# The School Days of an Indian Girl explained — American Indian Stories

> Chapter companion for American Indian Stories by Zitkála-Šá.

## What happens

The narrator recounts her first day at a missionary school, where she is stripped of her moccasins and given a new name, and her subsequent struggles with cultural displacement, loneliness, and the oppressive education system.

## Themes in this chapter

### Education as a Tool of Oppression

The school system forcibly strips children of their native language, dress, and names, using education to suppress Indigenous identity.

### Loss of Identity and Belonging

The narrator feels torn between her home culture and the alienating environment of the school, leading to a profound sense of displacement.

## Character check-ins

### Judéwin

A fellow Indian girl who helps the narrator navigate the school's rules and customs.

### Mother

The narrator's mother, who is left behind on the reservation and whose absence is deeply felt.

### Thowin

Another Indian girl at the school who shares in the narrator's experiences of alienation.

## Key lines

> The first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one; for the snow still covered the ground, and the trees were bare.

The narrator's first day at the Eastern boarding school was harsh and cold, both literally and metaphorically.

_Highlights the stark contrast between her home and the new environment._

> I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.

The narrator felt dehumanized, likening herself and the other children to livestock being herded.

_Emphasizes the loss of individuality and agency in the school system._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/american_indian_stories_se/chapters/the-school-days-of-an-indian-girl
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/american_indian_stories_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/american_indian_stories_se/chapters