Motif of Stories within a story
The main story is of Aunt Susie who passed on oral tradition of the Laguna People to the narrator. Inside the story, the narrator tells other short stories that have told to her. These include The Story of the Young Woman who Drowned, The Young Eskimo Girl and Yellow Woman. The purpose of these stories is to tell the reader various aspects of the culture of the Laguna People.
Motif of Songs
The songs in the stories include the Survival Song and the Lullaby. These songs are used by the narrator to break the monotony of narration and they also tell of the culture of the Laguna people. The lullaby shows the importance of family to the Laguna people. The lullaby is as follows,
'Earth is your mother, she holds you,
The sky is your father, he protects you,’
Symbol of Death
When Waithea drowned herself in the lake, her mother gathered the girl’s clothes and scattered them in the wind. This is a symbol of death and continuity. Throwing away the girl’s belongings symbolized that she had passed away and she would never come back to use her belongings.
School and education as a symbol of prosperity
In Laguna, educated people were perceived as prosperous and forward thinkers. This was because they could speak English, work and earn wages, dress and speak like Europeans. They were different in mannerisms from the local people because their education opened more opportunities for them.
Silva as a Symbol of Adventure
Silva is a character in the story Yellow Woman. The main character is a young married woman who is drawn to him because of his carefree adventurous nature. She spends a couple of days with him because he promised her fun and adventure; he was a cattle thief who traveled a lot to steal and sell meat.
