Jazmine Colvin

Project 1 Part 2
English 181: Indigenous Adolescence

After reading Sherman Alexies Flight, I was given the task of attempting to emulate
Alexie and write an additional chapter to the novel. I took an event that is prevalent in Native
history and brought it to life through Zits time-traveling. In the chapter, Zits is exposed to the
rape of Native women and how it leaves them both powerless and voiceless due to the fact that
many times their attackers are not prosecuted. This aids in developing Zitss belief that humans
are always betraying each other and touches on Zitss historical knowledge about Native history
and their interactions with whites. Zits watches a man betray this woman and he also betrays her
by not intervening to stop it. This chapter also sheds light on how Zits has internalized some of
the stereotypes there are about Natives and how he now has an internal conflict with who he is. I
would want this chapter to be placed right after the Jimmy chapter, so Zits can see the act of
betrayal once again and also think about how it has affected him.
For composing my chapter, I used three sources: an Amnesty International report, a New
York Times article, and a PBS program. All of these sources aided in composing my chapter. The
first source that acted as the foundation for my chapter was the Amnesty International report.
This extensive report unveils the amount of women who are raped on Reservation and how they
are treated. Police can be insensitive about it and after reading all of this I knew I needed to write
about this issue. These source was essential in producing what outcome would occur when the
women went to report her rape. There was a quote within the report stating that before asking
anything else, many police will ask, Was the perpetrator Native American? This source is
where I got the ideas for how the encounter between law authorities and the woman would
proceed.

Jazmine Colvin
Project 1 Part 2
English 181: Indigenous Adolescence

The next source I used was a New York Times article which served two purposes. First,
the very beginning of the article speaks about a young woman who had an intruder break into her
house and rape her. This account is where I got the idea for how the attack was going to take
place in my chapter. Second, the article really conveyed the message of how widespread this
problem is. One woman is quoted saying, I only know a couple of people who have not been
raped, out of hundreds. I wanted to show that rape is a common problem through the attitude of
the tribal officer. This has happened so often that he has become desensitized to it which is why
he is so cold during the womans interview.
My third and final source was the PBS program. This source helped me convey the
emotional parts of the chapter. The program had first-hand accounts from multiple women about
their experiences with rape and it was extremely moving. I internalized the hurt, pain, and
disappointment that they felt and put that into the emotions of the woman in my chapter. I also
realized that another reason why the federal government doesnt prosecute is because the
reservation are usually far from the city. Federal attorneys do not want to play local police to an
entire reservation. This source is where I got the comment about the closest fed being three hours
away.
In my chapter, I attempted to internalize the voice and stylistic choices of Alexie. I used
shorter sentences but made them meaningful. I also imitated Alexies use of profanity while
keeping in mind that when Zits was occupying a younger persons body he was not as vulgar. His
profanity is used only to emphasize his disgust. I wanted to capture those moments in Flight

Jazmine Colvin
Project 1 Part 2
English 181: Indigenous Adolescence

where the character or Zits as a realization about themselves or the world around them. I think I
achieved this in multiple spots. Zits feels like a betrayer when he is inside of the boys body and
he watches his mother be raped, I cannot move. I cannot scream. I cannot fight. I am frozen
(Colvin 2). I fashioned this passage after Alexies passage in which Zits is inside of his father
that says, But my father cannot be a participant. He cannot be a witness. He cannot be a father
(Alexie 156) Zits also feels betray He then feels betrayed when he sees his mother go through so
much pain at the thought that she cannot get justice. His emotions about the fact that women who
are raped are unable to be protected are very strong and frustrated, The world is a fucked up
place. I always thought that police where there to protect and serve but they dont even have the
power to protect one of the actual good people in the world! (Colvin 4)

Jazmine Colvin
Project 1 Part 2
English 181: Indigenous Adolescence

Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. Flight: A Novel. New York: Black Cat, 2007. Print.
Colvin, Jazmine. Project 1: Part 1. N.p.: n.p., 2016. Print.
"Maze of Injustice." Amnesty International USA. Amnesty International USA, 2007. Web. 08
Feb. 2016. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights/violenceagainst-women/maze-of-injustice>.
"Tribal Justice: Prosecuting Non-Natives for Sexual Assault on Reservations." PBS. PBS, 5 Sept.
2015. Web. 08 Feb. 2016. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/tribal-justice-prosecutingnon-natives-sexual-assault-indian-reservations/>.
Williams, Timothy. "For Native American Women, Scourge of Rape, Rare Justice." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 22 May 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/us/native-americans-struggle-with-high-rate-ofrape.html?_r=0>.