Abstract
Leslie Marmon Silko is a Native American feminist and author of the 1998 novel Gardens in the Dunes, which focuses on the contradictions between repressed females in the patriarchal Western culture and self-determined Native American women. Her skillful storytelling expresses the power that can be drawn from being part of “collective sisterhood” that resists existing within the confines defined by patriarchy. Silko’s representation of repressive upbringings of the character Hattie under patriarchy, her positive portrayal of self-determined sexuality through the experiences of female Native American characters, and the assertion of the existence of a “collective sisterhood” outside the influence of Western culture that welcomes all females that embrace matriarchy lays the foundation for Silko’s stance of challenging accepted gender roles in a mainly patriarchal world.
Recommended Citation
Graham, Sarah
(2012)
"A World Apart: Silko’s Support of a Gynocentric Existence in Gardens in theDunes,"
Proceedings of GREAT Day: Vol. 2011, Article 13.
Available at:
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2011/iss1/13