Introduction
Literary works are an effective tool for revealing unique topics that the authors want to pay attention to. Of particular interest for the study are the relationships between different peoples and what aspects they are caused by. Hence, in the short story Yellow Woman by Leslie Marmon Silko, the complex relationship between the Navajo and Pueblo tribe people is revealed through the main characters and their backgrounds. Studying this topic provides an opportunity to understand how factors such as culture, trade, and other forms of interaction affect the conflict between these people.
Review of Short Story
Before proceeding to the consideration of the relationship between Navajo and Pueblo tribes, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what a short story is under analysis. Yellow Woman by Leslie Marmon Silko is a work that touches on a large number of complex and multilevel topics, among which identity, tradition, and cultural conflict can be distinguished. The main female character in this story is a young Pueblo woman who finds herself drawn to a mysterious stranger. She cannot get him out of her head because his seductive nature beckons her (Silko “Yellow Woman” 55).
Initially unknown to the reader by name, Silva says that the woman is the mythical spirit, the Yellow Woman, about whom there are legends. The main character decides to follow the man. However, the main problem is that she leaves her family, husband, and children and constantly thinks they are waiting for her. Similarly, she constantly wonders if the man she is with is from the Navajo tribe, but he denies everything. At the end of the story, when the Yellow Woman goes with Silva to sell meat in a town called Marquez, they encounter a white rancher.
The protagonist orders her to jump out of there, and he shoots at an oncoming person. The woman returns home but constantly thinks about this encounter and how she became part of the myth of her people. It is worth noting that the author does a masterful job of erasing the lines between reality and myth in literary work. Hence, until the end, the reader cannot fully answer questions about the reality of what is happening to the main protagonist.
The Relationship Between the Navajo and the Pueblo
It is noted that a few literary works were initially devoted to considering the relationship between the indigenous peoples of America. Many have recently gained attention in this field, although they “lived that continent long before the coming of the Puritans” (Sriastuti 1). Silko notes that the basis of her work is an active focus on the continuing struggle for many Native peoples and racism and women’s issues (Silko “Seeking Justice through Storytelling” 145).
However, she paid particular attention to the return of the voice to people who, during the colonization, lost not only the land but also a significant part of their culture, language, and associated traditions. Thus, through the short history of the Yellow Woman, Silko attempts to draw attention to the relationship of peoples, most of whom, for an extended period, were in a disadvantaged position relative to the non-indigenous population.
Regarding the relationship between the Navajo and Pueblo tribes, the author provides a unique insight into the Yellow Woman. First, it is worth noting that in many of Silko’s works, “cultural exchange as well as resistance against cultural hegemony are equally appreciated” (Samir 39). In other words, she tries to provide readers with an understanding of how culture and traditions were reflected in the interaction of people with each other. Thus, the primary way of interaction between the Navajo and Pueblo tribes was through the sale or trade of certain goods, which is shown by the author in the situation of a collision between Silva and the white rancher (Silko “Yellow Woman” 61). Because these people conflicted, the author translates this through swearing and a shootout, which it developed.
Particular attention should be paid to how the author of the short story interpreted these relationships. She had a somewhat reverent attitude to this work, as it was also close to her background and the culture in which she grew up. The author grew up and gained basic knowledge about life through mixed-blood ancestry, one of which she received while living in Laguna Pueblo. Pueblo people “celebrated differences, rejected conventional boundary systems, and appreciated communal connections and continuance through stories deeply connected to the land” (Matsunaga 1). Thus, the culture in which Silko grew up significantly affected her long and active advocacy for the culture of the country’s indigenous people.
Cultural Values in the Short Story
This aspect of a speech that promotes awareness about culture can be seen in her work, Yellow Woman. Through the main female protagonist, the author reveals the culture of the people familiar to her and shows the values that were most important in it. Chirica stated that “she is a revolutionary character whose role is to renew her world by bringing home new gifts, without which the community would ossify and stagnate, it would decay and deteriorate” (94).
In other words, the Yellow Woman represented the cultural nationality of the Pueblo people, which contributed to the transmission of the intersection of contemporary Native American identity and traditional tribal myth. On the other hand, the author also shows the difficulties in identity experienced by the main character. A woman, despite the high value of the family, goes into the unknown with a stranger, making her personality constantly uncertain.
Feminism in the Short Story
Another aspect worth considering in the context of Silko’s attitude to her work, the Yellow Woman, becomes the concept of feminism. Therefore, this topic is of exceptional value when considering its relationship to the Native American community. In addition to providing a portrait of the complexities of identity, the author touches on the search for a sense of agency and choice, which a woman has in this culture.
In addition, special attention is paid to her reflections on their societal role. In other words, she constantly thinks about her husband and children and how she should return to them since this is one of her direct duties as a wife and mother. On the other hand, the Yellow Woman stays with the stranger and succumbs to his seductions, even though she has several opportunities to leave him.
Critique
Particular importance should be given to considering how other studies interpret the short story under study. Thus, Dr. Greg Salyer, in his lecture “Yellow Woman and the Katsina Spirit: A Living Pueblo Myth,” provides a particularly valuable interpretation of the work. In this context, the speaker draws attention to the importance of communication as an integral part of the culture of indigenous peoples.
Regarding the main female protagonist, he also points out that she is facing the problem of identity loss, which results in the myth living in real life (Opus Archives). All she can think about is how she has separated from her reality and is living a story that for centuries has been a myth that residents have been telling from worship to generation. The speaker contributes to a more complete understanding of the main issues and relationships discussed in the short story.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the short story Yellow Woman by Leslie Marmon Silko reveals the complex and intertwined interactions between indigenous cultures and identities. It was her advocating for Native American values and the importance of providing greater recognition for these individuals. Through the story of the Yellow Woman, the author reveals the complexities of the relationship between Navajo and Pueblo tribes and topics such as lost personalities and feminism, which are also touched upon in the literary work under study.
In addition, Leslie Marmon Silko was a representative of this culture, giving her works the most outstanding credibility for research. This work is particularly unique because it completely erases the lines between myth and the characters’ real lives. The study of this short story provided a more complete understanding of the importance of indigenous culture and how it affects relationships with other people.
Works Cited
Chirica, Irina. “Intercultural Communication in the Work of Leslie Marmon Silko.” Linguaculture, vol. 13, no. 2, 2022, pp. 87-96.
“Dr. Greg Salyer presents “Yellow Woman and the Katsina Spirit: A Living Pueblo Myth” at OPUS,” YouTube, uploaded by Opus Archives. 2018. Web.
Matsunaga, Kyoko. “Silko, Leslie Marmon.” Edited by Patrick O’Donnell, Stephen J. Burn, Lesley Larkin. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction 1980–2020, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., vol. 2, 2022, pp. 1-6.
Samir, Neveen. “Dialogism and Native American Literature in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes.” Beni-SuefUniversity International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 39-70.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. “Seeking Justice through Storytelling.” Edited by Donna Akers, Clifford E Trafzer, Amanda K. Wixon. Indigenous Activism: Profiles of Native Women in Contemporary America. Lexington Books, 2021, p. 145.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Yellow Woman. Arcade Publishing, 1981.
Sriastuti, Anna. “A Dystopia in American Exceptionalism in Yellow Woman: Postmodern Perspectives.” ICONESIA, vol. 2021, 2021.