Red Girl’s Reasoning Analysis

Martine Goguen
Story
- Published in 1893 by E. Pauline Johnson
- Involves characters Charlie, a white man and
his new wife Christine, an indigenous woman.
- In Red Girl’s reasoning, Christine and Charlie
face cultural differences between each other
and respond to the division.
Theme Throughout the Story
Red Girl’s Reasoning demonstrates how
ethnocentrism can be very ignorant and harmful
to others with different cultures. Native American
history contains many instances of white
Americans being being ethnocentric about
Native American culture, an example being the
assimilation of Native Americans into white
American society. While Red Girl’s Reasoning
isn’t directly about assimilated Native Americans,
the white Americans in the short story have
opinions similar to those who agreed with
assimilation.
 E. Pauline Johnson - Mohawk Tribe
- Pauline Johnson was born in Ontario, Canada in 1861.
She’s a poet and author who contributed to Canadian
and Indigenous culture through her works. Her father
was a hereditary Mohawk chief.
- Mohawk originates from north eastern regions,
ranging from the state of New York to southern
Canada.
- Mohawk people preserve their culture through
traditions of dance, music, language, and ceremonies
- Jobs in Mohawk tribe were divided by gender
- Women in charge of agriculture
- Men in charge of hunting
Essential Question
How do Native American writers address the historical and contemporary challenges faced by
their communities, such as displacement, cultural erasure, and social injustices, in their literary
works?

Red Girl’s Reasoning addresses the challenges that the Native Community face through the
character Christine, and how non-indigenous people react to her culture. Christine receives
immense judgement from both her husband and people that she meets because of customs that
she’s used to.
Charlie
- “She was simple-minded and awfully ignorant Charlie wants to be married to Christine, but a
to pitch those old Indian laws at him in her conflict between them is their cultural
fury, but he could not blame her; oh, no, he differences. Charlie cannot get behind her
could not for one moment blame her. He had beliefs, and is ashamed of them, as he felt
been terribly severe and unreasonable, and the humiliated when Christine admitted to people
horrid McDonald temper had got the better of that her parents did not receive a Christian
him; and he loved her so. Oh! He loved her so!” marriage. He is in love with the idea of being
(Johnson 10) with Christine, but does not truly accept her for
- “‘No, Christie, I would not be so brutal as that; who she is and what she stands for.
but your father and mother live in more
civilized times. Father O’Leary has been at the
post for nearly twenty years. Why was not
your father straight enough to have the
ceremony performed when he did get the
chance?’” (Johnson 8)
Christine
- “‘[...] When the priest came with his notions of Christine is not ashamed of who she is, and
Christianizing, and talked to them of re-marriage by the defends both herself and her family for their
Church, my mother arose and said, ‘Never—never—I culture. She has strong opinions and when
have never had but this one husband; he has had none Charlie or other non-indigenous characters
but me for wife, and to have you re-marry us would be judge her, she is very quick to respond back to
to say as much to the whole world as that we had never them. She defends her mother when her
been married before. [Fact.] You go away; I do not ask parents are judged for not receiving a
that your people be re-married; talk not so to me. I am Christian marriage, and she keeps her belief
married, and you or the Church cannot do or undo it.’’” that it is not wrong for her parents to be
(Johnson 8) married the way they chose to be.
- “‘Law? My people have no priest, and my nation cringes
not to law. Our priest is purity, and our law is honor.
Priest? Was there a priest at the most holy marriage
know to humanity—that stainless marriage whose
offspring is the God you white men told my pagan
mother of?’” (Johnson 8)
Conflict
- The conflict of the story involves Man
vs. Society.
- Christine defends her culture, and is
not ashamed of it whatsoever, and
because of that she is ridiculed by
Charlie because he has a different
mindset
Significant Symbolism
- Charlie and Christine both represent different groups of people
- Charlie represents the idea of assimilation
- He loves Christine because of her behavior and looks, but he doesn't accept
her culture
- Assimilation of Native Americans believes that they can become civilized and
are similar to white Americans, but their culture should be removed
- Christine represents Native Americans who disagree with assimilation
- She defends her culture from Charlie and disagrees with him wanting her
parents to have a Christian marriage when that is not what they chose to do
and isn’t apart of their culture
Final Thoughts
- Red Girl’s Reasoning takes an emotional approach for ethnocentrism. People
become emotionally impacted on how their culture may be viewed by people
outside of their own
- Christine’s perspective on Charlie changes once she realizes how he views her
family to be uncivilized, and it hurts her so much to where she does not want to
marry Charlie, leaving him distraught as he does not understand why she disagrees
with him so much
Works Cited!
“Culture and History.” Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, www.srmt-nsn.gov/culture_and_history.

Accessed 5 Feb. 2024.

“Emily Pauline Johnson.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-pauline-johnson. Accessed 5 Feb. 2024.

Johnson, Emily Pauline. Red Girl’s Reasoning. Dominion Illustrated , 1893. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024.

“Pauline Johnson, A Red Girl’s Reasoning (#review).” Whispering Gums, 26 Feb. 2023,

whisperinggums.com/2023/02/26/pauline-johnson-a-red-girls-reasoning-review/. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024