Throughout this semester, from the texts we covered in class, I learned many things, but certain themes stood out more than others and me were actually speaking. After analyzing all the notes from the books, films and excerpts, the connection I made that seemed clearest to me was between "Black Elk Speaks" and Shane. These two classroom texts showed me that people have dreams; their communities could thrive if sacrifices were willing to be made. The dreams might be taken away by those with other beliefs, but those who come together with true belief and unity will survive. Beliefs are what drive people to what they do, what they believe defines their character, and their character is how others perceive them. . The quote from the end of the movie Shane: “A man has to be what he is, Joey. I can't break the mold, I tried and it didn't work for me. This meant to me that no matter how hard you try, your dream of where you are going or what you want to do will be bigger than anything and you will never stop fighting to achieve it. In Shane, Joe's dream is to become a successful farmer living off the land to support his son Joey and his wife Mary. He considers that he has the right to live and raise his family. He said: “Families grow like crops, straight and strong. » This means that they desperately need the essentials to have any chance. This chance is all he needs, it's his dream and he won't let anything stop them and his family from being healthy and living a good life. Sometimes in times of dire need you need that outstretched helping arm to help you in your struggle, and Shane was that for Joe. He came and once he was treated well after... middle of paper ...... the lives they needed to survive were at stake. The Indians knew that without the fight they would not could not have survived. Shane, however, had a different type of ending. Shane saw that Joe was ready to give up everything he had worked so hard for, his family, his community, and his farm. With this seen by Shane, he returned to what he knew to be good at in gun combat. Instead of sending Joe to steak for the rest of his life, he did what was necessary to stop him from going on a suicide mission and instead intervened by knocking Joe out. I found the scene very symbolic because where Joe lay unconscious was next to the very stump that united their friendship, it was the same thing that separated them. Volunteering and having nothing to lose, Shane goes to town and takes over Joe's business, settling the fiasco with his gun-fighting skills..