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This is a college level tranfer course, the second in a series where we will examine the poetics of life lived on the ground...as in rough and tumble, as in America at war with herself. This is a world art alone makes sense of, an artist's work is a gift freely shared like air...sympathetic systems aligned, the the fictive or imaginary worlds of possiblity simply an inhale or exhale away. This class is an opportunity to close your eyes and believe.
28 comments:
Gerardo Guzman
Manuel Seminario
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
AUNT SHIRLEY CHARACTER PROFILE
“We are each born for a purpose, each with tasks to accomplish. My aunt Shirley’s was to remember by heart and teach by rote” (1). Takes on role of Teacher while Artense reluctantly takes on role of student. Shirley calls Artense periodically to check up, motivate, and tell her story.
“She was my aunt; she had something to tell me.” (2)
“As their schooling experiences defined too much of their lives, so that legacy continues to define much of ours. Yet without it, we disappear” (9).
“Above the reddened dryness of her high, high cheekbones, stars rose in delight from the dark, dark depths of her eyes and danced... Her appearance was not shocking: she was thin, and a little pale, like she’d been up all night. And she acted the same, not as though she was dying…Her manners were flawless, traditional” (9-10).
“Her fragile hand, which was nearly fleshless, just thin and wrinkled skin over bone” (10-11).
“the pf-f-f-ft of Shirley inhaling ignited tobacco and paper into her lungs…a dry cough; sigh” (5). Later dies from lung cancer.
“I’ve been waiting to give them to you. I want you to have them…I’ve been thinking about you dancing in them” (15). At the end of Shirley’s life she is ready to pass on her role of Teacher to Artense, and symbolically gives her the boots; a symbol of being a gatekeeper of their people’s story.
Early in the story Shirley is passing on the story. By the end Artense is passing on the story to her children and grandchildren.
Trang Tran
Guorong LI
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Aunt Shirley Character Profile
- She was sick, had cancer
- No kids
- Maybe she use to have husband, now he is dead (p. 2)
- Little pale
- “Artense’s hair just like mine, so straight it’ll never hold the curl if I set it with water” (p.14)
- Thin
- High cheekbone
- She drinks beer
- She is not afraid of dying; brave “You should see my X-ray. My lungs, there’s all these little silver spots. You wouldn’t believe there could be so many. The doctor says that’s the cancer, those little silver spots on the X-rays; you should see all of them!” (p.12)
- “her bedroom was feminine, and more light and tidy than I would have thought” (p. 13) organized person
- Relationship w/ Artense: care for her, love her, encourage her “ Because we are strong” (pg. 5) She is passing on tradition and the history of her family to Artense
Ricardo Chavarria
Michelle Kith
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Character profile:Aunt Shirley
Appearance: Aunt shirley is described as having reddened high cheekbones, taller than Artense, with smaller feet. She has straight hair.
-Aunt Shirley has a strong character and very encouraging towards her niece.
Ex: “Don’t you let them chase you out of there; that’s just what they want. We don’t let them do that to us anymore. And do you know why my, my dear?” She hiccupped. “It’s because we’re strong.”She paused, sipped, thought. “No, my dear, you’re not gonna let yourelf get chased out of there. And do you know why?” (p. 5)
-Aunt Shirley is described as a patient woman with good manners and very traditional (p. 10).
-Aunt Shirley always kept her house clean and very feminine.
