A Red Girl's Reasoning

By Pauline Johnson
 The Story

A Red Girl’s Reasoning is a Native American story set in a predominantly white town which follows Christie Mcdonald and her

husband Charlie Mcdonald. Christie belongs to a native mother but european father and charlie is full european. They are

happily married and deeply in love. Tensions rise between the couple when Christie reveals that a priest was not present during

her parents marriage meaning to the white people that her are not married in god's eyes therefore illegal. Charlie feels like

christie brought shame to him and their relationship by sharing this information to everyone. They get into a heated argument

where Charlie goes on a tangent about how shameful this is and Christine is a disgrace. The argument is interrupted by his

brother joe, when Charlie grabs strongly onto christine's arm hurting her. After this Christine runs away in the middle of the

night. Several months later Charlie finds Christine and professes his love for her and begs for her to take him back but christine

refuses. Christine is still hurt from their argument and her point stands strong that he lost her forever after he told her she is a

disgrace and showed he has no belief or respect for her Native culture.
 About The Author

● Pauline Johnson is from Six Nations Reserve in Brantford, Ontario Canada

● Her father was a Mohawk Chief.

● The Mohawks is the tribe her family is in. It’s structured by 3 clans that stem from female

ancestry and have female leaders.

● The traditional Mohawk religion is animist meaning they believe that all natural things like

plants, animals, and even things like thunder have a soul and spiritual essence.

● Pauline comes from an Indigenous mother and European father just like her character

Christine Mcdonald.
How does the concept of identity, including individual, communal, and cultural identity,
manifest in Native American literature? How do Native American authors navigate the
complexities of cultural identity in their works?
Throughout the native american unit there have been many stories surrounding the topic of identity. One thing that was similar in all of

the stories is that none of the characters ever felt like they had to act less Indian or ashamed of their culture. A Red Girl's Reasoning is

an incredible representation of this. The conflict in the story is not Christie against herself. Christie is a strong minded girl and will not

settle for anything. She believes in her culture and values and will not be bothered to assimilate herself in order to alline with her

husbands beliefs. In the story the author chose to navigate the complexities of cultural identity by portraying Christie as a moldable

character. The author says that christie had taken very well among charlie's friends which gives the idea that she changed herself to fit

in. as the book progresses and christie and charlie fight over her indian rites its shown that christie has always had those strong beliefs

in her. She is simply confident and secure enough in her culture where she can fit into charlies white community while still maintaining

the same beliefs that she had before. The final interaction between Christine and Charlie further proves this. Once she is removed from

his community she reverts back to strongly expressing her native side. When Charlie comes begging for her to take him back she

refuses because of how secure she is in her heritage.

 Christine McDonald
Christie is portrayed as a very beautiful women. She exhibits feature from both her fathers white side and her mothers

indigenous

“Olive-complexioned, gray eyed, black-haired, with figure slight and delicate, and the wistful, unfathomable expression in

her while face that turns one so heart-sick as they glance at the young indians today” (Johnson 3).

During Christie and Charlies argument, Christie really stands her ground and proves herself to be confident and

undoubting. This is the man she loves and he comes from completely different background than her but she will not settle

in this argument. She shows that she does not back down when she knows she is right and she will not allow him to make

her feel anything but proud about herself.

“Shame? Why should I be ashamed of the rites of my people any more than you should be ashamed of the customs of

yours- of a marriage more sacred and holy than half of your white man's mockeries
 Charlie Mcdonald
Charlie is also portrayed as a very handsome man. He is described as a typical white man with light features.

“It was a happy, fair face, good to look, at with certain ripple of dimples somewhere about the mouth, and eyes that

laughed out the very sunnies of their owners soul. There was not a severe nor yet a weak line anywhere. He was a well

meaning young fellow, happily dispositioned” (Johnson 2).

Charlie fights with christie and later comes to regret his decisions. This shows he doesn't feel as strongly in his beliefs as
christie does because if he did he would not have run back to christie. His change in emotions is very confusing because it
contradicts his whole stance considering the argument stemmed from charlie asserting his beliefs on christie. It proves he
talks out of anger and egotistical emotions unlike christie who speaks from her heart.

“ the voice was like an angry demons- not a trace was there in it of the yellow-haired, blue eyed, laughing-lipped boy who
had driven away so gaily to the dance five hours before” (Johnson 9).
“ “Dont, oh! Don't,” he cried piteously. “You will come to me, dear? It is all such a bitter mistake- I did not understand.
Oh christie, i did not understand, and you’ll forgive me, and love me again, won't you- you wont?” ” (Johnson 15).
 Joe Mcdonald
This shows Christie and Joe have a good relationship and are fond of each other because they make jokes with one

another.

“Oh no I would not cry; I never do cry, but I would be heart-sore to lose you, Joe, and apart from that- a little wickedly-

you may come in handy for an exchange someday as charlie does always say when he hoards up duplicate relics” (Johnson

5).

