Marigolds: the calling card for death

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In Kingsolver’s piece “Why I am A Danger to the Public” Vicki Morales is introduced as a tough woman who is willing to fight for what’s right. She is sharp minded and possesses powerful attributes that correlate beautifully to the amount of strength she carries. For example, the moment Vicki spots Vonda looking at her house, she decides to rip out the marigolds planted in her yard claiming that “if [she] had to get the neighbor kids to help make [her] house the ugliest one, [she] was willing to do it" (Kingsolver 402). Rather than throwing the marigolds on the ground, Vicki throws them out on the sidewalk to “dry up and die” (Kingsolver 402). The marigolds are a metaphor towards Vicki. They are strong flowers with dominant colors and tough roots that are capable of surviving even if they aren’t embedded under the dirt. The marigolds denote Vicki’s tenacity of wanting to protect her house from Vonda’s vile hands, and they crystallize her vigor in being a single mom, raising two kids off of the little money she receives. In the ancient Aztec culture, the marigolds convey a similar meaning; it is just shown in a different way. In Mexico, the marigold is a prized flower that is used to celebrate the Day of the Dead holiday (the Mexican version of Halloween). This day honors the spirits of dead who are visiting the homes of their loved ones. Marigolds are chiefly called the “flower of 400 lives, marigolds represent life’s shortness” (Cano-Murillo) and are incorporated into wreaths and garlands to be put on the graves of those in the afterlife. On top of that, the petals of the marigolds are burned to create a scented path for the spirits to follow so that it can be easier for them to visit the people they had known. The colors of the marigolds also interpret a special meaning too. Back when North America was being discovered, the Spanish (just like any other culture) yearned for gold because it was a primary source of wealth. Looking at the marigold itself, the Mexicans depict that the reddish center signifies the Aztec’s blood spilling over the yellow petals “which represent[s] the gold the Spanish sought and killed for” (Allen). This is why the marigold is an important symbol in celebrating the Day of the Dead because it is cardinally known for being the flower of death. In a way, this further proves how Vicki and the marigold are related. Reflecting back to the scene where she’s throwing the marigolds all over the sidewalk, they’re like a calling card for Vonda. It’s like Vicki saying she’d rather die than let Vonda have her house. In addition to that, marigolds are notorious for being a “hardy plant that adapts easily to a variety of challenging conditions in poor soil, extreme heat, and lack of water” (Pretti) so in this case, Vicki is coloring her strength even more by showing that she’s not scared of what Vonda has up her sleeves.

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Works Cited


Allen, Linda . "Marigolds - The Golden Flowers (article) by Linda E Allen on AuthorsDen." AuthorsDen. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=81&id=43239>.


Cano-Murillo, Kathy . "Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos - El Dia de los Muertos - azcentral.com." Arizona Local News - Phoenix Arizona News - Phoenix Breaking News - azcentral.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead>


Kingsolver , Barbara . "Why I am a Danger to the Public." The literary west: an anthology of western American literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. 396-409. Print.


Pretti , Andrea . "Lesson Plan - Day of the Dead, or "Dia de los Muertos" ."TeacherLINK @ Utah State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-celebrations/day.html>.