“Her bedroom was feminine, and more light and tidy than I would have thought. Her bed was made, the pink wallpaper print comforter fluffed up and even around the edges… Her many bottles of cologne and lotions looked attractively arranged.” (p.13)
Work Cited:
Grover, Linda Legarde. The Dance Boots. Athens: University of Georgia. 2010. Print
Virgil Gamble and Daniel Lu
Professor Sabir
English 1B
20 June 2011
Aunt Shirley: mother (pgs.1,2,5,8,9,10,11,15,13,14,18,19)
-physical appearance: even though she is thin and pale, there are “stars” in her eyes (page 9)
-aunt of Artense, they are close(page 1)
-appears to be more
-motivational to Artense, provides support (page 5)
-also motivates Artense to stop drinking while she was in treatment (page 8)
-passes on family history to Artense (page 5 and page 8)
- Shapes Artense’s view of America and the white man (page 5)
-she has a positive attitude because even though she is dying, she stays hopeful and optimistic (page 9 and 10)
-She sees fire flies when she sees cancer on her X-Rays,she stay positive (page 12)
Jeffrey To, Lucia Sieng
Professor Wanda Sabir
English1B
21 June 2011
Character profile:Shirly from The Dance Boots
|antigonist
Shirly
Motivator for Artenese. “My aunt Shirley’s was to remember by heart and teach by rote, mine to learn by rote and remember by heart” (1)
Artense’s aunt
Mentor “Don’t let them chase you out there; that’s what they want”(5)
Personanily
Rude “”why would she ever miss that old cheapskate, anyways?(2)
Appearance (2)
Pair of knee frigned boots
Powwow dress
Dark blue skirt
dark red blouse
sister(2)
drinker(2)
date younger guys(2)
Racist against white people(4)
White man history when its called Age of Exploration
education went to catholic school(5)
Bullied by nuns
Lives in a trailer(9)
determined to pass her Indian heritage and culture down(8)
preacher about Indian
dying(8 and 10)
Recent appearance
thin and little pale
has cancer (12)
Joanna Louie, Stephanie Chan, Daniela Myovich
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
The White Man
History teacher (4)
- Educated
- “Trusted” -- Although Artense does not believe what the teacher says, he backs up his opinions with "actual documented history". (4)
- Respectable towards Artense (values her beliefs), "The young man looked at me with respect inspired by fear". (4)
Government (7)
-Problem begins with the government
-Remove Indian kids --> boarding schools --> separated; “different” : This shows the contrast of the past and present. The grandparents didn’t have the same opportunities as Artense’s generation. At this point of the story, Artense finds her purpose, to value family and culture.
-(Canada) 1930’s government Indian Reorganization Act: This is an example of how the government oppressed Artense’s culture. (This is where we find the main thesis of the story). (8)
- Disruptive: “I began to appreciate more the struggles…” (9)
- “The story she told me she told me is a multigenerational one of Indian boarding schools, homesickness and cruelty, racism, and most of all, the hopes broken and revived in the survival of an extended family”. (8)
Rebecca Ramos and Fortune Andzouana Mban
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Character Analysis of Aunt Shirley
Aunt Shirley is a woman of great tradition. She pushes and empowers Artense, who is the narrator of the story, to be strong and educate others who need it. For example, Artense mentioned to her Aunt that she was taking a history class. Aunt Shirley responded “White Man history, right?”(4) which shows a great deal how Aunt Shirley perceives the world. Aunt Shirley experienced many hardships throughout her life more in particular with the boarding schools Indian Americans were forced to go to by the “White Man”. Aunt Shirley did not want her story to die with her and instead wanted it to live on with her niece Artense. Aunt Shirley saw that Artense had the power and potential to continue their story.
Aunt Shirley was always very perceptive. As Artense described, she was someone who always listened and watched others in order to learn through them. She wanted to gather the stories of her loved ones so they could live on through further generations (7-8). She was a teacher to Artense and wanted to encourage her to continue their story and tradition as well as become educated. Aunt Shirley gave Artense the knee-high fringed dancing boots to signify that Artense would now be filling her shoes. Aunt Shirley wanted to signify the passing on of knowledge to Artense by giving her the boots that she once danced in.
Sharron Dawkins, Alex Lam, Raymond Ye
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Character Profile: The White Man
- Antagonist
- Dr. Morcomb (4), Professor teaching a History Class called the Age of Exploration
- “White Man history, right?” (4); “Indians had infected early explorers to this continent with venereal disease”(4) – Wrong, Europeans supposedly brought all the diseases to the Americas.
- White people are teaching their side of the story, not the whole picture. “to eat whatever Dr. Morcomb put on the plate.” (4) – Students ready and willing to listen to false information.
- “Indian Power” & “There is documented proof in the form of diaries, and also repots written by physicians themselves.” (4) – Blaming Indians for everything?
- Nuns were mean to the Indians because they were different. “They even had the other kids making fun of us.” (5)
- For some reasons, moved back to Mozhay Point and went to school in Harrod (all-Indian school). (6) – Discrimination, which causes segregation.