Joe is a much more embracing person than Charlie. He has a lot more respect for Christies culture and he proves himself to be a very

caring person towards her as well. When Charlie and Christie fight he steps up to comfort and reassure her.

“ can i do anything for you, Christie?” asked her brother-in-law calmly” (Johnson 12).

“ What is he so angry at, joe?” “I don't know exactly, dear,” he said gently, “but i think it is was you said about the indian marriage.”

“but why should i not have said it? Is there anything wrong about it?” She asked pitifully “nothing than i can see-there was no other

way;” (Johnson 8).

Conflict- Man vs Man.
The conflict present in A Red Girl's Reasoning is man vs man. Christie and charlie go up against each other in a fight over

their personal beliefs. Charlie does not consider native marriage customs legal in the eyes of god and christine responds by

telling charlie if he doesn't consider her customs then she won’t consider his either. While they do have a very deep love and

connection with each other, charlie does not respect and observe Christies Native rites the same way Christie respects and

observes his white rites. Although she is native she still got married in a traditional white marriage with a priest present and

never once thought to shame Charlie about this. She considered it a real marriage. On the other hand Charlie does not

consider her parents native wedding as a real marriage because there was no priest present. This ultimately leads to their split

because christie will not sacrifice her identity for him especially after the way he spoke of her culture.
Significant Symbolism
Christies wedding ring was used to symbolize the love christie has for Charlie.

Christie’s love for Charlie is symbolized by this ring because she does it for Charlie. Christie does not follow white customs but she
gets married in a white ceremony and wears a wedding ring. The text states that not even Christie's mother wears a ring even though she
is also married to a white man. By christie wearing the ring it shows love and a certain level of respect and devotion to her husband.
When christie and charlie get into the horrible fight were christie loses all her love for him she throws the ring back to him and never
wears it ever again.

The relationship between Christie's parents symbolizes what Christie and Charlie could have been.

Christie's father originates from a white background but was always interested in and studied native culture. His wife is an indian strong
willed woman. This is the exact same in Christie and Charlie's wedding. The difference is Christie's father settled in the relationship.
They were married in an indian ceremony with no priest and no ring. Her father was not bothered by this and embraces her mothers
culture. On the other hand Charlie is very bothered and insecure when it comes to Christies beliefs which results in their split while
christie's parents remain happily married.
 The theme explored in, A Red Girl's Reasoning is that your culture and values make
you and represent you as a person. You shouldn't let anybody take that away from
you and always be proud of your heritage
In the beginning of the story, the text talks alot about how christie fits so well into her white community and her devotion to charlie. Christie fit
herself into a small box to make charlie happy, “he was proud that she had “taken” so well among his friends, proud that she bore herself so
complacently…but doubly proud of her almost abject devotion to him. If ever a human being was worshipped that being was charlie mcdonald;
(johnson 4). At this point it would be safe to assume that christie “civilized” herself to make her husband happy because, as the text implies, she
would do anything for him. But as the story progresses and the couple gets into a fight about their difference in customs it's clear that christie
had no plans of throwing her culture away to please Charlie. She stands her ground and explains to him that if he will not observe her customs
she will not observe his and throws the ring back to him as she says, “ That thing is as empty to me as indian rites to you” (Johnson 11). The
final representation of the theme in this story is when Charlie finds Christie months after she left him. He assumes that everything said was in
the heat of the moment and that if he apologies to her all will be fine but its clear christie has no intentions of ever forgiving him. She tells him
,“ “you cannot make me come,” sad the icy voice, “neither church, nor law, nor even”- and the voice softened- “nor even love can make a slave
of a red girl” ” ( Johnson 15). Christie will not allow anybody, no matter how much she loves them, to make her feel like her culture is wrong
and should not be respected. The development of the theme proves that Christie has always had these strong emotions towards her culture
inside her she just chose to not bring them up because it wasn't necessary. She didn't need to tell everyone in the town she's native for her to feel
more native. She already had all the confidence she needed
Final Thoughts
The author carefully crafted Christine into a very uncompromising women. Something I noticed very early on

that was very interesting was that there was no Man vs Self conflict present. Christine has a strong identity.

She is not battling with herself over her traditions. She has a strong stance and cannot be convinced that her

customs aren't “lawful” as Charlie puts it. Christie has such strong feelings and beliefs towards her native

heritage and there was never a point in the story where these feelings were challenged. Charlie is extremely

insecure and throughout the majority of the story except for the end where he pleads for christies forgiveness,

he's stubborn and disrespectful towards his wife's heritage.

Works Cited
“Mohawk.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 21 Jan. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/Mohawk.

Johnson, E. Pauline. A Red Girl's Reasoning. 1893. CanLit Guides.