Women: the true definition of strength

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In the past, women have been known to adhere to the mold over the societal views of sexism. Throughout the past few centuries in Native American culture, the women have had to succumb to the diminishing amount of respect because of the European colonization. In the beginning, the women had been seen as a "strong group who will not quit fighting for their people because they are still the nurturers, counselors, spiritual and medical healers and providers" (Popick). Primarily, the women were cherished for their contributions to the family. They had a vast knowledge of plants that came in handy when their child was sick. They knew some neat tricks on preserving the food. Even their opinions over important topics were never taken for granted. Women were a prestigious group in the Native American tribe, and without their insight, the tribes might not have had a chance in surviving for generations to come.  each tribe had their own way of appreciating their women. In the Iroquois tribe, the women had the "right to nominate and recall civil chiefs, they controlled and managed their families, they had the right to divorce and could determine how many children they would raise" (Buffalohead). The Blackfoot tribe considered the women powerful because of their capability of bringing life into the world. They owned what they made (including tee-pees) and were complimentary to the man and his skills. The past was a great one for Native American women, but with the European colonization, things took a downturn for them. It was made worse for them when the Indian Act was passed in 1876 because it limited their rights as women. With that in mind, it gave men more power and completely diminished the sense of equality the tribes used to have. With schools being made, the women lost yet another aspect of their world: educating their children. This caused a disastrous result because as years passed on, the women who were school bound had lost the sense of being an educator in the family like the past women had been.  However in spite of these bleak losses, the women "still play[ed] an influential yet unrecognized and unappreciated role in the community" (Voyageur). This further proves the amount of strength they had to survive in their harsh, demanding life. As the years folded into decades, the American women were also having to deal with these stupid double standards. Women in the 50's used to be relied on to be the perfect housewife. They did the 3 C's: Cooking, Cleaning, and Child bearing. God forbid if they overwhelmed themselves with a career of their own. It was a rare commodity to see women in the workforce those days. Even in my home state Texas, women continue to fall in the cracks of sexism. Despite these stereotypical judgments, it is the "virulence of Texas sexism that accounts for the strength of Texas women" (Ivins). Overcoming the sexism is what makes women stand their ground around here. The sad fact is how western movies had been portrayed back then, deeming women as helpless little girls that needed a strong man for protection. Hollywood never captured the true legacy of the west. Women "worked as hard as men, they fought as much as men, they suffered as much as men" (Ivins) yet no one would ever believe that due to harsh stereotypes that the women have to endure. Nowadays, in the present, even though most women have disengaged themselves from these stereotypical ways, it's still a continuous fight for equality.

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Works Cited

Buffalohead, P.K.. "Farmers Warriors Traders: A Fresh Look at Ojibway Women." The American Indian: past and present. 3rd ed. New York: Knopf :, 1986. 236-244. Print.

C.J., Voyageur. "Visions of the Heart; Canadian Aboriginal Issues ." Contemporary Aboriginal women in Canada. D.Long & O.P. Dickason ed. Thompson : Nelson, 2000. 81-106. Print.

Ivins, Molly. "Texas Women: True Grit and all the rest." Molly Ivins can't say that, can she?. New York: Random House, 1991. 698-703. Print.

Popick, Jacqui . "Native American Women, Past, Present and Future." Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. http://www.lurj.org/article.php/vol1n1

Bear: The protecter of nature

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In Native American culture, the bear is cardinally known for being "the protector… [who] symbolizes physical strength and leadership...the untamable side of humanity. (Support Native)" In most of the myths, it is evident that the bears find the wilderness more comfortable. In a Cherokee legend, there is a story about a family in the Ani Tsaguhi tribe. The parents had a son who liked to venture off into the woods by the mountains to play. As time dragged on the boy would go to the mountains “oftener and stayed longer, until…he would not eat in the house at all, but started off at daybreak and [would] not come back until night. (Cherokee Bear)” No matter how many times the parents would scold, their child ignored their protests and went off into the mountains where he felt most at peace. One day, the parents noticed that their son’s hear was starting to grow out in long, thick tufts. When they questioned their son about the hair, he flat out said that he’d rather be living in the woods, where the food is plentiful and the work load is small. He then made an offer to his parents, saying that he will allow them to live with him only if they fast for seven days. After a long talk with the tribe leaders, the parents (as well as the tribe members themselves) went along with their son’s propositions, hoping he spoke the truth about the land and its offerings. After a while, the towns’ people sent their headmen to persuade the Ani Tsaguhi tribe live with the civilization rather than the woods. However, when the headman entered the woods, he was shocked to see that the people’s hair had grown all over their bodies in long clusters just like the boy’s had. The tribe refused to come back and deemed themselves as bears, saying “when you yourselves are hungry come into the woods and call us and we shall come to give you our own flesh. (Cherokee Bear)” This legend captures the bear’s harmony with nature. Not only do they carry the strength of endurance for living out in the wilderness, but it is clear that the bears adapt very well to the turbulence of Mother Nature. The Native American’s interpretation of the bear is very similar to Ethan Edwards in The Searchers. In the film, Ethan makes it apparent that the outdoors is his true realm of security.  After Ethan and Martin find Debbie, the Native Americans launch an attack against them. When those two reach the safety of the rocks, instead of shooting the Native Americans behind the rock, Ethan shoots his gun openly next to it, despite the fact that he has a wound, which illustrates his ease towards the wilderness. Another iconic scene is at the end of the film, instead of going inside the house like everybody else, Ethan stays outside, which further reveals his instinctive coherence with the wilderness. In Native American myth, the bear is seen as the chief of the wilds. They are highly respected because “they share the same land with the Indian tribes, so what would affect one species would in turn affect the other. (Native American)”

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Works Cited

"Bear Stories." Welcome to Indigenous Peoples Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. http://www.indigenouspeople.net/bear.htm.

