Pocahontas, By Paula Gunn Allen And John Smith s The...

Have you ever wondered why interpretations and perceptions of things change over time? It is because everyone has their own opinion and outlook on things, especially when it comes to the interpretation and perception of people and stories. While some of the opinions may be similar to one another, many of them are different. Upon reading Paula Gunn Allen’s â€Å"Pocahontas, To Her English Husband John Rolfe† and John Smith’s â€Å"The Generall Historie of Virginia†, The reader already had a perception of Pocahontas as it relates to how she looks, where she came from and her personality. After reading both of the works by Paula Gunn Allen and John Smith, although the physical similarities of Pocahontas are evident, within the texts there are differences as it relates to the representation of Pocahontas. Allen revises Smiths representation of Pocahontas through personality, romance and point of view. In Paula Gunn Allen’s â€Å"Pocahontas to her English Husband John Rolfe†, the representation of Pocahontas that is being portrayed is that of a strong Native American woman. She is tired of her husband being unappreciative of the things that she does for him out of love. It makes the reader question if she really loved Rolfe from the way that she speaks to him like he her child and not her husband. This can be seen in the first few lines of the poem when she states â€Å"Had I not cradled you in my arms, / oh beloved perfidious one, / you would have died† (Allen 1-3). When analyzed and interpreted,