- “most Indian children were removed from their homes by the government and sent away to boarding schools.” (7) – Done in order to brainwash them.
- “when a boy imitated the staggering walk and slurred speech of an Indian man he saw going into a liquor store.” (7) Making fun of them, their ways and culture, as well as their problems.
- “… one of Indian Boarding schools, homesickness and cruelty, racism, and most of all, the hopes broken and revived in the survival of an extended family.” (8)
- Indian Reorganization Act, taking children from their home to brainwash the children.
- “… whose valuing of family and tribal culture made it possible for people like me to live with opur own families and have our children experience an education that is in so many ways so different from that of our grandparents.” (9) She begins to understand what happened to her family, her eyes were opened.
Brittney Bruenner
Eric Selle
Professor Sabir
English 1B
6/21/2011
Who is the White Man?
The White Man thinks they know best for the Indian, and is threatened by Indian self-determination. Conquest of land was the beginning, but to achieve complete domination the spirit and culture must be broken as well.
The White Man is insecure next to a self-aware Indian.
How does the White Break the Indian?
Sublimation – taking the children from their homes to sever their connections with their people, their culture, and history.
Instilling fear and use of violence.
Humiliation – Aunt Henen
Maggie’s Boys – Schoolmaster hits them and causes them to drop clean laundry in the mud, then hits them again before demanding they re-wash the basket of girls undergarments. “We were humiliated to be touching all that stuff.” (p. 30)
Suggesting through a selective telling of history that Indians were unclean: Dr. Morcomb matter-of-factly teaching that the Indians introduced Europeans to venereal disease, which may or not be accurate and of dubious truth at best, while omitting the legacy of disease Europe imported west. (p. 4)
Physical Abuse – Maggie’s earache. Rather than care for a sick child they allow her to suffer and then punish her for bleeding on the pillow. (p. 25)
White Man is ruthless…
The Harrod School
Nuns
- Aunt Henen…shamed for getting pregnant. (p. 24)
Prefect
- Mr. McGoun…tracking down Maggie’s boys to take them back to the boarding school. (p. 32)
Branson Phu
Satima Flaherty
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
21 June 2011
White Man Character Profile
1. Overpower
2. Dominant
3. America Nuns and Boarding Schools “I experienced through Shirley my family’s role as participants in …” (Grover 8)
4. Teacher “Indians had infected early explorers …” (Grover 4)
5. Historical Power “I owed it to the past to survive in the present …” (Grover 7)
6. Positioners “Instead, the education of American Indians prior to my generation …” (Grover 7)
7. Creators of Emotion “I spent my childhood and teen years …” (Grover 7)
8. Oppression into Empowerment, Artense and her education; progression in life
9. Ridicule “School involved more than learning to read and count …” (Grover 7)
10. Unity, the White Man’s oppression towards groups of individuals creates unity in the oppressed groups.
Ramel George Jr. /
Professor Sabir
ENGL 1B
21 June 2011
White Man
History teacher
Changing how events in history happened (p.4)
Providing fake proof to prove their prejudice (p.4)
Nuns
Were mean and beat the children.
Had the other kids pick on them (p. 5)
Government
Took Indian out of their homes and put them in boarding school (p 7)
Traumatized the Indians, wont talk about it (p 7)
Used young children to break the culture (p 8)
Schooling now defines the Indians (p 9)
Has control over the Indians
Nathaniel Roco and Ramel George
Professor Sabir
ENGL 1B
21 June 2011
White Man
History teacher
Changing how events in history happened (p.4)
Providing fake proof to prove their prejudice (p.4)
Nuns
Were mean and beat the children.
Had the other kids pick on them (p. 5)
Government
Took Indian out of their homes and put them in boarding school (p 7)
Traumatized the Indians, wont talk about it (p 7)
Used young children to break the culture (p 8)
Schooling now defines the Indians (p 9)
Has control over the Indians
Deborah James and Shipra Pathak
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
21 June 2011
Protagonist (The White Man)
The first reference found in the text to “The White Man” is the character of Dr. Morcomb, one of Artense’s teachers. He states that the spread of venereal disease was caused by the indigenous peoples (“Indians”) and spread to the European continent by the Europeans interactions with the indigenous peoples when the explorers returned to the European continent. Page 4: “Indians had infected early explorers to this continent with venereal disease, which was then brought back to Europe on return voyages and became epidemic,” he told us. Dr. Morcomb backs up his oral stories by saying that “There is actual documented history, researched by scholars.”
