Deconstructing Stereotypes: Thomas King's 'Totem' Cultural Analysis

This essay delves into Thomas King's short story "Totem," examining the representation of totem poles and their significance in highlighting racial stereotypes associated with native people. The author critiques the superficial understanding of native traditions by settlers and institutions like museums, symbolized by the director's ignorance of the totem poles' origins. The narrative focuses on the conflict between the totem poles and the museum staff, representing the clash between indigenous culture and dominant societal norms. The relocation of the poles mirrors the historical displacement of native populations, while the patrons' complaints underscore the insensitivity towards indigenous art forms. This analysis reveals how "Totem" serves as a commentary on cultural appropriation and the misrepresentation of native heritage. Desklib is a valuable resource for students seeking similar essays and study tools.

Running head: ENGLISH COMPOSITION
ENGLISH COMPOSITION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH COMPOSITION
“Totem” is a short story written by the American-Canadian novelist Thomas King that
centers on the historical totem poles and the museums they are represented in. It can be said that
poles that are described in the story are a subtle way of highlight the racial stereotypes that can
be seen within the native people (Jonaitis, 2015). The author shows that totem poles are actually
not from the plain but the tradition of the natives who are from the west coast. From his
viewpoint, the natives were subjected regarding the way the tradition and the cultures of the
settlers who were not too much bothered about the indigenous settlers of that area those who did
not think too much about the resources they were supplanting.
The line “….because the floor’s concrete. I was here when they built this building, and I
don’t remember them pouring the floor around a totem pole” actually represents the origin of the
totem pole and the fact that the staff and the director of the museum were not even aware about
the presence of the poles (Bickford III & Hunt, 2014). The audiences of the museum include the
director, Walter Hooton who gets bothered with the noisy totem poles that were bothering the
patrons in the art gallery. As an initiative, he decides to cut off the poles and move them to a
different location with Laurie a middle-aged woman and Jimmy a young employee of the
museum. After moving to the basement the poles itself refuses to get displaced and keeps on
bothering the museum staff till the point they had to use a chainsaw (King, 2017). Except Mr.
Hooton and his employees, rests of the characters in the story are not human. Mr. Hooton and his
staff are the representation of the high and upper class society. The staff are not directly involved
in the actions shown in the story however they do give contrast to the fact the totem poles are not
alive like human but possess power to move the story. Though the poles are situated within the
museum, this does not change the fact that the poles center around the story.

2ENGLISH COMPOSITION
The poles are surrounded by the fact that the building and the museum represents the land
that the fact the natives were relocated. This also proves that the settlers did not believe the
natives actually had any claim in the land they stayed (Raley, 2016). The patrons who were
present at the exhibit were bothered by the fact that they could not enjoy the show of
contemporary art. The style of art used here actually points to the fact that Atlantic art refers to
the type of art represented in the totem poles themselves that is found to be offensive. When the
complain comes from the patrons, the director Mr. Hooton, Laurie and Jimmy takes the full
initiative to solve the problem and move the poles somewhere else. Each character play a special
role to escalate the story. This is not just one piece on the board however, a total representative
of the society we live in.

3ENGLISH COMPOSITION
References
Bickford III, J. H., & Hunt, L. (2014). Common Core, informational texts, and the historical
(mis) representations of Native Americans within trade books. The Councilor: A Journal
of the Social Studies.
Jonaitis, A. (2015). From the Land of the Totem Poles. University of Washington Press.
King, V. T. (2017). Identity, material culture and tourism: Of ritual cloths and totem poles. South
East Asia Research, 25(2), 192-207.
Raley, G. H. (2016). A Monograph of the Totem-poles in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British
Columbia. Read Books Ltd.