She needed Molly to have blonde hair because the name Lenski has the Seneca Indians give her, is Corn Tassel. It is possible that Jemison's hair was blonde during her teens and became darker (the light chestnut brown that Seaver described) as she got older, but I think Lenski's choice was deliberate. They looked at it as if they had never seen such hair before.

They took it in their hands they blew upon it and tried to braid it they let it rest like corn-silk soft upon their palms. the thing that pleased them most was Molly’s hair- her pale yellow, shining hair, the color of ripened corn. Lenski describes the Indians looking at her teeth, but.

I do think they capture that idea that Whiteness is special.Īfter Molly is captured, her captors get her ready to be sold. Is it fair to compare those two images? Maybe, maybe not.

Here's how Lenski depicted the Native women fawning over Molly's hair: Certainly we find a lot of that sort of thing in writings of White people who describe skin color in derogatory or exotic ways. I need to look for evidence of Native fascination with the hair and skin of white people. The Injuns’ll never hurt you, Molly-child! Why, if they ever saw your pretty yaller hair, a-shinin’ in the sun, they’d think ’twas only a corn-stalk in tassel and they’d pass you by for certain!” Many works depict Native characters who are fascinated by the hair of white characters. “Why should I be afeard?” laughed her father. Molly (Lenski used that nickname rather than her given name, Mary) asked Pa why he isn't afraid. In chapter one, there's great fear of an 'Injun' attack. Part of that story involved the names she uses for Jemison. Jemison's hair was, according to Seaver, 'a light chestnut brown.' My guess is that Lenski changed it to fit the story she was telling. In the original edition, you see that Lenski depicts Jemison as having blonde hair. One thing that struck me right away is Lenski's depiction of Jemison's hair. Mary Jemison, which was published in 1824. Seaver on A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Before she died, she worked with James E. She was born in 1742 or 1743 and died in 1833. There was, in fact, a woman named Mary Jemison. These captivity stories-of white girls/women captured by Indians-are very popular. The chances that you read Indian Captive in school are pretty high. She was captured by the Seneca Indians when she was a child and lived with them all her life.

Here's the summary, from WorldCat:įictionalized account of Mary Jemison. As I write, Indian Captive is ranked at #31 on Amazon's list of paperback biographies for children-and it is ranked at #2 on Kindle biographies for children.

Indian captive by lois lenski