Lost Face · Chapter
The Wit of Porportuk explained
El-Soo, a spirited Mission-educated Indian woman, returns to her father Klakee-Nah's lavish household after her mother's death.
What happens
El-Soo, a spirited Mission-educated Indian woman, returns to her father Klakee-Nah's lavish household after her mother's death. She manages his affairs and hospitality, funded by loans from the wealthy Porportuk. After Klakee-Nah dies at a feast, Porportuk claims El-Soo as payment. She escapes to Akoon, her true love, but is captured. In a tribal council, Porportuk initially wins ownership but then, in a surprising twist, shoots El-Soo's ankles to cripple her and gives her to Akoon, ensuring she can never run away again.
Themes in this chapter
Colonialism and Cultural Clash
El-Soo's education at the Mission and her return to her father's traditional lifestyle highlight the tension between Western religious values and Indigenous customs.
Loyalty and Betrayal
El-Soo's loyalty to Akoon contrasts with Porportuk's possessive claim, and the council's judgment betrays her autonomy.
Human Dignity and Suffering
Porportuk's act of shooting El-Soo's ankles to prevent her escape is a brutal violation of her dignity and body.
Characters to notice
- El-Soo
A full-blooded Indian woman raised at Holy Cross Mission, intelligent and spirited, who returns to her father's house and later becomes the object of Porportuk's claim.
- Klakee-Nah
El-Soo's father, a chief known for lavish hospitality, who dies at a feast after borrowing heavily from Porportuk.
- Old Porportuk
A wealthy Indian who lends money to Klakee-Nah and later claims El-Soo as payment, but ultimately cripples her and gives her to Akoon.
- Akoon
A young hunter and traveler who loves El-Soo, is captured by Porportuk's men, and ultimately receives her as a gift after Porportuk shoots her ankles.
- Sister Alberta
The nun who rescued El-Soo as a child and brought her to Holy Cross Mission.
Key passages
“El-Soo was a full-blooded Indian, yet she exceeded all the half-breed and quarter-breed girls. Never had the good sisters dealt with a girl so adaptable and at the same time so spirited.”
El-Soo, though a full-blooded Indian, surpassed mixed-race girls in ability and was the most adaptable and spirited student the nuns had ever taught.
Highlights El-Soo's exceptional nature and the Mission's perspective on her.
“Porportuk continued grudgingly to advance money, and ever the money flowed in golden foam away.”
Porportuk reluctantly kept lending money, which was quickly spent on lavish hospitality.
Illustrates Porportuk's role as financier and the wasteful spending of Klakee-Nah's household.
“When a dog runs once away from a master, it will run away again. No matter how many times it is brought back, each time it will run away again. When we have such dogs, we sell them. El-Soo is like a dog that runs away. I will sell her.”
Porportuk compares El-Soo to a runaway dog, arguing that she will always flee, so he decides to sell her rather than keep her.
Reveals Porportuk's dehumanizing view of El-Soo and his pragmatic decision.