Rayona’s Growth in A Yellow Raft In Blue Water
As the subject of the first section of Doris' novel, A Yellow Raft In Blue Water, Rayona faces many problems that are unique to someone her age. Ray's mixed race heritage makes her a target of discrimination on the reservation. Problems in her family life (or lack thereof), give Rayona a reversed role in which she is the mother taking care of Christine. In dealing with these issues, Rayona learns a lot about herself and others.
Because of the life that Christine leads, the role of mother and daughter are switched and Rayona often finds herself watching out for her mom. When Ray comes home from school, she would often learn that her mother had gone out to party. Times like this meant that Rayona had to care for herself. It is not uncommon for one to stay out late; but when it is the parent who is doing so, one must question the responsibility of the person. When Christine leaves the hospital, Rayona shows up and helps prevent a potential disaster. She realizes what her mother plans to do, and that her mom will not crash the car with her on board. While Christine is not very reliable, she has no wish to hurt Rayona either; Ray's prediction was correct. As a child, Rayona must fulfill more obligations than a normal teen. Over the time that leads to her abandonment, Rayona begins to feel displaced from her mother. Christine's increasing self concern causes Rayona to feel her mom is ignoring her, when that is not true at all.
In any given culture, people are proud of their heritage. However, when an individual of one group meets with people of another, and the element of ignorance is added, the individual will be socially ostracized. Of mixed descent, Rayon...
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...lways easy to accomplish. After getting bucked off for the first time then the second, Ray feels that she has "a connection to a power that she never knew existed (120)." This event enormously boosts Rayona's self-perception and leads her forward in life.
As a teen, Rayona is in a confusing period of life. The gradual breakdown of her family life places an addition burden on her conscience. Without others for support, Rayona must find a way to handle her hardships. At first, she attempts to avoid these obstacles in her life, by lying, and by not voicing her opinions. Though when confronting them, she learns to feel better about herself and to understand others.
Works Cited
Gleick, Elizabeth. "An Imperfect Union." Newsweek. 28 April 1997: 68-69.
Covert, Collin. "The Anguished Life of Michael Dorris." Star Tribune. 3 Aug. 1997: A1, A10-A13.
When Marie tries to ask the protagonist to take a walk, this action shows that she is trying to achieve Pauline’s dream by getting her outside of the house. Therefore, she could finally feel the true meaning of freedom. Nevertheless, Pauline’s mother’s response demonstrates that she wants her daughter’s safety more than anything. The mother tries to keep Pauline away from the danger, so the protagonist can at last have a healthier life. However, Agathe’s reply shows that her mother is willing to sacrifice Pauline’s dream to keep her secure. Therefore, the author uses contrasting characters to mention that safety is more valuable. Furthermore, the protagonist starts to describe Tante Marie and reveals that she always has her hair “around her shoulder” (85). When Pauline describes Marie, Pauline shows how her Tante is open-minded. In fact, Marie helps Pauline to let go of her limitations and to get a taste of her dream. Therefore, Marie always wants Pauline to go outside and play hockey or even to take a walk. These actions that Pauline’s Tante takes show how she is determinate to make Pauline’s dream come true. Thus, the author
The first part of the story begins with Rayona’s point of view. She is a fifteen year old girl, who is half black and half Native American. Rayona’s mother, Christine is an alcoholic and is extremely sick because of it. She makes immature decisions and Rayona is forced to tag along. Christine and Rayona do not communicate they are completely different from each other. Christine runs away from her problems whereas Rayona tries to solve them. One example is in the novel where Christine decides to leave Seattle and return to her former reservation. When they arrive, Aunt Ida, Christine’s mother, is upset to see her there, thus Christine runs off and Rayona chases after her because she has a longing for her love. Upset by the fact that her mother left with no reason, she looks at the ground and hates it. She calls it ugly and to get rid of it she pulls at it in frustration while thinking, “No matter how much I pull there’s more. I will never clean it all and yet I can’t stop” (Dorris 32).Here, The dirt symbolizes the ugliness of Rayona’s life and how much she wants to clean it up but it will never be cleaned.
Most everyone has someone they admire or look up to. In the book, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, written by Michael Dorris, one character stands out and has the most admirable traits. Rayona is one of the main characters and throughout the book she shows us that she is hard working and never willing to give up. As well as getting the job done, Rayona has to be brave in a lot of different situations. Being clever is a trait that everyone looks up to. Everything Rayona does portrays how clever she really is. Rayona is the most commendable character in this novel because she displays young adult behavior.
In The Color of Water, author James McBride writes both his autobiography and a tribute to the life of his mother, Ruth McBride. In the memoirs of the author’s mother and of himself, they constantly face discrimination from their race in certain neighborhoods and of their religious beliefs. The trials and tribulations faced by these two characters have taught readers universally that everyone faces difficulties in life, but they can all be surmounted.
Race and ethnicity is a main factor in the way we identify others and ourselves. The real question here is does race/ethnicity still matter in the U.S.? For some groups race is not a factor that affects them greatly and for others it is a constant occurrence in their mind. But how do people of mix race reacts to this concept, do they feel greatly affected by their race? This is the question we will answer throughout the paper. I will first examine the battle of interracial relationship throughout history and explain how the history greatly explains the importance of being multiracial today. This includes the backlash and cruelty towards interracial couple and their multiracial children. Being part of a multiracial group still contains its impact in today’s society; therefore race still remaining to matter to this group in the U.S. People who place themselves in this category are constantly conflicted with more than one cultural backgrounds and often have difficulty to be accepted.
The short story Tapka shows how people are rejected because of their difference from the majority. Firstly, people are rejected because of their nationality. A teacher in a first-grade classroom says, “What a shame. So young and already a Jew.” (Bezmozgis 4). Mo...
blacks were legal - as long as they were equal. So separate was now ok
In the beginning of the book, her daughter, Christine, reflects on her living, “Twice I have stayed for few days with foster families in Seattle, once when Mom was getting herself sick, and the other time when she was pulling herself together” (101). From this passage, it revealed that Christine is guilty of committing act detrimental to her lifestyle. had to done bad decisions and actions and made Rayona experience the life of a unwanted child thrown from home to Because they are blood related they share some striking similarities the hill (146). Christine’s relationship with and respect herself is one made of recklessness. Being worried about looks and even describing herself as having the “face of a squirrel hoarding nuts in the winter”, she reveals that she is very centered about her appearance” (143). In another instance that reveals this is when she scruntized Rayona for her appearance. (237) In another instant her she decribes that she “came home at five in the morning” illustrating that she values having fun” (158). Being reckless with parties and alcohol, the doctor determined that her she wouldn’t live another six months” (234) One point in the story she revealed that even though she frequently parties and does dumb things, she doesn’t regretthem because she wouldn’t be able to stop critizing herself. From this, it is apparent that Christine has high self esteem and tries to keep a positive image. She doesn’t like to chatise herself for her past mistakes. She also has dignity to the pint where she tine feels as though she needs to prove herself to others in order to feel acceptance. In addition, she boasts that “ what she lacked in looks she made up in other ways.(149). Apart from Christine’s strong self esteem, illustrated even once describing herself “as a perfect size 8” (174). She is in many ways
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On an everyday basis teens all around the world fight and disagree with their parents. In the passages Confetti Girl and Tortilla Sun this very thing is clearly demonstrated. Both stories feature two teenage girls that have lost one of their parents. They both now face the daily struggle of agreeing and relating to their remaining parent. In Confetti Girl, the narrator is constantly overlooked and out shadowed by her father’s favorite thing, books and literacy.
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eroded as fast as 6 metres per year, but the average is 1.8 metres per