Nuns are also included as part of “The White Man” protagonist; page 5, Artense’s mother gives the following account: “…They were mean to us there, the nuns; they treated us bad, used to pick on us. Oh they were mean. … That was nothing compared to what my mother went through, and your grandma, Maggie…”
On page 25 of the story, Artense’s great-aunt, Henen, is examined and it is discovered that she is pregnant. The doctor refers to this as having been “spoiled.” A culture of rape and pedophilia was never addressed by the nuns or the health personnel that worked in the boarding schools. The examinations were quite humiliating for the girls, taking place on a pantry table, Page 28 references the drinking that Henen developed as a result of her experiences in the “boarding school.”
These types of occurrences were never taught in school, contributing to the “cover ups” that continue to this day.
Deborah James and Shipra Pathak
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
21 June 2011
Grover, Linda Legarde. The DanceBoots. Athens, Georgia and London: the University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.
Protagonist (The White Man)
“The White Man” is central to the story “The Dance Boots” as a driving force in the treatment of the indigenous peoples (“Indians”). Beginning on page 4, Dr. Morcomb refers to the indigenous peoples as being responsible for the spread of venereal disease to the European continent, even though most indigenous peoples had never been to the European continent.
The indigenous peoples struggled through abuse and mistreatment at the hands of “The White Man,” and even when the physical abuse had subsided, psychological abuse and racism were perpetuated by the misinformation about indigenous peoples (“The Indians”) that was taught in the schools. Artense learned through Aunt Shirley about “…my family’s role as participants in and witnesses to a vast experiment in the breaking of a culture through the education of its young.” The experiment referred to here is “the boarding school” where indigenous peoples were forbidden to speak in their native languages, beaten for various reasons, and their personal possessions destroyed upon arrival to the schools.
In spite of the treatment the indigenous people (“Indians”) were subjected to, “The White Man” was unable to destroy the rich history of oral history and dance that the indigenous peoples (“Indians”) had practiced for centuries.
I began to dance. My dress, dark blue with red ribbons, was sent to me by Aunt Shirley in a dream.
The story she told me is a multigenerational one of Indian boarding schools, homesickness and cruelty, racism, and most of all, the hopes broken and revived in the survival of an extended family.
Deborah James and Shipra Pathak
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
21 June 2011
Grover, Linda Legarde. The DanceBoots. Athens, Georgia and London: the University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.
Protagonist (The White Man)
“The White Man” is central to the story “The Dance Boots” as a driving force in the treatment of the indigenous peoples (“Indians”). Beginning on page 4, Dr. Morcomb refers to the indigenous peoples as being responsible for the spread of venereal disease to the European continent, even though most indigenous peoples had never been to the European continent.
The indigenous peoples struggled through abuse and mistreatment at the hands of “The White Man,” and even when the physical abuse had subsided, psychological abuse and racism were perpetuated by the misinformation about indigenous peoples (“The Indians”) that was taught in the schools. Artense learned through Aunt Shirley about “…my family’s role as participants in and witnesses to a vast experiment in the breaking of a culture through the education of its young.” The experiment referred to here is “the boarding school” where indigenous peoples were forbidden to speak in their native languages, beaten for various reasons, and their personal possessions destroyed upon arrival to the schools.
In spite of the treatment the indigenous people (“Indians”) were subjected to, “The White Man” was unable to destroy the rich history of oral history and dance that the indigenous peoples (“Indians”) had practiced for centuries.
I began to dance. My dress, dark blue with red ribbons, was sent to me by Aunt Shirley in a dream.
The story she told me is a multigenerational one of Indian boarding schools, homesickness and cruelty, racism, and most of all, the hopes broken and revived in the survival of an extended family.
