News of the World

by

Paulette Jiles

Johanna is a young girl who is born into a German American family but is captured at a young age by the Kiowa Native American tribe. She spends four years living among the Kiowa, forgetting English and completely assimilating to their way of life. When she’s finally “rescued” by the U.S. military, she’s dismayed to be separated from her adopted family and confused by the norms of Anglo-American society, to which she’s expected to instantly adapt. Johanna is tough and stoic, suspicious of strangers and unhesitant about using violence to protect herself. Her fierce, warrior-like demeanor causes many adults (including her own relatives) to conclude she’s abnormal or permanently disturbed due to her time in captivity. But Captain Kidd, who accepts Johanna’s behavior without judgment or reprimand, is able to witness her more childlike and vulnerable moods. Johanna’s rare moments of carefree happiness show the universality of childhood experience: regardless of their origins, all children enjoy songs and games and rely on the presence of loving adults. However, the refusal of many adults to recognize that she has the needs and rights of any other child shows the extent to which prejudice dominates her society. Over the course of her journey, she becomes extremely attached to Captain Kidd, treating him like a grandfather figure. Once she leaves her aunt and uncle, Wilhelm and Anna, behind and goes to live with Captain Kidd, she enjoys a stable childhood and adolescence; but she always feels caught between two cultures, unable to completely assimilate into American society or return to her Kiowa tribe. Ultimately, Johanna marries cowboy John Calley and works alongside him as a cattle driver—the closest possible approximation of the itinerant lifestyle she loved as a girl.

Johanna Quotes in News of the World

The News of the World quotes below are all either spoken by Johanna or refer to Johanna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Fatherhood and Masculinity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

My name is Cicada. My father’s name is Turning Water. My mother’s name is Three Spotted. I want to go home.

Related Characters: Johanna (speaker), Captain Kidd
Page Number: 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

More than ever knowing in his fragile bones that it was the duty of men who aspired to the condition of humanity to protect children and kill for them if necessary. It comes to a person most clearly when he has daughters.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 38
Explanation and Analysis:

He turned the page. He said, This is writing. This is printing. This tells us of all the things we ought to know in the world. And also that we ought to want to know.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

The doll is like herself, not real and not not-real. I make myself understood I hope. You can put her in any clothing and she remains as strange as she was before because she has been through two creations.

Related Characters: Doris Dillon (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Doll
Page Number: 56
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The girl still called out, she had not moved. Then she bent to place the doll to sit against the rock, facing Indian Territory.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Doll
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

Who cares for your fashions and your wars and your causes? I will shortly be gone and I have seen many fashions come and go and many causes so passionately defended only to be forgotten. But now it was different and he was drawn back into the stream of being because there was once again a life in his hands. Things mattered.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:

He was suddenly almost overwhelmed with pity for her. Torn from her parents, adopted by a strange culture, given new parents, then sold for a few blankets and some old silverware, not sent to stranger after stranger, crushed into peculiar clothing […] and now she could not even eat her food without having to use outlandish instruments.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

There was no method by which he could explain anything to her but she did not need explanations. Her family and her tribe had fought with the Utes, their ancient enemies, and the Caddos […] She didn’t need to be told anything except that there were enemies in pursuit and she had already figured that out.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

No. Absolutely not. No. No scalping. He lifted her up and swung her up over the ledges of stone and then followed. He said, It is considered very impolite.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna, Almay
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

As long as they were traveling she was content and happy and the world held great interest for her but Captain Kidd wondered what would happen when she found she was never to wander the face of the earth again, when she was to be confined forever to her Leonberger relatives in a square house that could not be broken down and packed on a travois.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Wagon
Page Number: 124
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Captain Kidd said, She was a captive. An Indian captive.

