Prompt 1: Of all of the texts we've read (or watched, counting Smoke Signals) which is the text that will stick with you the most? Why? What will you take away from this text?
In response to this first prompt, the text that resonates with me most would have to be Zitkala Sa's autobiography. Apart from the myriad of topics she touches in her biography (imperialism, cultural imperialism, assimilation, identity, maternal bonds, freedom, nature, rebellion, education, frontier expansion towards the West, etc), she also showed how although one can seem to be making bad decisions in their life, they still may not be a bad person at their core. No matter what type of event that occurred, she still responded and reacted honestly, even though it may have been a reaction that she as an adult was ashamed of upon reflection.
The most uplifting, motivating, and inspiring thing that I take away from the story of her childhood to young adult is that no one is perfect and everyone is still learning every minute of every day to be better. That is why it is so important not to judge or criticize someone so harshly. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone learns from them. I wish that I could have lived honestly or freely (in terms of being honest with myself) but I was always concerned with what other people thought. Reading this autobiography has given me the hope that sometimes bad experiences are necessary to really learn and ignite one's passion for their life. It has made me feel less guilty and ashamed of the bad decisions I've made while at the same time inspired me to take what I've learned from those decisions and change my life and the community around me so that maybe I could help prevent others from not making the same mistakes.
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