Red Apple Symbol
The author tells of the "land of red apples" which was her name for the place that the missionaries describing. It became symbolic to her of the land where palefaces live; they promised that if she came with them, she would find apple trees with apples growing close enough to the ground for little girls to reach their arm and pick one clean from the tree. This red apple became a symbol of the world that the paleface lived in that the Native Americans do not.
Red Apple Allegory
The author also uses the red apples as an allegory of the temptation of Eve by the serpent; the missionary uses the apple to tempt the little girl to comply with her wishes, promising fun, adventure and low-hanging fruit at her fingertips, in much the same way that the serpent used the apple to tempt Eve. By allegorizing this incident Zitkala-Sa shows that there was something inherently bad and evil about the way in which the missionaries used false promises and bribery to convince children to leave their families.
Moccasins and Loose Dresses Symbol
Zitkala-Sa's comfortable moccasins and loose dresses symbolize the days when she had freedom and was at one with the natural world of home. They are also a symbol of her Native American heritage; the missionaries and teachers see the same symbolism in these clothes and consequently force the Native American children to wear tight, uncomfortable shoes and close-fitting clothing that inhibits any feelings of freedom whatsoever.
Long Hair Symbol
To the teachers, the Native American girls' long hair is a symbol of their culture and ancestry. They cruelly hack off their hair to erase one of the most obvious visual characteristics of their ancestry and culture, so that they can also try to erase all other traces of their heritage as well.
Haircut Symbol
Zitkala-Sa's mother tells her that only a coward allows his hair to be cut; this refers to the practice of scalping; when a man was taken prisoner he was scalped by his opponent, thereby signifying that he gave himself up and did not fight hard to avoid capture. A scalping, or a forced haircut, is therefore a symbol of cowardice. When Zitkala-Sa learns that the teachers are going to forcibly cut the girls' long hair she hides because she knows that she is not a coward, and goes to every length that she can in order to avoid capture.
