American Indian Stories · Chapter
My First Day explained
The narrator, an Indian woman, arrives at an Eastern Indian boarding school to teach, despite her physical exhaustion from illness.
What happens
The narrator, an Indian woman, arrives at an Eastern Indian boarding school to teach, despite her physical exhaustion from illness. She reflects on her journey away from her mother and her commitment to working for the Indian race. Upon meeting the school's principal, she senses his disappointment at her frail appearance, and she succumbs to weariness upon reaching her room.
Themes in this chapter
Education as a Tool of Oppression
The narrator's illness from college and her mother's view that 'white man's papers' cost freedom and health highlight the oppressive nature of Western education for Native people.
Cultural Displacement and Assimilation
The narrator's journey east to teach at an Indian school represents the physical and cultural displacement from her home and mother.
Loss of Identity and Belonging
The narrator feels out of place in the school's sterile environment, and her employer's disappointment underscores her sense of not belonging.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Had she known of my worn condition, she would have said the white man’s papers were not worth the freedom and health I had lost by them.”
If my mother knew how exhausted I was, she would have told me that the white man's education wasn't worth the loss of my freedom and health.
Reflects the theme of education as a tool of oppression and the mother's wisdom.
“I thought I heard a subtle note of disappointment in his voice.”
I sensed a hint of disappointment in his tone.
Shows the narrator's awareness of being judged by her appearance.