Gerardo Guzman
Manuel Seminario
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
AUNT SHIRLEY THE TEACHER
In the short story, The Dance Boots by Linda Legarde Grover, there are two protagonists whose interactions drive the narrative; Artense the reluctant student and her aunt Shirley, the teacher. As the story progresses it becomes evident that without Aunt Shirley, Artense cannot develop as a person and become a teacher herself. The story begins with a declaration of destiny as Artense states, “We are each born for a purpose, each with tasks to accomplish. My aunt Shirley’s was to remember by heart and teach by rote, mine to learn by rote and remember by heart” (1). Despite this acknowledgement, Artense later wonders why she is picked by Shirley to be her successor.
Artense is depicted as having a difficult life with a degrading husband, several jobs, children, and starting community college. Shirley witnesses these hardships in her niece and takes it upon herself to take Artense and train her and teach her the history of their people. Shirley reveals how Artense’s predecessors had endured tough childhoods with their heritage stripped from them at boarding school. This newfound knowledge of her people’s struggles motivate Artense and she advances to graduate school by the time Shirley nears her death. At this point Shirley determines Artense is ready to take her role and gives her the boots mentioned much earlier in the story. Shirley tells her, “I’ve been waiting to give them to you. I want you to have them…I’ve been thinking about you dancing in them (15). When Artense previously saw the boots she admired them but was embarrassed for not knowing how to dance. At the point of receiving the boots she is now well versed in her people’s traditions and embraces the boots. The end of the story has Artense dancing proudly in front of her people including her children, grandchildren, and husband.
Branson Phu
Satima Flaherty
English 1B
Wanda Sabir
21 June 2011
One of the white man’s profile is his ability to ridicule those who are generally seen as less dominate. Even in the twentieth century Indian children where still ridiculed and seen as the less respectable group in the social system. In The Dance Boots narrator Artense faces such ridicule in her elementary school by the assumptions of school children. Artense humiliated through her position as a clown and imitation of an Indian man.
“School involved more than learning to read and count, more than recess and gym; school also involved trying to walk with dignity through the annual “Indian unit” during Thanksgiving week, trying to play the clown through thoughtless children’s jokes and scalpings, trying to displace myself into another dimension when a boy imitated the staggering walk and slurred speech of an Indian man he saw going into a liquor store.”(Grover 7)
The white man’s influence in American history profiles the historical changes through assumptions generally seen as the truth. Many historical incidents have been shaped by the white man’s theories and personal take on these events of the past. One of these personal takes of the past include the idea that the Indians infected the early European explores (Grover 4). This ideology has been taught in history classes in thus have been generally accepted.
Stephanie Chan, Joanna Louie, Daniela Myovich
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
The Dance Boots: The White Man
In Linda Legarde Grover’s short story, “The Dance Boots”, the conflict between the protagonist, Artense, and the antagonist, the White Man, becomes the center of the story. There is not only one particular man that suppresses her Native American traditions. The White Man is a representation of the many cultural confrontations she has had to face. One of her first confrontations in the story involves her History teacher. At this point, the reader knows that Artense is an educated woman who is taught to believe what she learns in school. However, she disagrees with Dr. Morcomb’s lesson about Indian-European relations and how “Indians had infected” Europe (4). Artense recognizes the racial issue History puts upon her culture.
Artense is forced to defend herself and learns why she needs to be strong in the face of racism. She has more freedom than her grandparent’s had in the past. Through Aunt Shirley’s story telling, Artense learns the contrast of her grandparent’s generation and her own. From Aunt Shirley’s stories, Artense appreciates her life and freedom:
“I began to see that as Indian people our interactions with society and with each other include the specter of all that happened to those who went before us. As their schooling experiences defined too much of their lives, so that legacy continues to define much of ours. Yet without it, we disappear”. (9)
In the 1930’s, the government imposed the Indian Reorganization Act, which affected schooling for Artense’s grandparents and the Indian race. The White Man, the government, once again does not tolerate the Native American culture.
Aunt Shirley is a teacher to Artense, She teaches Artense by repetition and through storytelling. Artense remembers the moral of her stories, “The story she told me is a multigenerational one of Indian boarding schools, homesickness and cruelty, racism, and most of all, the hopes broken and revived in the survival of an extended family”. (8) Artense finds her purpose in life and remembers to stay strong for herself and her family. This is what the White Man forces upon Artense. The White Man causes the internal conflict with Artense.
