Questions Page 108/ John Smith Story~ ~ ~

1a. Describe the people present at Werowocomoco when John Smith is brought there. Who are they, and what do they look like?
Smith states that there were at least 200 natives in Werowocomoco when he had arrived, and that they all gazed upon him as if he were a monster. Of course, they probably gave him a funny look due to his odd attire, his skin colour, and the compass that he had given them. They just saw him as unique and different, not as harshly as Smith interpreted. 
Powhatan was dressed in a raccoon skin robe with the stripy tails still attached. The other natives' faces/shoulders painted red either through dye or figuratively by the sun. Everyone also had a white bead necklace as well as bird feathers in the hair/on their heads.

1b. Why do you think Powhatan dresses himself in his "greatest braveries" to speak with John Smith? Why does Smith feel that courtiers treat him "as if he had been a monster"? Explain why this is a natural reaction to Smith's presence in the village.
Because according to smith he used a native as a shield and fended off 300 bowmen. He may back this up by saying Powhatan was dressed in the greatest braveries to reinforce the fact that he is an amazing captain that struck fear into the Indians. However, due to the ritual/ceremony about to ensue, he is probably just wearing a traditional outfit and presenting himself to Smith in it to show respect which Smith totally doesn't pick up or understand.
'As if he had been a monster' goes back to the story of how he used a native man as a shield. If this is true, it is a pretty monsterous thing to do. However, like in question 1, they gazed at him oddly most likely due to his strange clothing and skin colour since many natives might not have seen a European man before.

2a. Who orders John Smith's execution? Who saves Smith from death? How does she save him?
Powhatan does when he is handed the ceremonial stones. His daughter, Pocahontas, saves him by thrusting herself in front of the men with clubs, cradling his head in her arms.

2b. Smith's account explains very little about Pocahontas, leaving the reader free to build a story around the bare facts he presents. Why do you think Pocahontas saves Smith's life.


3a.What does Pocahontas bring to Smith and his fellow colonists regularly after the rescue? How do her gifts help the colonists?
Provisions/Food. The really tough, trying times faced by the Early Jamestown settlers described in the beginning is remedied by Pocahontas whenever she comes every four or fives day bearing bountiful food for the starving citizens. This prevents them from dying as often and strengthens the colony allowing it to survive.

3b. Why is the meeting with Powhatan crucial to the survival of the colony of Jamestown?
The food kept a great deal of colonists from dying, keeping the population from dwindling down into a dangerous number. They were very fortunate to have the natives provide for them which contributed to the longevity of the colony and really jump-started America's genesis. 


5a. Is it possible that Smith was never in danger from Powhatan at all, that he misunderstood a custom of Powhatan's people and mistakenly assumed he was in mortal danger. He also may have exaggerated the story. Why do you think Smith told this story over and over again and included it in his history fifteen years later? Do you think Smith believed his interpretation of the events fifteen years later, or might he have had other reasons for telling the story?
Yes it's very possible, and I'm sure his heroic ego must've clouded the true intentions of his already misinterpreted experiences. This caused him to live with these experiences and he must've convinced himself that what he thought happened, actually happened which left the story fresh in his mind when he wrote it down 15 years later. (Of course, there probably were a few embellishments here and there...)