Genre
Autobiography
Setting and Context
The memoir is set in 1974 in the Coast Salish ancestral land
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Informative and reflective
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Sasha, and the antagonists are the rapists.
Major Conflict
There is a major conflict between Sasha and the white people. Sasha hates it when white people call her a ‘survivor’, which reminds her of her painful past.
Climax
The climax comes when Sasha completes her university studies because she gets energized to face her future with courage.
Foreshadowing
Sasha’s painful past foreshadows her troubled marriage.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The memoir alludes to the 1930s U.S.A Great Depression, which resulted in hunger and poverty that left many people homeless.
Imagery
The description of the church attics, trailers, and streets paints a picture of poverty and the devastating effects of homelessness.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Sasha's husband uses her weakness to intimidate her. For instance, whenever Sasha is haunted by her painful past, her husband attacks her and tells her she comes from a mad and sick family.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Sasha’s fight for a better future and her decision to work hard in her studies to excel.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
The personal essay is personified as a spirit that reminds Sasha of her painful past.