Work Cited:
Grover, Linda Legarde. The Dance Boots. Athens: University of Georgia. 2010. Print
Sharron Dawkins, Alex Lam, Raymond Ye
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
The Dance Boots, from renowned author Linda Legarde Grover, is a short story about the liberation of an Indian woman who finds herself through the stories from her aunt. She discovers the traditions and culture of her family and what happens to them in the early century. The white man plays a major part in destroying the Indian families’ heritage, through separation, brainwash, and discrimination.
The government is partially responsible for tearing apart Indian’s culture and history due to their policy of removing all Indian children from their homes to be sent away to boarding schools far away:
She told me that he didn’t do anything wrong, that in the time before I was born most Indian children were removed from their homes by the government and sent away to boarding schools. Don’t ask him about it anymore, she said; the story made him sad and would make me sad, too, if I knew it, so don’t bother him about it; just be thankful the life I had. (9)
This passage explains the pain the Indians endured. Being separated from their homes, parents, and friends unable them to learn about their tradition and culture. It Americanizes future generations and causes trauma in the Indian community.
One of the first references to the “White Man” is found in Dr. Morcomb, a History professor teaching a class Artense is in. Discussing about the Indian-European relations, he states that “Indians had infected early explorers to this continent with venereal disease.”(4) He even backs it up saying that “This is actual documented history, researched by scholars.” and that there is “documented proof in the form of diaries and also reports written by physicians themselves.” (4) Most of these are biased and force students to believe that the Indians were the source of all problems, when it is untrue.
[NOT DONE]
Rebecca Ramos and Fortune Andzouana Mban
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
In the story Dancing Boots by Linda Grover, the main character Artense begins the story with explaining the importance of her aunt Shirley. She describes her as a teacher who “taught by rote… and remembered by heart” (1). Aunt Shirley remembered all the stories of her loved ones and wanted to pass them on the Artense so the history of Indian Americans could live on. She was a woman who was strong and believed in tradition. Aunt Shirley was a knowledgeable woman who captured the essence of “Indian Power” (4) and empowered Artense to be confident in her culture and history. As Aunt Shirley’s condition worsened she felt the need to share with Artense the Ojibwe history and tradition. Aunt Shirley served as a teacher to Artense, a teacher student relationship that she symbolized by the giving of the dancing boots. Shirley believed that Artense had the character and strong enough to follow in her footsteps. She encouraged Artense by saying “That’s right; because we’re strong. You keep on going; we’re all proud of you…you keep on” (5). Artense’s life may not have been as empowered by the white man as it was for Aunt Shirley but Artense saw her aunt as the light of knowledge that she was missing in her life.
The knee high fringed dancing boots that Aunt Shirley gave to Artense served as a symbol of knowledge and the passing on of tradition. Aunt Shirley saw something in Artense that was similar to her and she told her that they both had similar feet and that the boots would fit her nicely. Shirley wanted to see her dance in the boots wearing her blue dress with the red ribbon an image which Shirley manifested in her mind. As Artense went to get the boots she explored her aunt’s room and noticed the neat and feminine nature of her aunt. Aunt Shirley served as a person that Artense could look up to and be proud of. As Artense put on the boots she noticed that they did not feel familiar and instead felt a little tight. When asked if she was comfortable she said she was “working into them” (16). Artense was trying to feel comfortable in her aunt’s boots and saw Shirley as the beacon of knowledge that she wanted to embody in her life.
Jeffrey To
Lucia Sieng
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 june 2011
The importance of Shirly.
In the Dance Boots by Linda Grover, shares the storie of a indian girl name Artense. Artense is the protagonist in the story. Her aunt Shirly can be describe as the antigonist because she has influence Artense in her life. She has motivated and push Artense to be a person in life. Shirley has critically impact on Artense’s life by building a strong relationship with her as well as being a mentor.As a mentor, Shirley encourages Artense. “Don’t you let them chase you out there; that’s just what they want. We don’t let them do that to us anymore, And do you know what my dear?”She hiccupped.” It’s because we’re strong”( Grover 5). Shirly provides words of encouragement to help move shirley in life.
