The Myth of the Great White Father - a Hypocritical BeliefIn the informative article "The Myth of the Great White Father", author Stan Steiner discusses the stereotypical view that the The white man created himself. as a hero, conqueror and savior. He calls this vision the “myth of the Great White Father” and begins by talking about the silent role that the Indians played in the face of their Great White Father. Steiner supports his view that the superiority of the white man is nothing more than a myth, by discussing the crimes committed by the white man against the Indians who were silenced. The Indian Wars and the desire of whites to civilize the Indians were illustrations of the myth that whites were superior. Although the article contains a one-sided view of events between Europeans and Indians, the fact that the white man is hypocritical in his perception of the Great White Father comes through very clearly and forcefully. This idea is demonstrated very clearly. even if Steiner never defines what the myth of the Great White Father is. He shows what he means through examples. Basically through illustrations he shows that he believes the myth is that white people are superior beings to the human race. This created identity makes their values, religion, and culture the ideal goal for other races to follow. Since the white race is the “father,” it is their duty to punish and change anyone who is different. In “An Indian History of the Sierra Madre,” the typical image of the white hero and savior of the Great White Father myth described by Steiner appears. Captain Ben, the white cowboy hero, knows everything. At first he knows the Indians are close just by looking at a few birds overhead. In his mind, Ben knows without even seeing them that they want to kill him and his men. Following this conclusion, the clever Ben hatches a plan to kill the Indians and saves the day. After the massacre, he finds money with the Indians and automatically knows that they stole it. Captain Ben, being the savior and the good guy, collects the money and intends to find its owner and return it. The story continues in the same formulaic manner (DeQuille 242). This is how the white man represents himself in relation to the Indian: white = good and red skin = bad..