deals with the gender roles of three women are significant to the

development of a character namedd Tayo who is half-white and

half-Indian. These three women are Tayo's birth mother, Auntie, and

Old Grandma. His mother left him when he was four years old and that

began his sense of emptiness and abandonment. She could not bear to

raise a child that brought the reservation shame by her mistake.

Summary: Auntie raised Tayo and was the mother figure he lacked.

She had no problem accepting to take him, but only to "conceal the

shame of her younger sister". Auntie was always hesitant toward Tayo

as he was not her real son and was also a half-breed. For Tayo, this

only added to his feeling of displacement and emptine

She teaches him the importance of certain plants, flowers, and

been around for many years and doesn't worry about what other people

with feelings and emotions. It is through Montano that he discovers

much Josiah had loved him and always hugged him when he was a

Old Grandma, unlike Auntie, does accept Tayo and wants what is best

he's not "full blood", Old Grandma got angry and said that he was her

Tayo no longer feels like a walking shadow, but finally a real person

of the nightmares, she fills his dreams. He woke up one night and

Some common words found in the essay are:
Tayo Auntie, Rocky Tayo, Summary Auntie, Marmon Silko, Auntie Grandma, Introduction Ceremony, real son, leslie marmon silko, Leslie Marmon, leslie marmon, marmon silko, mother figure,
Approximate Word count = 581
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)