Culture 4: Native American Literature

Module 4

Dorris, Michael. 1992. Morning girl. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 156282-284-5

Summary: Morning Girl and her brother Star Boy live on an island in the Bahamas in 1492. Brother and sister are as different as night and day, just as their names are. Like any brother and sister, they have trouble getting along. Even so, we see that family ties are very important and that eventually she will as her mother predicts, be friends with her brother. Life on the island is filled with other normal family events and some not so normal. A hurricane touches the island and afterwards the community gathers together to celebrate the fact that they have survived. At the end of the story, Star Girl sees strangers coming to the island. These strangers will bring change to the islanders and to history.

Critical analysis: The characters in this fiction book are of the Taino culture, which was a dominant during the pre-Columbian period in the Caribbean islands. They are considered part of historical Native American cultures and were probably some of the first people that Columbus saw when he came to the Americas. An epilogue at the end of the book contains a journal entry from 1492 which was written by Christopher Columbus and lends authenticity to the historical facts of the culture.

The author uses a style of writing that alternates point of view. Morning Girl and Star Boy take turns, each one taking every other chapter to tell their story. This helps us know what both of them are thinking and feeling.

The story seems to focus on family relationships. Brother sister relationships seem to be the same, no matter what century you live in. Morning Girl and Star boy are the same as many modern brothers and sisters: they have trouble getting along. And just as in today’s culture, “blood is thicker than water”: Morning Girl is the first to defend her brother when someone else is criticizing him.

Other family relationships in the story are cultural markers that fit in with the characteristics we see in modern Native American literature. Family is very important in these cultures. We see the respect and love that Morning Girl and Star Boy have for their parents. When their mother loses her baby, they are saddened and want to comfort her. Their father is someone who is there for them emotionally and physically; their respect for him is deep. Also, respect for elders and grandparents is evident. When Star Boy is caught in the middle of the hurricane, he hears his dead grandfather’s voice telling him that he will be safe.

The names of Star Boy and Morning Girl are indicative of the culture. Native Americans frequently gave their children names that had something to do with their character. Names had meaning and sometimes the names changed. For example, as the story tells us, Star Boy was once called Hungry. As Morning girl said, “ If your name is true, it is who you are.”

The description of the environment clearly sets the story in the Carri bean islands. The climate, the beaches, palms, conch shells, flowers and birds are all part of that culture. Some of the foods mentioned, coconuts and fish, would have been part of their diet. After the hurricane, the people dressed up to celebrate by painting their bodies and wearing flowers.

Also, after the hurricane hits, we see the importance of community to this culture. They all band together to help each other and to celebrate that they are all alive. They shared food, including favorite recipes. Also, the community banded together to chastise Star Boy when he took too much food at the celebration.

This story is a delightful picture of a family and a culture, which existed long ago but has much in common with Native American cultures today. The epilogue, a journal entry by Christopher Columbus gives us a sad commentary on the attitudes of Europeans who came to the Americas. The myth of Anglo superiority comes across quite clearly in Columbus’ statements when he refers them as capable of becoming “good and intelligent servants”. This also comes out in his attitudes about their lack of religion.

This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Review Excerpts:“A story of a Taino girl and her brother, set in 1492 in the Bahamas. Sibling rivalry, jealously, and love all are related with elegance and warmth, reflecting a simplicity of lifestyle and universality of experiences. ( School Library Journal, Oct. 1992)

“This gentle story reveals the rhythms of life on the island before the Europeans came, showing listeners the richness of the islanders' lives.” (School Library Journal, 2005)

Connections:Have children write a sequel to this story. What do they think happened after Columbus arrived? They might want to read other books that give an account of how the European arrival affected the Native Americans.