Four+Strange+Summers

__**Summary:**__ At the conclusion of each school year, the students got to go back to their western homes for summer vacation. Zitkala-Sa recalls on these summers and thinks of spending her time; "In the heart of chaos, beyond the touch or voice of human aid." She had nobody that understood what she was going through, she was at a tough time in her life, she felt nature had no place for her, she was at the unsatisfactory age of "teenth", and was not sure about who she was or where she belonged. On sunny summer day she was sitting in her mothers log cabin, and heard the footsteps of her brothers pony. When her brother started talking to her mother she went and took the reins on his pony and took off, as she looked back her brother waved his hand to her. She rode reckless and freely through the winding roads and hills, she looked around at the water worn ditches and the grassy plains, finally enjoying herself in her home plains. Then she looked upon a wolf coming out of the ground. She reacted upon impulse, and left the wolf alone and rode off in a trot, the wolf had its nose pointed at her until she disappeared over the hills. As her mother's cabin came into view she saw a warrior elder talking to her brother, and she saw as the warrior pointed to her, she didn't appreciate the kind gesture of the elder warning her family of the wolf. She asked her brother if she could go with him to a big party that night, for she wished to go and socialize with other people of her age. When she found out that she could not go, she got very frustrated, she cried openly when she heard the sounds of other young persons walking by her cabin, for she knew English very well, and wanted so much to join them. To no avail did her tears help, for she had no dress cloths, and was forbidden to go. As she heard her brother ride off she started to let hot tears pour into her arms. Her mother was troubled by her unhappiness, and when she went to Zitkala-Sa's side to comfort her by giving her a bible, for it was the only thin gwith writing in the house, she humored her mother and sat staring blankly at the papers, so as not to offend her. As her sullen mood continued her mother threw on a shawl and walked out into the moonlight, she heard as her mother cried out to the spirits to help her in her helpless misery, as Zitkala-Sa grew cold, realizing that she was the reason for her mothers misery, she heard the cries stop, and she extinguished the light and leaned on the windowsill. Even though many schemes of running away crossed her mind, she made it through the months until she rode on the iron steed back to her white school. -Connor Igo __**Analysis:**__ In this chapter Zitkala-Sa is now having trouble settling back into her own culture. After being assimilated into the western "white" culture, she needs some substance in her life. She finds a bit in her brothers pony one day, she grabs the reins and takes it for a ride, this brings some happiness to her, for she is being free. She wished to go to a party with other kids her age, who have also been assimilated into the white culture. This is what she needed, to be with other people her age who share the new culture. This is what makes her not being able to go so bad. She lets her tears fall when the group passes by and she can't join them. She thinks of all the fun that she would have had, and starts to cry more. Her mother who does not fully understand what Zitkala-Sa is going through tries to comfort her by giving her a bible, Zitkala-Sa rejects the bible, but still pretends to read it to be polite to her mother. She feels bad when she hears her mothers cries, knowing that she has caused her mother great grief, and this stops her tears. This can relate to how children mature in everyday life, she found herself mad at the Elder, with no good reason. "I did not appreciate his kindly interest." When she was a young girl she never went against her others word, but now she is starting to separate from her mother, by not agreeing with her when she says that she can't go to the party.-Connor Igo