Yellow Woman And A Beauty Of The Spirit Summary

The story “Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit” by Leslie Marmon Silko stimulates thoughts in the reader's head about the world around them. In the story Silko contrasts the views of beauty between the old time Pueblo world and Western Civilization. Silko believed that Western views of beauty are superficial, artificial, incomplete, and codes for determining social status. In contrast, Silko said the old Pueblo world determined beauty by the interactions people had with other and the world around them. These two views of beauty invoked another quality of life that is determined by similar factors; happiness. Happiness cannot be determined by social status or superficial qualities, but only by the relationships we hold with others and the

world around us. The foundation of happiness is dependent on relationships, any other western qualities like wealth or social status can embellish or deteriorate happiness.
In the story “Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit” by Leslie Marmon Silko, the author elaborates on how old-time Pueblo people saw beauty in others.

Beauty was determined by interactions with others and the world around them. “They looked at the world very differently; a person’s appearance and possessions did not matter nearly as much as a person’s behavior. For them, a person’s value lies in how that person interacts with other people, how that person behaves toward the animals and the earth” (Silko, 311). Similar to Silko’s views of beauty, happiness is determined by our interactions with others. Appearance and possessions in most cases cannot sustain a happy life. A person that has quality and meaningful interactions with family, friends, and loved ones will experience happiness on a larger scale. In the modern world, people believe that wealth and luxuries will lead to happiness but these qualities alone don’t lead to the emotional youforia a person is looking for. The interactions and relationships people hold with loved ones are far more important qualities to attain in life than

wealth.
Happiness is also associated with the satisfaction a person feels when reflecting their life. When associating happiness with satisfaction we see problems arise because someone who is satisfied with their life can be depressed, lonely, or have a feeling of being overwhelmed. We see this commonly with workaholics and people having large amounts of success in their workplace. In the article “On Being Happy or Unhappy” by Daniel Haybron, he dissects the satisfaction theory of happiness. Haybron gives an example of a painter who is depressed but produces great works of art with depressing vibes. “The tortured artist might think emotional matters unimportant, or even that it is good to be depressed, and thus be satisfied with her life. Her life is going well by her lights, as she is getting and doing what matters to her. Be that as it may, it is deeply counterintuitive to regard such an individual as being happy” (Haybron, 291). A person that sacrifices their emotional well being for success may be satisfied with their life, but is not necessarily happy.
In Daniel Haybron article “On Being Happy or Unhappy” he states some quotes that people commonly associate with being happy.

“The important thing is for my kids to be happy and healthy, You should choose whatever career will make you happiest. I just want to be happy” (Haybron, 287). All of these basic claims that people refer to when thinking of what will make them happy connect to Leslie Marmon Silko’s view of how old-Pueblo people determine beauty. When a person’s kids are happy and healthy they experience longer sustainable relationships with their loved ones. Relationships with family and friends are connections that people cherish dearly. When these relationships are cut short people experience depression and sadness. Humans also have an inevitable fear of being alone, when loved ones are sick or dying people’s happiness can deteriorate detrimentally. Also, when a person chooses a career that will make them happy it can create positive interactions and relationships on a daily basis. If you are miserable every day at work but are making large amounts of money you will not necessarily be happy. Choosing a career that will make your life more positive can create a chain effect of happiness. People’s basic definitions of happiness reach to a further level of basic needs of relationships and interactions that people see as necessities. When these necessities are achieved one has a better chance of achieving their personal

happiness.
Happiness is based on the quality of relationships humans hold with each other and the world around them. In modern Western civilization people associate happiness with social status, income, possessions, and family. While these can be beneficial to one’s happiness in some cases the most important aspect of happiness is relationships. Relationships are the base of foundation to determining happiness and these other attributes can build or deteriorate from the foundation. Happiness cannot be bought or given, it is an emotional state of mind that comes from one’s interactions with family, friends, or loved ones. Similar to the old-Pueblo way of thinking, happiness is the peacefulness one finds in the world and the interactions with the people in their lives. One must wonder what kind of world it would be if everyone valued relationships and interactions as much as the old-pueblo people valued these qualities.