Zitkala Sa: Impressions of an Indian

Childhood and The School Days of an

Indian Girl
1. How does Zitkala Sa describe her childhood (before
she goes off to school)?
She likes her childhood. She is free and sort of a wild child
who likes to run around and explore the nature. She is
fascinated by the elder cousin (Warca-Ziwin) and the
grandfathers. She wants to be like them.
2. How are Indian children brought up, according to
Zs memoirs? What are the values they are taught and
how are children treated? Who do the children
belong to?
The values taught are patience, tolerance, respect, hospitality
and virtue. The values taught to children reflect the way they
are treated then by the adults. The children dont belong to
anybody but their own spirit and nature.
3. How are whites described in the two texts by
Zitkala Sas mother and by Z. herself?
Mother: She calls them paleface. the only real man is a
bronzed Dakota (p. 2) The palefaces have stolen their land
and driven them away.
The mother also sees them as liars and you should not
believe a word they say (p. 18).
Zitkala Sa is fascinated by the whites and she wants to know
more about them and their culture. At the beginning Zitkala
Sa is very eager to follow palefaces but only later she realizes
how cold-hearted they are.
4. In which ways has Zs familys life been influenced
by the coming of the white man?

At first they lived in teepees made of buffalo skin, then they

made the teepees of canvas, and at last they traded in the
teepees for a normal home built by logs.
The mother knows that her daughter will need an education
to be able to live in the new community.
On one hand palefaces do good by educating Dakotas but on
the other hand Dakotas lose their culture.
5. What are the main issues discussed in the section
entitled The Big Red Apples (pp. 18-21)?
The people want to travel east to get an education. No one
has ever picked up any of apples, but the one who do it, will
have a ride with the iron horse (train).
6. What do apples symbolize in Christian culture? Is
there a hint of irony involved in Zs juxtaposition of
the Land of the Red Apples and going to school?
The red apples symbolize temptation. They are forbidden, but
they look exciting and gorgeous, and tempts people into
sinning. Irony: The missionaries are tempting the children to
leave their own culture behind and be a part of the whites
culture.
7. Discuss the idea of savagery and civilization in
relation to Zs experience riding the iron horse.
For palefaces civilization means tidy hair, good clothes,
polished shoes and reserved manners. Anyone who doesnt
live up to these standards is considered to be savage. White
skin color is seen as more civilized than dark skin.
Zitkala expected the whites to be more humane towards her
and not look at her the way they did. She feels like she is on
display.

To us civilization is institutions and laws but this does not

exist in Native American communities so how do you describe
civilization in terms of a Native American culture. Therefore to
whites Native Americans cant be seen as civilized because of
the way they live.
8. Discuss Zs meeting with civilization at the school.
In particular, discuss her feelings about dress and hair.
Stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses describe both
external appearances of people and the atmosphere at
school. The hair has a greater meaning to Zitkala Sa and the
other Indians in general. Only unskilled warriors, captured by
the enemy and cowards have shingled hair. Therefore the
cutting of her hair sort of symbolizes the loss of her culture
and is much more violating towards her than the whites
probably realize.
9. Compare Zs religion and Christianity. What does
she call the white mans religion?
In Zs religion she is not used to having an evil present
whereas in Christianity the Devil is very present in order to
make sure that people do not sin. So Z is not used to being
scared into behaving correctly. The concept of sin is not really
an idea in Zs religion and therefore she is not used to being
afraid of doing wrong and being punished.
I never knew there was an insolent chieftain among bad
spirits, who dared to array his forces against the Great Spirit,
until i heard of the white mans legend (p.29)
> In Zs religion there isnt an idea of the bad spirits being
able to stand up against the Great Spirit, where in Christianity
the Devil can be more powerful than God.
She calls Christianity white mans legend (p. 29).

10. Discuss Zs feelings of displacement after her first

school period. What has happened to her and how
does she feel about it?
Z feels out of place and cant figure out where she belongs.
She does not feel like a complete Indian and not like a
complete white. She is sort of in-between. She blames her
school period in the East. She feels torn and does not know
what to do with herself.
Even nature seemed to have no place for me () neither a
wild Indian nor a tame one. (p. 33)
11. Why do you think she decides to return to school?
She does not want to go back to the East. But she has to in
order to gain respect from the palefaces. She wants to get rid
of the prejudices.