"Grace"

The story “Grace” is about two Native American children that live in an orphanage. They have been abused by previous parents, and by the people in the orphanage. They have been told that being a Native Americans that is not something to be proud of. Jodi Ann, the oldest of the two children said that the woman who ran the orphanage would take her to a tavern to “show me where all the Indian women was and what kind of people they are, always getting drunk and laying up with men.”(169) This was the stereotype that many Native Americans faced; all Indians were drunks. And this is what people expected of all Native Americans, “that woman said that is all us Indian girls like to do and I will be just like that too.”(169) From the beginning White Americans thought that Native Americans were a lesser from of people. They were less human, and not civilized. This is also shown through the way that white Americans perceived Native American beliefs and culture. Native Americans would make totem poles as a part of their culture. But in this story it shows how Americans saw this as a bad thing, because it did not reflect the beliefs of Christianity. Jodi Ann explains that the woman in the orphanage told her that the totem pole was “a pretend God and that was wrong because God was up in heaven and the Indian people was bad to make the pole.”(169). Because of conflicting beliefs and cultures, Native Americans were perceived as wrong through the eyes on the White Americans. This story also symbolizes the never ending cycle of the oppression of Native Americans. Ever since the pilgrims settled in America life has gotten harder for Native Americans; they have had to give up their land, and adapt their culture to the new ways in America. The struggle never seems to end. This is similar to the children’s lives in the short story. They have been in an orphanage where they have been sexually abused by the owner. This causes them to lose their trust in people. Finally they come into the care of a couple that cares about and respect them. But unfortunately because of the death of their new father, the children have to be given back to the orphanage. Just like the Native Americans, every time the children find something good in their lives, its is taken away.
- "Grace" fome the book "Spider Woman's Granddaughters"