is a True Story.'

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Title: 'Now, This Is a True Story.'
Language: English
Authors: Darwin, Clayton M.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 1995
Document Type: Information Analyses
Opinion Papers
Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Literature, American Indians, Authors, Autobiographies, Books, Cherokee (Tribe), Childrens Literature, Elementary Secondary Education, Literary Criticism, Story Telling
Abstract: This paper presents a cultural/historical interpretation of "The Education of Little Tree," a children's book by the late Forrest Carter. The 1976 book, which sold over 700,000 copies and was widely used in classrooms to present Native American values and lifestyles, is the story of an orphaned boy named Little Tree, raised by his Cherokee grandparents in the Tennessee mountains during the Depression. Because the book's cover carried the subtitle "A True Story by Forrest Carter," critics charge that the author presented the book as an autobiography and true representation of Native American culture. In 1991, Forrest Carter was exposed as the late Asa Earl Carter, a Ku Klux Klan terrorist and right-wing radio announcer. The revelations caused an upheaval among readers and proponents of Carter's work. This paper suggests that Carter's representation of the book as a "true story" simply reflects a cultural tradition of storytelling in the South and that the author did not intend to misrepresent his work. For example, it is apparent that the Native American themes in the book are not the "truth" and are simply added to make the story more interesting. Carter's story does not accurately reflect Cherokee beliefs about creation and the natural order, nor their hunting, farming, and social practices. Although Carter's themes are more representative of Appalachian culture than Cherokee culture, the "truth" in the story is that Carter is portraying his own beliefs and experiences. What Carter has done is give the reader his philosophy on the three relationships that every person will encounter in life: spiritual, human, and environmental. The controversy over this book results from a failure to understand the culture of the author. This book is indeed a "true story" in the Southern sense of the phrase, and Forrest/Asa Earl Carter is indeed a true storyteller. (LP)
Entry Date: 1997
Accession Number: ED408117
Database: ERIC
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: 'Now, This Is a True Story.'
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Darwin%2C+Clayton+M%2E%22">Darwin, Clayton M.</searchLink>
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 23
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1995
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Information Analyses<br />Opinion Papers
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indian+Culture%22">American Indian Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indian+Literature%22">American Indian Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indians%22">American Indians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Authors%22">Authors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autobiographies%22">Autobiographies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cherokee+%28Tribe%29%22">Cherokee (Tribe)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Childrens+Literature%22">Childrens Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literary+Criticism%22">Literary Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Story+Telling%22">Story Telling</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This paper presents a cultural/historical interpretation of "The Education of Little Tree," a children's book by the late Forrest Carter. The 1976 book, which sold over 700,000 copies and was widely used in classrooms to present Native American values and lifestyles, is the story of an orphaned boy named Little Tree, raised by his Cherokee grandparents in the Tennessee mountains during the Depression. Because the book's cover carried the subtitle "A True Story by Forrest Carter," critics charge that the author presented the book as an autobiography and true representation of Native American culture. In 1991, Forrest Carter was exposed as the late Asa Earl Carter, a Ku Klux Klan terrorist and right-wing radio announcer. The revelations caused an upheaval among readers and proponents of Carter's work. This paper suggests that Carter's representation of the book as a "true story" simply reflects a cultural tradition of storytelling in the South and that the author did not intend to misrepresent his work. For example, it is apparent that the Native American themes in the book are not the "truth" and are simply added to make the story more interesting. Carter's story does not accurately reflect Cherokee beliefs about creation and the natural order, nor their hunting, farming, and social practices. Although Carter's themes are more representative of Appalachian culture than Cherokee culture, the "truth" in the story is that Carter is portraying his own beliefs and experiences. What Carter has done is give the reader his philosophy on the three relationships that every person will encounter in life: spiritual, human, and environmental. The controversy over this book results from a failure to understand the culture of the author. This book is indeed a "true story" in the Southern sense of the phrase, and Forrest/Asa Earl Carter is indeed a true storyteller. (LP)
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1997
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED408117
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED408117
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: American Indian Culture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: American Indian Literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: American Indians
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Authors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Autobiographies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Books
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cherokee (Tribe)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Childrens Literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Literary Criticism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Story Telling
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: 'Now, This Is a True Story.'
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Darwin, Clayton M.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Type: published
              Y: 1995
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