25 pages • 50 minutes read
Iroquois Creation MythThe World on Turtle's Back
Fiction | Short Story | YA | Published in 1816A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
In Cusick’s version of “The Iroquois Creation Story” the mother who gives birth is unnamed and takes no action of her own. Discuss several examples of the woman’s passivity. Within her inaction, does she remain vital to the story?
Research the cultural associations of turtles to the Haudenosaunee specifically and/or to people generally. What might be the symbolic significance of a turtle bearing the world on its back?
Creation stories go through many iterations over time. Compare and contrast Cusick’s version of “The Iroquois Creation Story” with another. What themes emerge as particularly important in one version and not in the other?
“The Iroquois Creation Story” has similarities with the Genesis chapter of the Old Testament Bible. Discuss the similarities between these two creation tales.
As we get to know the twins, Enigorio and Enigonhahetgea, we find that one represents good and the other represents evil. Pairs of brothers of this kind are common in world mythology. Why might cultures choose to depict the conflict between good and evil as one between siblings? Using Enigorio and Enigonhahetgea to illustrate your argument, discuss what the familial relationship lends to this theme.
How does “The World on Turtle’s Back” depict the relationship between humans and the natural world?
Within Cusick’s creation tale we see that there are portals between worlds. What do these portals suggest about those worlds and the relationship between them?
Consider the order in which the world is created in “The World on Turtle’s Back.” What does this suggest about Haudenosaunee culture or thought?
Research President Andrew Jackson’s reasons and plans for “removing” eastern tribes further west. Discuss how this historical context informs Cusick’s version of the creation myth.
Discuss the significance of Enigorio “winning” through violence and trickery. Does the story suggest that this detracts from his heroism? Why or why not?
