Extra Credit: Four Feathers Quote Interpretations.

Quote #1: British General- "God has endowed the British race with a worldwide empire that they may execute His sovereign purpose in the world. The victories that you will have over the heathens are the victories of the nobler soul in man."
This quote is an excellent example of what the British called "The White Man's Burden". The British saw themselves as higher and more noble people. They also showed that it was their religious responsibility to "help" and save the "African savages" from their wrongful ways. In my opinion, their views on what their role as colonizers should be was not right. I think that because the Africans were different was not a reason that made them bad. I believe this was a way for the british to highten their country's people's self esteems. Truly this is showing what Britain was really after, and the greed as the motive which drove its people to conquer.

Quote #2: Harry- "I sometimes wonder what a godforsaken dessert in the middle of nowhere has to do with Her Majesty the queen."
Once Harry learns he is going off to war, the reality sets in and he comes to show his true colors as a coward. Harry starts questioning the purpose of colonization and the true motives behind British's desires for it. This begins to confuse him, making his mind go crazy, and then really he has a point. It causes to you think was it really the moral and just thing to go in and exploit the land and fight with the people? Harry's fear is what puts these thoughts into action. It makes him second guess when everyone else is preparing themselves and pumping up on the excitement of war. This fear is what causes him to resign from his role as a leader in the army. The idea of going to war spooked him enough to make him decide to leave his friends and let down his fiancee.

Quote 3: British Soldier- "Avoid drinking local water and spirits" "avoid local barrooms and brothels, and, above all, remember you're a Christan soldier."
This quotes flamboyantly displays that the varieties of land the British were going to were quite foreign and uncivilized. The people and way of living was very unknown and in the eyes of the British were strange and incorrect. The soldiers were looking forward to the drinking and partying aspect of war that they visioned that they were going to enjoy along with the fighting. They believed they were the high and mighty British and they were untouchable. They also were probably looking forward to exploiting the women which is why their Christan beliefs were mentioned.

Quote 4: Desert Trader- "They're like children. They have no concept of gratitude or loyalty. That's something you British don't understand. You come here, trying to civilize them with your Christan values."
This quote brings into perspective how the British and others viewed the indigenous people living in the colonized areas also called "savages". Yeah, they did a lot of things that would be strange and different to the majority of British and to most people today, but to them those were their ways of life and they were right. Dealing with these people was a constant struggle because many of them were reluctant to change. The British could not understand their language or customs most of the time. The British were easily angered by the Africans and found ways to manipulate or take advantage of them. Again, the British believed it was their burden and duty as the superior race, to show these people their wrongs and fix them. In my opinion, they were trying to fix what wasn't broken.

Quote 5: Abu Fatma- "You English walk too proudly on the Earth."
In this statement to Harry, Abu is basically saying that the English think they are this high and mighty power, but in reality it doesn't really work that way. He believed they needed to take some humble pie, step back and realize that maybe things are not going to work they way they planned and that everything doesn't just go their way. I believe Abu doesn't view Harry as a typical English man. Harry had always secretly questioned the motives of the colonization and the point of it, and I think Abu saw that. He liked Harry's attitude, and bravery, and loyalty to his friends. I'm not sure what Abu thought. Honestly, I kinda think he did believe in what the British were doing, because of how he tried to help them, even after being beaten by them, but did not believe in the way they were going about doing it. He was just a good man who wanted a just ending for everyone in my opinion.

Critical Thinking: I don't think the boy really understood what Jack was saying and in that position he was probably terrified and did not know what to do. I believe he wanted in the end though to make a statement and new he was going to die as he continued to load the gun to shoot at Jack. In self defense though, Jack shoots him first. As much as I hate to say it, I probably would have done the same thing. His whole time in the army he had been taught that these people were savages and really had no choice in shooting the boy, but his remorse for killing the boy shows that even Jack had begun to really question the motives of colonization and maybe even understand why Harry had left. I too would feel remorse about killing him. The boy didn't really deserve it, he was just trying to do something for his people and it is not really fair what the British did. Yes, the people probably threw rocks at the soldiers for killing the boy, but really it meant something bigger in their frustration and anger with the British for doing what they were doing and causing everything to fall apart.