I didn't think much of it when the Wild Things begged Max to take over and be their leader. But then I saw Around the World in Eighty Days at our local theater and was embarrassed and humiliated by the uncommented upon colonialism of the savage American Indians begging the European man (a servant no less) to be their new chief because he was so much braver and more daring than they. And last night Rose was reading Dr. Doolittle's Voyages with bated breath because the Indians wanted Dr. Doolittle to stay and be their chief. Doesn't this happen in Peter Pan too?

It's obviously a compelling theme. . .for white authors.

I get the wish fulfillment element. I am so strong and powerful that even the most violent savages acknowledge me superior. I suppose there's also the wish fulfillment of a colonizing power--really, they want me to take over. But I'm having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around "those people are so simplistic and needy that they will beg me for help." Like the Iroquois didn't a 500 year old system of government that we used as a model for the Constitution? Like all the first nations people didn't have functioning governments before the white man showed up? Are these authors willfully blind or just ignorant?

I know racism permeates our culture. It is so deep and so widespread that we can spend a lifetime trying to find it and route it out. Rose thought Dr. Doolittle was so good that she wanted me to reread it. I will. Then she and I will talk about real Salish and Duwamish and Haida and how those people probably did not want or need Dr. Doolittle as their leader.