# XV: “Lo, the Poor Indian!” explained — The Story of the Treasure Seekers

> Chapter companion for The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit.

## What happens

The Bastable children overhear their father's dinner with the 'Indian Uncle' and learn that he is a poor, broken-down man. Feeling sorry for him, Oswald invites him to a children's dinner the next day, where they treat him as one of themselves and engage in imaginative play. The chapter explores themes of poverty, kindness, and the children's desire to help.

## Themes in this chapter

### Poverty and Class Consciousness

The children's awareness of the poor Indian's poverty and their desire to help him, despite their own limited means, highlights their sensitivity to class and economic hardship.

### Innocence and Moral Development

The children's kind-hearted invitation and their imaginative play during dinner demonstrate their moral growth and innocent desire to do good.

### Creativity and Storytelling

The children transform the ordinary dinner into a play-adventure, treating the rabbit as a deer and the pudding as a wild boar, showcasing their imaginative storytelling.

## Character check-ins

### Oswald Bastable

Narrator and leader; invites the poor Indian to dinner and treats him with respect.

### Dora Bastable

Expresses sympathy for the poor Indian and emphasizes that poverty is no disgrace.

### Dicky Bastable

Worries about the silver spoons and kicks Oswald under the table during the awkward dinner.

### Noël Bastable

Interprets the situation as a banquet for the poor Indian, showing his imaginative understanding.

### Alice Bastable

Suggests inviting the poor Indian to dinner and closes the study door to avoid eavesdropping.

### H. O. Bastable

Mentions that they don't get good dinners every day, highlighting the family's own modest circumstances.

## Key lines

> Lo, the poor Indian

Behold the impoverished Native American

_Oswald uses this phrase to justify his assumption that the Indian Uncle is poor, referencing a common literary trope._

> Poverty is no disgrace. We should honour honest Poverty.

Being poor is not shameful; we should respect those who are poor but honest.

_Dora expresses a moral lesson about respecting poverty, reflecting the children's values._

> Play-dinner, by all means. Eh!—what?

Let's have a pretend dinner, absolutely! Isn't that right?

_The poor Indian enthusiastically agrees to join the children's imaginative play, showing his willingness to engage with them._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xv-lo-the-poor-indian
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters