the metaphors and cultures of Dances with Wolves

Two Socks is a wolf that the main character John Dunbar is befriending in the film Dances with Wolves. Above all, Two Socks represents several different metaphors in the movie. First of all, Dunbar's relationship with the Sioux Indians parallels his relationship with Two Socks. As Dunbar is creating a bond with this creature throughout the movie, he is also creating a bond with a Sioux tribe. These two bonds are very similar. For example, the first time Mr. Dunbar see's the wolf he immediately gets his gun and takes aim, but when he realizes it is only a wolf, he does not shoot. This shows a lot about his character. Mr. Dunbar is not only aware of his environment but cares about it. The same type of situation happens when he encounters the Sioux for the first time.  One of the first times Mr. Dunbar sees the Indian man, his first thought is to kill him.  However, he cannot bring himself to do it because of a rush of emotions flowing through him as the mysterious Indian man stands in front of him.  Instead he lowers his gun as the Indian screams and rides off into the distance on his horse. Dunbar is instantly intrigued.  Both characters are not yet sure why they didn't kill each other. Interestingly, the wolf comes around more often, because he is realizing that Dunbar is not a threat.  Dunbar offers the wolf a piece of food from his hand, and he takes it, then runs off. In order to offer food from his bare hand, Dunbar has to completely trust the wolf. In addition, as Dunbar grows closer and closer with the Suix tribe, the tribe had to completely trust him, in order to survive.  Sadly, the wolf is eventually killed by the American military while Dunbar is being held captive.  The tribe comes to rescue Dunbar, and he goes and lives with the tribe.  Just as the wolf would have always come back to him.



John Dunbar goes through a great transformation throughout the film. He slowly becomes one of the Sioux people, but at first he is very satisfied with his way of life. He is also very clueless about other cultures, as subtly shown in the movie, when he is getting ready to go to a Sioux village for the first time. Dunbar wears his formal soldier uniform to try to impress them. In reality, this only makes him look worse to the tribe because they're in conflict, if not warring with the soldiers.  Most of the soldiers don't just want to talk to the Sioux, they want to kill them. Although the tribe is weary of Dunbar, they decide to talk. As the tribe and Dunbar become closer, they show each other many new things about their ways of life. For instance, the tribe eventually teaches Dunbar how to speak their native language, and Dunbar teaches the Sioux people how to use a rifle. Although this may not be historically accurate, it is a good way to express what the two different cultures have to give to one another. Ultimately there is no "superior culture".   But the movie portrayed the white culture to be more brutal.  That is most likely why Mr. Dunbar decides to join the Sioux people. They are more peaceful people than the American military by far. For example, as the American soldiers were riding back to the camp to execute Dunbar, because they viewed him as a trader, the soldiers saw Two Socks and shot him in cold blood without thinking twice about it. The Sioux people would have had more of a respectful connection to the wolf and would not have killed it. In the end, Dunbar's beliefs are completely changed due to all his experiences with these people. In fact he is willing to sacrifice everything for them.