During Christine’s perspective of Aunt Ida through her teenage years we discover Aunt Ida favors her son. Christine says “She wouldn’t let us call her Mom, since she hadn’t been married, but she claimed we both favored her side. That was a joke. She was ugly the way some people get, each part of her too big or off- center, like a woman slapped together out of branches and mud” (144). Christine sees her Mother, Aunt Ida as an ugly woman who is never pretty enough to become married. During this time period having children out of wedlock is frowned upon. The residents on the reservation are ashamed of Ida’s situation and believe she shouldn’t have given birth to the children. Christine has a poor opinion of her Mother. She calls Aunt Ida ugly
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Her life is finally discovered and the truth comes out about why Ida acts the way she does. When Ida is fifteen years old, her mother contracts a deadly disease. They call her mother’s sister Clara to come help with the family and take care of the household. Inviting Clara into their home is a mistake because once she arrives, she sleeps with Ida’s father, and becomes pregnant. The family refuses to allow a scandal to come out about Clara sleeping with Ida’s father. Her family suggests Ida leaves with Clara and returns with the baby pretending it is hers. They believe Ida won’t be as scorned because she is a young, foolish, girl and won’t be suspected of sleeping with her father. Before she agrees to the foolish suggestion, a priest questions Ida, “Are you willing to endure this sacrifice, to suffer the scorn of others, to care for this child as if it were your own, to keep this secret forever?” (311). Ida agrees right away. Her willingness to protect her family demonstrates how protective and caring she is of them. She is willing to do anything to prevent tarnish to her family name. This also demonstrates how strong willed and courageous Ida is. She agrees to help even though she will receive some hatred for having a child at a young age and out of wedlock. The backstory also reveals why she forces Christine to call her Aunt Ida and why the two experience a strained
Her life is finally discovered and the truth comes out about why Ida acts the way she does. When Ida is fifteen years old, her mother contracts a deadly disease. They call her mother’s sister Clara to come help with the family and take care of the household. Inviting Clara into their home is a mistake because once she arrives, she sleeps with Ida’s father, and becomes pregnant. The family refuses to allow a scandal to come out about Clara sleeping with Ida’s father. Her family suggests Ida leaves with Clara and returns with the baby pretending it is hers. They believe Ida won’t be as scorned because she is a young, foolish, girl and won’t be suspected of sleeping with her father. Before she agrees to the foolish suggestion, a priest questions Ida, “Are you willing to endure this sacrifice, to suffer the scorn of others, to care for this child as if it were your own, to keep this secret forever?” (311). Ida agrees right away. Her willingness to protect her family demonstrates how protective and caring she is of them. She is willing to do anything to prevent tarnish to her family name. This also demonstrates how strong willed and courageous Ida is. She agrees to help even though she will receive some hatred for having a child at a young age and out of wedlock. The backstory also reveals why she forces Christine to call her Aunt Ida and why the two experience a strained