Shirley took the role of a teacher when she took Artense as her student. She began to share her knowledge and views of the world. She influence Artense’s life when artense learned, “ We are born for a purpose, each with tasks to accomplish, My aunt shirley’s was to remember by heart and teach by rote” (Grover 1). Artense’s aunt has taught her to be successful in life. She wanted Artense to accomplish in school and life. As the teacher, she checks up, motivates and provides knwlodge of racism.
Work Cited:
Grover, Linda Legarde. The Dance Boots. Athens: University of Georgia. 2010. Print
Virgil Gamble and Daniel Lu
Professor Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Character Analysis: Aunt Shirley
In The Dance Boots, by Linda Legarde Grover, Aunt Shirley is integral to the story for role and effect on her niece Artense. She motivates Artense to educate herself and get rid of bad habits, such as her drinking problem. She encourages Artense to power through t he struggles in her life. This is shown especially in regards to school when Aunt Shirley says, “Don’t let them chase you out of there; that’s just what they want.”(Grover, 5)
Aunt Shirley also holds an important role in the story as a family historian responsible for passing on the trail and tribulation of previous generations. She gives Artense a different perspective in comparison to the “white man’s history” taught in school. She is able to shed light on her own hardships as well as the family’s hardships when they were younger and forced to integrate into “the white man’s” society. A good example is on page five and eight when Aunt Shirley tells of how she and her siblings where taken out of there culture and forced to attend boarding schools where they lost the culture they held dear. (Grover 5,8)
Last, Aunt Shirley holds an important role as the passer of the torch. She gives Artense the responsibility to keep the family history and culture alive. Realizing that she is dying and the unwillingness of her siblings to discuss the past, she designates Artense as the next family historian, calling her frequently to pass on part their history. On page eight Artense says, “Over the last decade or so of her life, she would call, sometimes every few weeks, sometimes after several months, to tell me another part of the story. Eventually, having heard the rhythm and pattern of repeating and echoing, re-echoing and returning, I felt the story taking root in my brain and in my heart and saw that the day was coming that I would continue Shirley task of listening and watching, remembering, and then doing my part to pass on and continue the story.” (Grover, 8)
Trang Tran
Guorong li
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
21 June 21, 2011
Aunt Shirley in “dancing boot”
In the Story “Dancing Boot”, Aunt Shirley plays a very important role to Artense by encouraging and passing all the traditions and history of the Native American Indian so that she can stay strong and carry it on. Shirley began the story when Artense was a young mother, and ended when Artense became a grandmother (page.8). Throughout that time of Artense’s life, Shirley was there to teach her what the real history of the Native American Indian when Artense was learning it through the White Man. This has change her perspective of history on her people taught through real life experience from Shirley, rather than the textbook lies of the White Man.
Nathaniel Roco and Ramel George
Professor Sabir
ENGL 1B
21 June 2011
In the story The Dance Boots, by Linda Legarde Grover, it is based on historical events that happened to the American Indian during the early 1900s. American Indians during this time were subjected to laws and policies that were intended to break their community and sense of self worth. These laws were created by a predominately all white government. The White Man is viewed as the antagonist because the effects that these policies had on the psyche of the people and how detrimental it was to the culture by abusing young people. The first encounter in the story that shows the White Man as the antagonist is when Artense is in History class. The professor had told them “that the Indians had infected the early settlers with venereal diseases and when they returned to Europe, it became an epidemic” (Grover 4). He then goes on and said that it was fact and gives “proof” to back it up. This could not be true since it because it was the settlers that infected the Indians.
The next time the White Man is shown to be a terror towards the Indians is during their time at boarding school. During this time, American Indian children were forced from their homes and sent to boarding schools. They were cut off from their family and culture through punishment. Shirley, while telling Artense the stories about the schooling, said “They were mean to us, the nuns; they treated us bad, used to pick on us. They even had the other kids making fun of us; can you believe nuns would do that?”(5)
Brittney Bruenner
Eric Selle
Professor Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Much of The Dance Boots’ conflict can be attributed to the white man’s attempt, as a system and through institutions and individuals, to control and direct the American Indian destiny. Our characters live on reservations. The children are taken to boarding schools where history is re-written and abuse freely administered. In the face of this oppression is where an Ojibwe family finds out what it’s made of, and why it will endure, which Aunt Shirley’s mantra assuredly offers when she says: “Because we’re strong.”
