In The Indian Princess, Captain Smith’s relationship with the Indians is depicted in two converse roles: the role of colonizer securing land by force and the role of friend and educator of the natives from Powhatan’s tribe. Barker presents Smith’s initial violence as necessary to garner the admiration of the natives; instead of showing resentment at the deaths of tribe-members, the Prince welcomes Smith as a godlike creature, and then brother. In their first encounter, Smith tells the Prince that he left his own country “to be the red man’s friend,” and follows this explanation with an educational dialogue on astronomy and geography (125). This interaction connects to an earlier scene between Walter and Larry in which they recall Smith’s former military exploits in the Middle East. They describe Smith’s method of dealing with the “ill-bred” Muslims that would “appear with their turbans on before him;” Smith convinced them of their “discourtesy” by knocking off their turbans with his sword (120). Although he doesn’t actually harm them, his “instruction” carries authority because of his drawn sword and the threat of violence. This is similar to his relationship with the natives because his friendship and instruction is only extended alongside his ability to physically dominate them as opponents.
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