Question

cherokee survivor (reverend daniel s. butrick, 1838)
what emotions does butrick describe in this account? how does it make you feel as a reader?
why do you think butrick emphasized mothers and children in his description?
how do words like “sorrowful” and “without fire” shape your understanding of conditions on the trail of tears?
how might this account be different if it were written by a government official instead of a missionary?
\cold, hunger, and sickness destroyed multitudes. mothers carried their infants until they perished, then with tears they buried them on the roadside. some aged and helpless persons fell asleep in death without fire to warm them. it was the most sorrowful scene i ever witnessed.\

Explanation:

1. Butrick describes emotions like sorrow, grief, and helplessness. The account is harrowing, making the reader feel empathy and sadness for the suffering of the Cherokee people.
2. Mothers and children are emphasized as they are the most vulnerable in such harsh circumstances. Highlighting them underscores the inhumanity and tragedy of the situation.
3. Words like "sorrowful" and "without fire" create a vivid and bleak picture. "Sorrowful" conveys the emotional state, while "without fire" emphasizes the physical hardship and cold - a lack of basic necessities.
4. A government official might downplay the suffering or justify the actions that led to the Trail of Tears, focusing on policy - related justifications. A missionary, on the other hand, is more likely to focus on the human cost and suffering.

Answer:

1. Butrick describes sorrow, grief, and helplessness. It makes the reader feel empathy and sadness.
2. To emphasize the inhumanity and the vulnerability of the most defenseless.
3. They create a bleak and tragic image of hardship and suffering.
4. A government official might downplay the suffering or justify the actions, while a missionary focuses on human cost.