We can’t have this, said the young woman. She held on to the rope bucket handle with both hands. I don’t care if she’s a Hottentot. I don’t care if she’s Lola Montez. She was parading her charms out there in the river like a Dallas huzzy.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Young Woman (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:

He would have liked to kiss her on the cheek but he had no idea if the Kiowas kissed one another or if so, did grandfathers kiss granddaughters. You never knew. Cultures were mine fields.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

She never learned to value those things that white people valued. The greatest pride of the Kiowa was to do without, to make use of anything at hand; they were almost vain of their ability to go without water, food, and shelter. Life was not safe and nothing could make it so, neither fashionable dresses nor bank accounts.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:

She sat stiffly in her riding habit and her smart little topper and watched them and rode home and then tried to appear cheerful at dinner, carefully managing her fork and the minute coffee spoon. The Captain sighed heavily, his hands in his lap, staring at his flan. The worst had happened. He did not know what to do.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis:

We will come to visit often, she said. You are my cuuative watah. Then she began to sob.

Yes, he said. He shut his eyes and prayed he would not start crying himself. And you are my dearest little warrior.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna (speaker), John Calley
Related Symbols: The Wagon
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire News of the World LitChart as a printable PDF.
News of the World PDF

Johanna Quotes in News of the World

The News of the World quotes below are all either spoken by Johanna or refer to Johanna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Fatherhood and Masculinity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

My name is Cicada. My father’s name is Turning Water. My mother’s name is Three Spotted. I want to go home.

Related Characters: Johanna (speaker), Captain Kidd
Page Number: 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

More than ever knowing in his fragile bones that it was the duty of men who aspired to the condition of humanity to protect children and kill for them if necessary. It comes to a person most clearly when he has daughters.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 38
Explanation and Analysis:

He turned the page. He said, This is writing. This is printing. This tells us of all the things we ought to know in the world. And also that we ought to want to know.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

The doll is like herself, not real and not not-real. I make myself understood I hope. You can put her in any clothing and she remains as strange as she was before because she has been through two creations.

Related Characters: Doris Dillon (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Doll
Page Number: 56
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The girl still called out, she had not moved. Then she bent to place the doll to sit against the rock, facing Indian Territory.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Doll
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

Who cares for your fashions and your wars and your causes? I will shortly be gone and I have seen many fashions come and go and many causes so passionately defended only to be forgotten. But now it was different and he was drawn back into the stream of being because there was once again a life in his hands. Things mattered.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:

He was suddenly almost overwhelmed with pity for her. Torn from her parents, adopted by a strange culture, given new parents, then sold for a few blankets and some old silverware, not sent to stranger after stranger, crushed into peculiar clothing […] and now she could not even eat her food without having to use outlandish instruments.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

There was no method by which he could explain anything to her but she did not need explanations. Her family and her tribe had fought with the Utes, their ancient enemies, and the Caddos […] She didn’t need to be told anything except that there were enemies in pursuit and she had already figured that out.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

No. Absolutely not. No. No scalping. He lifted her up and swung her up over the ledges of stone and then followed. He said, It is considered very impolite.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna, Almay
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

As long as they were traveling she was content and happy and the world held great interest for her but Captain Kidd wondered what would happen when she found she was never to wander the face of the earth again, when she was to be confined forever to her Leonberger relatives in a square house that could not be broken down and packed on a travois.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Related Symbols: The Wagon
Page Number: 124
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Captain Kidd said, She was a captive. An Indian captive.

We can’t have this, said the young woman. She held on to the rope bucket handle with both hands. I don’t care if she’s a Hottentot. I don’t care if she’s Lola Montez. She was parading her charms out there in the river like a Dallas huzzy.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Young Woman (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:

He would have liked to kiss her on the cheek but he had no idea if the Kiowas kissed one another or if so, did grandfathers kiss granddaughters. You never knew. Cultures were mine fields.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

She never learned to value those things that white people valued. The greatest pride of the Kiowa was to do without, to make use of anything at hand; they were almost vain of their ability to go without water, food, and shelter. Life was not safe and nothing could make it so, neither fashionable dresses nor bank accounts.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:

She sat stiffly in her riding habit and her smart little topper and watched them and rode home and then tried to appear cheerful at dinner, carefully managing her fork and the minute coffee spoon. The Captain sighed heavily, his hands in his lap, staring at his flan. The worst had happened. He did not know what to do.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis:

We will come to visit often, she said. You are my cuuative watah. Then she began to sob.

Yes, he said. He shut his eyes and prayed he would not start crying himself. And you are my dearest little warrior.

Related Characters: Captain Kidd (speaker), Johanna (speaker), John Calley
Related Symbols: The Wagon
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis: