Discussion Post-Dances with Wolves

· Dances with Wolves (1990). Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) is assigned to the Western frontier on his own request after an act of bravery. He finds himself at an abandoned outpost. At first he maintains strict order using the methods and practices taught to him by the military, but as the film progresses, he makes friends with a nearby Native American tribe, and his perceptions of the military, the frontier, and Native Americans change dramatically.

1. Describe the specific theories, assumptions, or “schools of thought” that the characters in the film have. How do their schools of thought differ?

2. How do the main characters change over the course of a film? How do their goals or desires change? Do they see themselves differently by the end of the film?

3. Which reflective theory from the course best illustrates the process the main characters go through during the film? How so?

4. Would you say that the main characters evolved or grew after learning something that was new, or a new approach, a new theory, or a new understanding of their place in the world?