Early Indigenous Literatures

Mother offers bodily comfort.

With little fanfare, the child is reincorporated into her family sphere as the mother effortlessly thwarts the devil by picking her up. This juxtaposes with earlier scenes in which white women are seen tossing her about as if she is a ragged doll. Instead, the mother does not treat her like a plaything and, importantly, seriously considers her as integral to the home space. Despite the threats of assimilation, the girl is able to come back in to protection and belonging with the reconnection asserted by her mother.

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