Part 3 Section 4 Summary and Analysis

The fourth section of "The World We Live in Now" includes two narratives involving beliefs and rituals related to peyote, a cactus with allegedly hallucinogenic properties.

"A World of Beauty: The Peyote Religion" (Comanche and Kiowa) The introduction to this story suggests that it contains a blend of historical fact and mythic symbolism similar to that found in the story of Tsali.

This story begins with a brief recounting of the life of Cynthia Parker, a white woman captured as a girl in Texas by Comanches on a raid, and who was raised like a Comanche and eventually became the wife of a great chief. Her favorite child was her oldest, Quanah, who grew up to be a powerful warrior and defender of his people. Over the years, the white men become more and more dominant in spite of...