Summary: Chapter 17
Ida’s narrative begins with an explanation of the context
of her life. Ida describes her life as one characterized by resentment,
and says that if she could begin her life again, she would learn
how to say “No.” Ida tells us that she goes through her story daily,
and though she may one day tell her tale to Rayona, no one realizes
that it is she, Ida, whose life truly drives the story of her family.
When Ida begins her story, her mother is sick and her
aunt, Clara, has just arrived to take care of her. Clara fascinates
Ida, who watches her aunt unpack while Ida’s sister, Pauline, runs
to get their father. Ida is troubled when she catches herself thinking
that her mother’s sickness might be a good thing because it prompted
Clara’s arrival. Clara has come at the insistence of Ida’s mother
and over the objections of Ida’s father, Lecon. Lecon does not want
Clara to come because he worries that other people on the reservation
will shame him for wearing out his wife and not being able to care
for her himself. Ida offered to drop out of school to care for her
mother, but her father would not allow that either. Finally, Ida’s
mother suggested that they tell everyone Clara was homeless and
needed somewhere to stay. Ida’s father agreed because he knew the
community would esteem them for taking in a homeless woman. Now
that Clara has actually arrived, however, Ida’s father has begun
to act strangely.
Ida is very friendly toward Clara, giving her gifts and
taking her to a secret place on the roof to talk. Ida even tells
Clara her secrets, such as her crush on Willard Pretty Dog, a boy
in her class. Ida begins to do better in school because Clara helps
her with her studies. Lecon is very friendly to Clara, doing chores
for her and buying her gifts, but Pauline does not seem to like
Clara and spends most of her time working with the nuns at the mission.
Pauline owns a colorful beaded rosary and is extremely proud of
it. However, when Clara comments that the beads of the rosary are
most likely scrap beads left over from other regular rosaries, Pauline
grows upset and throws the rosary away.
One night, just before Christmas, Ida returns home to
find her mother and Clara in tears. Clara is dressed for travel
and refuses to tell Ida what has happened unless Ida promises not
to hate her. Ida promises and Clara tells her that she is pregnant
by Lecon. That night Ida hears her mother, Lecon, and Clara arguing.
Ida’s mother wants Clara to leave her house and her imminent departure
mortifies Lecon because it will shame the family. To make things
worse, Clara has told some of the men on the reservation that a
baby is due at Lecon’s house. Clara points out that she has not
said whose child it is, and that no one will suspect Lecon. Clara
tells Ida’s parents about Ida’s crush on Willard Pretty Dog and
says they could always claim it was Ida’s baby. Ida’s mother agrees
to let Clara stay, but only if Ida agrees. Before her parents can
even ask, Ida has already walked into the room and consented.
Ida’s family calls over the new priest at the mission,
Father Hurlburt, who has a reputation for secrecy among the people
at the reservation. They tell him that a drifter has raped Clara
and that there is now only one way for them to preserve the family’s
honor. Father Hurlburt is reluctant to go along but eventually acquiesces.
He knows a motherhouse in Colorado where Clara and Ida can go to wait
out Clara’s pregnancy. Clara tells Ida not to be sad, because they
will have a lot of fun in Colorado.
Analysis: Chapter 17
Ida’s story begins to explain some of her quirks, which
we have seen in Rayona’s and Christine’s narratives. As with the
understanding we gain from combining perspectives on the frequent
confrontations between Christine and Rayona, many of the cold and
absurd things that Ida does make sense once we are able to look
inside her head. Ida begins her story by mentioning her resentment,
and everyone who knows her in the other stories is aware of this
trait’s outward manifestations. In Rayona’s and Christine’s stories,
Ida is almost always grumpy and cold; we now see that this exterior
aloofness is due to Ida’s bitterness toward the friends and family
who have used her. Ida also alludes to the fact that she has reasons
for her resentment other than Clara, but she leaves this part of
her story for later.
