Wages of disobedience
Justine's rebellion against her mother symbolizes the wages of disobedience. Starting from the beginning, Justine disagreed with her mother on several things, ending up in the wrong group. At an early age, Justine got pregnant, which complicated her life because she was still a teen who could not even sustain her life. After giving birth, Justine's life changed for the worst.
American dream
When an individual comes across the term American dream, he anticipates good life full of opportunities. In this context, the American dream is symbolized by optimism among the Native American women who are leaving their husbands in search of a better life. However, Justine is treated by a rude shock when she finds that life in Texas is even harder than she expected.
Hope
Hope is symbolized by religion which encourages people to persevere and remain optimistic because God controls them. Justine and her mother believe that life will be better, and they keep on praying. Therefore, people in the reservation are buoyant because the Holy teachings remind them that God controls their lives.
Poverty
The hard life symbolizes poverty in the reservation where Justine lives with her mother. Life in the reservation is very hard because people cannot access necessities, which forces them to look for escape routes to search for greener pastures. The Native American women suffer from identity crises and racism. Therefore, the people in the Oklahoma reservation do not have access to opportunities that can help them get a good life.
