Genre
Contemporary novel
Setting and Context
Written in the context of Native American women’s struggles over the generations
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Enlightening, sanguine, hopeful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Justine.
Major Conflict
There is a conflict between Justine and her mother, which creates a rebellion between them.
Climax
The climax is when Justine finds herself in the wrong group and gets pregnant. After her pregnancy, life becomes more miserable.
Foreshadowing
Justine’s tribulation is foreshadowed by the marginalization exercised towards the Native American women.
Understatement
Justine underestimates the consequences of her rebellion against her mother.
Allusions
The story alludes to the challenges the Native American women faced as they struggled to get better lives.
Imagery
The reservation description where Justine lives with her mother depicts the sense of sight.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Justine’s life in Texas with her daughter gets worse despite being in the land of opportunities.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between racism and marginalization against Native American women.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Racism is incarnated as futile.