John Wayne: The Searchers. Dir. John Ford. Perf. John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles. Warner Home Video, 2007. DVD.

"Native American Animal Symbols." Support Artisans crafting Indian Gifts, Native American Art and crafts. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://www.support-native-american-art.com/Native-American-Animal-Symbols.html.

"The Native American Bear is a Popular American Indian Symbol." NativeNet - Dedicated to literature of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.native-net.org/na/native-american-bear.html>.

Coyote: The cunning trickster

Native American mythology is generally centered around nature itself but mainly focuses on the animals that roam around freely. Each animal represents a certain meaning, symbolizing a God, a strong attribute, or something supernatural. In Native American myth, the coyote is cardinally known for being a trickster, someone whose actions must not be followed. One of the first myths that shapes the coyote's reputation explains how he ended up being so cunning. In this story, all the animals are waiting for Man to come with the bows and arrows to distribute their rank and power (since their god Kareya had accidentally put them all on the same level). Obviously, whoever was first to get the longest bow and arrow would be the one who got the most power. Although Coyote's plan was a complete fail, he had "schemed to outwit the others" (How Coyote 382) wanting the longest bow to himself. Since Man felt bad for poor Coyote (who ended up getting the shortest bow and arrow), he gave Coyote his cunning, to make up for being the weakest animal. The fact that the Coyote was thinking so selfishly crystallizes what his reputation would end up becoming. In another tale, Coyote seemingly does have good intentions, but goes about them in very defective ways. This particular tale is about a beaver named Wishpoosh who never let any of the animals catch fish by the lake. Coyote was determined to put Wishpoosh in his place because he did not like the way  he treated the other animals. Coyote picked a fight with the monstrous beaver, and the two of them clawed at each other, both wanting to win the fight no matter how bad they got hurt (because of the amount of thrashing their fight caused, the Native American's claim that this is how waterfalls were created). Coyote was intimidated by the strength Wishpoosh had but since "[Coyote] was the most cunning of all the animals, and he came up with a plan.(Schlosser)" Coyote undertook Wishpoosh by swimming with the fish, getting the crazy beaver to swallow him. By doing so, Coyote brandished out a knife and killed the beaver from inside out.  Even if his title is shrewd, his stories "often serve to convey some sort of moral lesson...an example of how one should not behave" (Smith). Other animals that symbolize adversity are the eagle (who may be seen as a hero in certain tales but still has the same cunning attributes as the coyote), rattlesnake (mainly known as the coyote's arch nemesis), and raven (who used to be white but did a horrible thing causing the feathers to change black). These animals are "often portrayed as rebellious and stubborn tricksters who, by their foolish actions, cause harm, not only to others but to themselves as well. (Smith)" In this case, coyote is the primary animal world renowned for his mischievous ways.  In fact, back in 1800's the Native Americans worst name to call one another was coyote because it "stands for everything low.(Winnemucca 65)"


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Works Cited

• Dembicki, Matt. "How Coyote Got his Cunning ." Trickster: Native American tales : a graphic collection. Golden : Fulcrum Pub., 2010. 382-383. Print.
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  Schlosser , S.E.. "Coyote and Wishpoosh: From Native American Myths at Americanfolklore.net."American Folklore: Famous American folktales, tall tales, myths and legends, ghost stories, and more. . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. <http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/08/coyote_and_wishpoosh>.
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  Smith, Evans Lansing. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to World ... - Evans Lansing Smith, Nathan Robert Brown - Google Books." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?id=UYdGl8XM8L0C&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=why+is+the+coyote+bad+in+native+american+myth?&source=bl&ots=Qa6ykqtyzs&sig=lt0AIse6QbW0S2IEV0rs0tWEGh0&hl=en&ei=2f6QTvN8xYOyApSvyYYB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q&f=false>.
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  Winnemucca, Sarah . "Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims. ." The literary west: an anthology of western American literature. London: Oxford University Press, 1999. 65-69. Print