Essay Questions

How does assimilation emerge as the main theme in the story “The School Days of an Indian Girl?”

The primary theme in the story “The School Days of an Indian Girl” is assimilation. Zitkala-Sa gives an account of her early childhood and the experiences she underwent while schooling in America. Zitkala-Sa is a Native American girl attending a mission school in America, and she is forced to assimilate into American culture. For instance, she is forced to study Christianity and cut her hair to look like white students. Consequently, the theme of assimilation shows how the Native Americans in the early centuries were forced to abandon their culture to adopt the western culture.

Why is Zitkala-Sa resigning from her teaching position in the story “An Indian Teacher Among Indians?”

After Zitkala-Sa successfully finishes her studies, she is recruited as a teacher in a Native American School, where she expresses her passion for helping her fellow Native Americans to get a proper education. However, Zitkala-Sa faces discrimination from the school's director, and she decides to go home. When she arrives home, Zitkala-Sa is surprised to learn that her local community is discriminated against and mistreated by the white settlers and the US government. Therefore, she decides to resign from her teaching position and concentrate on fighting for the rights of her fellow Native Americans.

What is unique about Zitkala-Sa as depicted in the story “The Great Spirit?”

Zitkala-Sa is unique because she demonstrates her allegiance to her religion and declines the pressure to become a Christian. The spiritual bond between Zitkala-Sa and her homeland is strong, giving her the energy to oppose the government's initiative to transform all Indians into Christians through the education system. After resigning from her teaching position, Zitkala-Sa dedicates her life to mobilizing Indians to follow their culture and religion.