The Half-Breed: A Tale of the Western Frontier


Read by Chuck Williamson

(3.8 stars; 12 reviews)

Published anonymously in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (with an earlier draft also appearing as “Arrow-Tip” in The Aristidean), The Half-Breed: A Tale of the Western Frontier is one of the few known works of long-form fiction written by Walt Whitman during the earliest part of his career. It tells the story of Arrow-Tip, a Native American who falls victim to frontier prejudice after the presumed murder of local blacksmith Peter Brown. Despite his presumed innocence, he is soon sentenced to die by hanging — even though there exists evidence that could possibly exonerate him. This narrative is further complicated by the presence of Boddo, a hideously deformed hunchback who is ostracized by the white settlers due to his mixed-race heritage. Fueled by spite and anger, Boddo uses this opportunity to take vengeance upon those who once tormented and humiliated him. - Summary by ChuckW (2 hr 11 min)

Chapters

Chapter I 20:15 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter II 11:01 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter III 12:49 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter IV 19:10 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter V 10:54 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter VI 12:09 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter VII 13:07 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chaptr VIII 12:27 Read by Chuck Williamson
Chapter IX 19:58 Read by Chuck Williamson

Reviews

Loved the first chapter. Too bad that's all there is.


(0.5 stars)