Legarde, Linda. The Dance Boots. University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.
Michelle Kith
Ricardo Chavarria
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
June 21, 2011
Why is Aunt Shirley Important?
Aunt Shirley is an important character, because she passed down her past family stories that help to strengthen Artense character, personal and educational values, and cultural knowledge. Thus, her self-awareness as a Native American woman is realized, and embraced. Shirley’s purpose was to tell her families past history. Artense states, “We are each born for a purpose, each with tasks to accomplish. My aunt Shirley’s was to remember by heart and teach by rote” (1).
It is evident that Shirley cared deeply for Artense, and acted as a source of guidance, strength, and knowledge. She acts a motivational figure to Artense (5). Also, Aunt Shirley shapes Artense’s view of the white man (5). Clearly, Aunt Shirley has a strong character and encourages Artense:
“Don’t you let them chase you out of there; that’s just what they want. We don’t let them do that to us anymore. And do you know why my, my dear?” She hiccupped. “It’s because we’re strong.” She paused, sipped, thought. “No, my dear, you’re not gonna let yourself get chased out of there. And do you know why?” (5).
As Aunt Shirley’s health is worsening she gives her niece Artense a pair of boots. She had used those boots to dance at the traditional ceremonies,” The boots were behind the pink vinyl footstool that Shirley had pushed into the space under the vanity…I’ve waiting to give them to you. I want you to have them…I’ve been thinking about you dancing in them.” (14-15). Aunt Shirley dies later after that last conversation. What makes Shirley one of the most important characters is how she helped Artense become more self-aware of her tradition. Arense learns more about the importance of her heritage as she dances in Aunt Shirley’s boots. The boots are also like the passing of the torch, Aunt Shirley wore them, and now she gives them to her niece.
Dwan Mays, Ellen Josephy
Professor Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
Appearance: Bone dry straight hair (14), thin frame brown hands like twigs dry and chapped page (12) deep sunken eyes page she was thin a little pale page (14) young and old (8)
Personality: Good sense of humor (she thinks you have a beautiful husband Ay-y-y-y-y) (3)
Strong willed: (“Because were strong”) (6)
Teacher: ( what I do know is that my aunt Shirley had watched and listened to what was going on around her all of her life…..the story she told me is multigenerational) (8)
Liberal personality: “white mans history right? (4)
Great Manners: (10) her manners were flawless traditional: she made sure that we had the most comfortable place to sit on her couch (10)
Proud: (11)
Polite: I offered the plate of cookies to my dad because I knew that Shirley wouldn’t take one until he did. (10)
Characteristics: sympatric (4) Roles she’s a mentor (1), Historian (6) Chronicler (5)
Behavior: drinker and smoker (5)
Sympathetic (6)
Patient (6)
Witness: (8)
Leader and Teacher (1)
Dancer (14)
Stylish (15)
Dwan Mays
Professor Sabir
English 1B
21 June 2011
In the novel The Dance Boots by Linda Legards Grovier, the character Shirley is a Native American woman. Who has survived through racial times where her people were killed and oppressed. She has the strength of a warrior. Her passion and fight runs deep in her blood. She has been given the role of the teacher just by listening to her family stories over the years and also through experience. Shirley has chosen to past the torch of wisdom and knowledge to her niece Artense as Artense is beginning to grow into her shoes as a woman. “My Aunt Shirley was to remember by heart and teach by rote” (1)
Shirley understands the importance of her knowledge; and with storytelling she passes the torch of information to the protagonist Artense. Shirley is the bridge to the past and future for Artense. She opens up a world to Artense that Artense had no knowledge of; a world about her people history and their struggle. Shirley’s storytelling allows Artense to understand and respect who she is and where she has come from. Shirley character begins to share information about her Native American history as Artense is beginning to reform her life. “Shirley begin to call me long distance from Duluth ……this was during the years that Stan thought I was the stupidest woman in the world….and started to take classes at the community college too.” (1, 2)
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