This book is the final part of the Winnetou trilogy. It is a fascinating look at the Wild West, seen through the eyes of a unique author who made it his mission to hold up a mirror so that we might see ourselves and realize who we are.
Winnetou, the Apache Chief, who sacrificed his life for the sake of white settlers, is another symbolic reminder that we all live and die upon this one earth we all share. What good is war and killing? What good is greed and avarice? In the end, we must all depart this world with empty pockets, leaving but a memory of who we once were.
Karl May meant to tell us that we must do what we can whilst we live, for after death, we are powerless.
The tale of Winnetou describes an ideological journey of a Native American, culminating in an inner struggle and final acceptance of a teaching so foreign to him. The reader is left pondering the legacy that Winnetou wished to bestow upon his brethren, both red and white. What might that last testament have said and what hope was torn asunder and cast into the wind? As the last remnants of this lost document molder out there on the once great plains, we are asked to recognize ourselves. Are we like Santer or like Winnetou? Do we love our fellow man or only ourselves?
