Five Quotations for my Argument

I hve decided to write my essay on the dime novel California Joe, The Mysterious Plainsmen. My argument is while the American settlers in the West were certainly no angels, most people choose not to see that some Native American tribes simply looked at the settlers as plunder and spoils of war. Many settlers and their families suffered unneccassirly from attacks from the Native Americans. One quotation I feel was important in the book pertaining to my argument is in chapter three when Joe states, "They don't harm me. I harm them." Joe is referring to how the Indians are scared of him. On a different note, the reader can also guess that Joe has had previous troubles in his past caused by Native Americans. Another quotation I feel is important is in chapter six when Joe states, "It dont seem exactly right to shoot them, when they wont shoot back, thinking I am a spook; but they'll report mighty soon that I was coming from the pale-face camp, and then they won't believe I am an evil spirit, so I'd guess I better kill 'em." This quote to me is chilling considering that Joe was just a teenager and had no trouble thinking this dilema over. It also proves to me that the settlers were forced to think in military ways because the Indians cared not whether they intended good or harm. A particular quote that jumped out at me was in chapter twelve when Joe stated, " Holy smoke! The dead folks did scare me for a minute." He was referring to his discovery of a row of corpses in a cavern which he was chased in to by Indians. This makes me feel like Joe was hardened from his violence with the Indians because he dealt with finding the corpses like it was an everyday affair, which is troubling. In chapter thirteen Joe states, " I've started in putty well myself in the killing line, and I may have a graveyard as big as Kit's, when I get to be away in my years." Joe is talking of a man famous for killing Indians and yet again we see how coolly Joe talks of killing Indians. It makes me think how could such a young boy have such a heartfelt hatred of this culture. My last quotation is in chapter sixteen when Joe yells to the Indians in battle, " Yell away, you red devils! but here we go and no none to head us off." In this quote, Joe is mocking the Indians, even as dire as his situation is, and is also boasting he will escape. This shows me that even in life threatening situations, some settlers hatred and distaste of Native Americans stayed with them to the end. Were their feelings justified pertaining to the Indians threating their way of life? Were the settlers wronged by Indians for other reasons than protecting their territory? Could a young boy been drove to leading a life of violence from past expierences of Native American brutality on immigrant and American pioneers?