Reading Standard (RL.4): Determine the meaning(s) of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings, while analyzing the impact of specific choices on meaning and tone.

Question

Success Criteria: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in metaphors and symbolisms.

Directions: Read the following poem.  Read it once to familiarize yourself with the text.  Read it a second time to analyze its contents.  Identify the figurative language used in this poem. Analyze the impact of the word choices and the meaning intended behind its use.

Stereotype This

By Melanie Fey

2017

Melanie Fey is a Diné (Navajo) writer and Indigenous feminist from Tuba City (Dinétah), Arizona. Her work seeks to celebrate the LGBTQ/two spirit community, raise awareness about violence against Native women, and explore the challenging conflict between – and combination of – rural and urban Native life. In "Stereotype This" a Native American speaker experiences both the grief and fortitude that they receive from the collective of ancestors long past. As you read, take notes on the feelings expressed in the italicized lines.

[1] 	Today I couldn’t handle the pain of being an

American Indian

There’s a clawing deep inside, Like a spider in a thirsty drought

And it screams in broken lullaby:

[5] 	I don’t want to be a drunk Indian

I don’t want to be the drunk Indian

Today a boarding school1 sat like a lump in my throat

And the ghosts of dead Indian children

With butchered hair and broken Christian

wings,

[10] 	Shattered bottles down on my feet and screamed:

We don’t want to be drunk Indians

We don’t want to be the drunk Indians

Today I walked away from my lover

How do I tell him that I feel the Trail of Tears2 like hard sand in my veins?

[15]         That I feel Wounded Knee3 like a frozen battlefield in my stomach?

That I feel the Long Walk4 like snapping branches in my legs?

I feel it all every time I sip from another bottle of burned memories –

The residue of genocide5

And it hums in broken lullaby:

[20]

You are a drunk Indian

You are the drunk Indian

And I feel coyote pull in my finger tips

Porcupine in my skin

Crow in my hair

[25] 	My feet like broken stairs

Because history moves like a fevered heat down through the arteries of generations

Because PTSD6 to the family tree is like an ax

Because colonization7 is the ghosts of buffalos with broken backs

Because today only burning flags could be found at the ghost dance8 of my people

[30] 		And they all chant in unison:

We are not a stereotype9

We are not

Your stereotype

GPT-4o mini · Answer

In analyzing the poem "Stereotype This" by Melanie Fey, we can observe several instances of figurative language, including metaphors and symbolic imagery that serve to convey deep emotional and cultural meanings.

Figurative Language

Metaphor and Imagery:
- "There’s a clawing deep inside, Like a spider in a thirsty drought": The metaphor of "clawing" suggests an intense emotional pain and struggle. Comparing this feeling to a “spider in a thirsty drought” evokes a sense of desperation and discomfort, highlighting the intrinsic suffering of being a Native American in contemporary society.
- "a boarding school sat like a lump in my throat": This metaphor emphasizes the weight of trauma associated with historical injustices such as the boarding school system, which sought to erase Native identity. The "lump in my throat" suggests a stifling feeling, indicative of grief and unexpressed pain.
Symbolism:
- "ghosts of dead Indian children with butchered hair and broken Christian wings": This imagery is rich in symbolism, connecting the loss of Indigenous children who suffered in boarding schools to concepts of broken identity and faith. The "butchered hair" symbolizes the forced assimilation and the loss of cultural heritage.
- "Trail of Tears," "Wounded Knee," "The Long Walk": These historical references serve as powerful symbols of trauma and suffering inflicted upon Native Americans. They resonate deeply in the speaker's identity, suggesting that these historical events impact their current emotional and physical state.
Personification:
- "And it hums in broken lullaby": The pain and collective memory come alive through this personification, suggesting that the trauma of genocide and history is always present, echoing softly but hauntingly within the speaker’s consciousness.
Contrasting Ideas:
- The speaker states, "I don’t want to be a drunk Indian" and later asserts, "You are a drunk Indian." This contrast emphasizes the struggle against stereotypes placed on Native Americans. The repetition of "We don’t want to be drunk Indians" serves to challenge and reject the harmful societal narratives that pigeonhole Indigenous people into a single, negative identity.

Impact of Word Choices

Melanie Fey uses language that is both brutal and rich in cultural context. Words like "clawing", “butchered,” “frozen battlefield,” and “burned memories” evoke visceral reactions. The impact of these choices builds a tone of sadness, anger, and ultimately, resilience. The repetition of "We are not a stereotype" towards the end serves to reclaim identity and agency, standing in defiance against the ridicule and the oversimplified images often associated with Native Americans.

Conclusion

Overall, the expression of pain, history, and identity in "Stereotype This" is powerfully conveyed through Melanie Fey's use of figurative language, particularly metaphors and symbolism. The way she captures the emotional weight of historical trauma and cultural identity shows not only the personal struggle of the speaker but also addresses broader themes relevant to Indigenous communities. Such elements build a strong, critical commentary on societal stereotypes and the demand for acknowledgment and respect for the complexities of Native identities.