Yellow Woman

Silko wrote the essay “Yellow Woman and a Beauty of Spirit,” which touches on many of the same themes in the short story “Yellow Woman.” Read the essay and then compare Silko’s nonfiction observations and attitudes to the choices she makes in her fiction.

There is a dreamlike tone throughout the story. What does this accomplish in terms of the narrator’s identity? How does the dreamlike tone emphasize her inner conflict?

Silva and the white man are both described either by appearance or by attitude and action. Al, the narrator’s husband, is not described. What does this absence of characterization do for the overarching themes of the story?