The Black Robe by Brian Moore

The Black Robe Paper

The Black Robe, by Brian Moore, is a novel about Jesuits who are trying to spread Christianity to the native "Savages" in New France. The relationship between the Europeans and natives is fascinating because there are so many similarities and differences between them. The historian Richard White explained that these two groups of people were involved in a process that later created the concept of "middle ground". Middle ground is referred to as the misunderstandings and misconceptions of the Europeans and the natives about each other that led to new practices and a new culture. The new shared meanings and practices were sometimes hybrids and fusions of the two cultures that added a unique dimension to the religious culture during that time period.

I think that White's argument about middle ground is relevant because it seems to be a much more accurate description about the relationship that really existed between the European colonists and the Native Americans. When most people hear the words "middle ground", it automatically becomes synonymous with the word "compromise" in their minds. Compromise is when a mutual understanding is reached and the result is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Instead, White argues that it is because of the misperceptions of one group towards the other that creates a new way of life. The Black Robe seems to portray middle ground much more than compromise. The indigenous tribes and the Europeans in New France had very distinct ways of viewing each other for most of the book. The Europeans refer to the natives as "savages" even until the very last page of the novel. The natives mostly use the Europeans for weapons and trade and do not believe in their god. I think the most evident example in this novel conveying "middle ground" would be the relationship between Daniel and Annuka. These star-crossed lovers were not supposed to end up together and their union was severely frowned upon by both of their cultures. They did not compromise their feelings for each other, but instead created a whole new breed of relationship and marriage that was unheard of before them.

I think that a new religious culture was birthed from the misunderstandings between the Algonkian tribe and Europeans. Since the beginning of the novel, the native tribe had a tendency to blame the Europeans for anything wrong that happened in their world. Annuka even asks Daniel why "Nicanis", their name for Father Laforgue, put a spell on them so they cannot find any moose to hunt and eat (page 83). In reality, all the priest had done was pray to God for the forgiveness of his sins and of Daniel's. Another example of religious misunderstanding is when the sorcerer tells Father Laforgue that he is "deaf and blind" and feels nothing when "she called your name". In this context, "she"