Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in News of the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fatherhood and Masculinity
American Multiculturalism and Racial Violence
News and Storytelling
Childhood and Innocence
War and Reconstruction
Summary
Analysis
The next town they reach, Bandera, is almost entirely populated by Polish immigrants working in the local saw mill. Captain Kidd rents a large hall and gives a successful reading. He has lots of interesting news to deliver, from Texas’s readmission to the Union to the first female law student. Johanna sits in the back, sternly collecting the coins which she still seems to see as ammunition: if anyone tries to slip by without paying she cries out, “Chohenna choot!”
Johanna isn’t exactly behaving like an Anglo-American child; but she’s tolerated and accepted by those around her. This scene envisions a way for Johanna to retain her unique character while also living peacefully in her new world.
Themes
Soon, they reach the end of the hill country. The soft breezes at night remind Captain Kidd of the battles he fought in the Mexican War and the mornings in San Antonio when he awoke next to his wife. Looking across the plain, Johanna suddenly asks about her doll. The Captain reminds her that she left it on the Red River, and she nods. She asks if he’s going to read in Castroville. Shakily, he says he won’t and tries to explain that she’s going to live with her onkle and tante (the German words for “aunt” and “uncle”).
Just as Johanna becomes contented and comfortable with the Captain, she start to realize that their comradeship is only temporary. It’s interesting that she discusses her fears through the doll. The toy symbolizes her dual cultural identity, which the Captain accommodates but which will shock and upset her aunt and uncle. Like many children, she articulates big problems with the aid of small, familiar objects.
Themes
Captain Kidd knows that Johanna must think she’s done something wrong, and must be frightened at the prospect of separation from the only person in the world she now knows. Suddenly, Johanna commands him to laugh; when he looks over at her, he sees she’s crying. Firmly, he says that she’ll adjust to her new life. Johanna orders him to clap his hands, but he refuses. She bows her head, understanding “the stiffness of his arm” if not his exact words. She continues to cry as they drive.
By demanding that the Captain play their familiar game, Johanna is trying to reclaim their previous carefree happiness; but her tears show her awareness that this period is over. For Captain Kidd, this acknowledgment of the end of her childhood is a bigger loss of innocence than her other adult-like qualities or her capacity for violence in battle.
Themes
When they reach Castroville, the houses’ slanted roofs remind Captain Kidd of engravings he’s seen of European villages. Emulating their lives in Germany, people live clustered together here, rather than in homesteads. They pass the inn and a Catholic church, and when the Captain asks for directions he learns that Wilhelm and Anna Leonberger live fifteen miles outside the town. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s delivering their captive niece, knowing that publicizing this fact would cause crowds to gather and intimidate Johanna.
Again, the village’s architecture is a testament to the various cultures influencing American society—as well as the complete erasure of any Native American presence on the land. By keeping quiet about Johanna’s identity, the Captain displays a sensitivity for her feelings that his society associates with maternal, not paternal, figures.
Themes
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On the way to the homestead, Captain Kidd takes Johanna to the graveyard where her parents are buried. He takes off his hat while Johanna looks at the stones in “indifference.” She says she doesn’t like it here and asks to go back to Dallas, but the Captain tells her they “just cannot.” Braiding her hair, Johanna becomes stiff and composed. Among the Kiowa, she’s been taught always to show courage and never to beg or plead.
Johanna’s “indifferent” attitude towards her parents’ graves contrasts with her clear attachment to Captain Kidd. While it’s distressing that Johanna never got the chance to really know her birth family, this contrast shows that family doesn’t need to be biological to be meaningful. The Captain thinks that Wilhelm and Anna are entitled to care for their niece, but it’s clear he’s the best person for the job.
Themes
When they meet a young man on horseback, Captain Kidd asks him to ride ahead of him to Wilhelm and Anna’s farm, and inform them that he’s bringing Johanna home. The man is startled and overjoyed to see the young girl, and rides off immediately. When they reach the farm, dogs circle the wagon and bark as the Captain helps Johanna down from the wagon.
The young man’s response to Johanna’s arrival is endearing. However, it will soon form a stark contrast to Wilhelm and Anna’s chilly reception.
Themes
Wilhelm comes out of the farmhouse to scold the dogs in German; Johanna seems to understand his words. Captain Kidd introduces himself and hands over Johanna’s official papers, given to him by the military. Anna comes to stand silently beside her husband as he carefully reads the papers. When Captain Kidd remarks how far they’ve traveled, they both seem uninterested.
Wilhelm is clearly more interested in the bureaucratic details of Johanna’s rescue and return than his niece’s actual well-being. This bodes poorly for any future relationship with Johanna.
Themes
Wilhelm asks what has happened to the 50 dollars they sent to pay for Johanna’s return. Captain Kidd responds that he used it to buy the wagon. Wilhelm asks if he has a receipt, which he does not. Wilhelm scrutinizes Johanna, who is barefoot and clutching the horse. He remarks that Johanna’s parents were “done murder by the Indians” and grudgingly invites them into the house.
It’s pretty appalling that in this time of family reunion, Wilhelm can only focus on the whereabouts of his money. It seems more likely that he and Anna have sent for Johanna as a matter of social propriety, rather than genuine love for their long-lost niece.
Themes
