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"As I sat eating my dinner, and saw that no turnips were served, I whooped in my heart for having once asserted the rebellion within me" (25).

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"As I sat eating my dinner, and saw that no turnips were served, I whooped in my heart for having once asserted the rebellion within me" (25).

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I liked that she could still find ways to rebel. That she in fact did not lose her spirit, and could still find ways to resist the ones who were undermining who she is.

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Two cultures and their different depictions of evil are shown here. They seem to confuse the speaker; her thoughts reveal her discomfort with what she was taught and grew up with as a child versus what she is being taught during her schooling in the East (about Satan). This must have been particularly hard for a young girl to wrap her mind around because this new knowledge contradicts what her mother -- her role model, her best friend, her everything -- taught her; yet , she has a lingering curiosity AND fear about this mysterious evil form.

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"Let us not look for good or justice:  then we shall not be disappointed" (39).

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"Let us not look for good or justice:  then we shall not be disappointed" (39).

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I wonder if the speaker ever came to believe in justice again after writing this, or if she would change her mind seeing the way things are today.

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Her relationship with her mother in the second section, "School Days."

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Her relationship with her mother in the second section, "School Days."

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The relationship that she has with her mother was completely changed during this time of her life. She has gone against her mother's wishes to be with the palefaces. There is now this very distinct divide that has occurred between the two. The mother is still entirely a part of the Native culture while she is part of this weird middle ground between native and white. The relationship also changes because this time period is the first time that she sees her mother cry. Throughout her childhood, her mother never cried in front of her until this moment when she was a young woman. This showed a shift in the relationship but also in the cause of grief for the mother.

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"Mother when I'm as tall as my cousin, you shall not have to come for the water" (4)

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"Mother when I'm as tall as my cousin, you shall not have to come for the water" (4)

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This further enhances the community aspect of the tribe in the story. The girl has developed a respectful relationship with her mother and has a good sense of caring. She looks up to her cousin as role model. Her personality can be developed by the good sense of community in her environment. As she sees others doing good deeds, it makes her want to do the same.

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"The little taste of victory did not satisfy a hunger in my heart.  In my mind I saw my mother far away on the Western plains, and she was holding a charge against me" (33).

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"The little taste of victory did not satisfy a hunger in my heart.  In my mind I saw my mother far away on the Western plains, and she was holding a charge against me" (33).

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This passage portrays the theme of persistence in fighting for what someone believes in. The speaker was winning little battles, the oration competitions, to gain further respect for her people but she feels that it is never enough. The speaker is persistent and relentless in her attempt to gain the white man's respect for her people. She continues to work to gain that respect.

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"Even nature seemed to have no place . . . neither a wild Indian nor a tame one" (28).

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"Even nature seemed to have no place . . . neither a wild Indian nor a tame one" (28).

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This whole section seemed sad. It was almost as if the speaker was realizing what going east changed within herself. She could read and her mother couldn't. Her brother was several years older than her so he wouldn't understand what was going on in her head. The speaker is slowly coming to terms with the fact that she isn't concretely one thing or the other but a mixture of both. It made me feel bad for her, thinking about how I would feel if I had an experience similar to hers. I don't think she could ever be one culture or the other without some kind of influence.

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"Like a slender tree, I had been uprooted from my mother, nature, and God.  I was shorn of my branches, which had waved in sympathy and love for home and friends.  The natural coat of bark which had been protected for my over sensitive nature was scraped off very quick" (41).

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"Like a slender tree, I had been uprooted from my mother, nature, and God.  I was shorn of my branches, which had waved in sympathy and love for home and friends.  The natural coat of bark which had been protected for my over sensitive nature was scraped off very quick" (41).

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In this quote, she compares herself to a tree that has been destroyed. I think she compares herself to a tree to once again highlight the connection with nature. She who was once a strong sturdy tree, ready to grow and flourish, was uprooted and scraped away by white oppression. I think that this analogy was brilliant and the way that many Sioux people at this time in history probably felt. Zitkala Sa uses the story and experiences of this young girl/woman in order to provide insight to readers on how many Native American people felt during the time of westward expansion.

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"I had disregarded a rule which seemed to me very needlessly binding.  I was sent to the kitchen to mash turnips for dinner" (24).

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"I had disregarded a rule which seemed to me very needlessly binding.  I was sent to the kitchen to mash turnips for dinner" (24).

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Work here is being used as punishment. She has done nearly as much work in red apple country as she did living with the Sioux people. With the Sioux people you did not see work being used as punishment like you do in red apple country.

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"Their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their children's further notice to my blanket" (19).

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"Their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their children's further notice to my blanket" (19).

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The theme of stereotypes often comes up when talking about other cultures. Often, these stereotypes are fueled by the curiosity of children while simultaneously being reinforced by adults as we can see from this statement. Why are adults so willing to reinforce stereotypes? Do most do it intentionally while trying to prove to their children that their culture has the most superiority? Why is culture so often viewed as a competition?

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"I was a wild little girl of seven . . . I was as free as the wind that blew my hair, and no less spirited than a bounding deer" (3).

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"I was a wild little girl of seven . . . I was as free as the wind that blew my hair, and no less spirited than a bounding deer" (3).

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I think it is significant to see that children are often innocent and free. They are fearless and not afraid to take risks. The writer of the story is a free spirit. This brings a sense of comfort to the writing.

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It's interesting going from her moccasins to stiff shoes. She would have to go from wearing her beautiful beaded moccasins from her mom to stiff shoes that the white girls wore. Just the shoes that were so important to her are no longer something she gets to wear.

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I don't understand why the girl would be punished in such a way.  They knew she didn't know English and couldn't understand the rules.

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I don't understand why the girl would be punished in such a way.  They knew she didn't know English and couldn't understand the rules.