The Grass Dancer Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter four opens in 1969, eight years before the previous chapter. Margaret Many Wounds is in the process of dying. On the morning when the chapter opens, Margaret requests a mirror in order to ascertain if she is still alive. The only food that she has a hankering for is Sioux corn soup. The soup used to be a staple on the reservation, but in recent times, it has become a rare delicacy because of the extensive preparation time required to make the soup. As Margaret becomes increasingly ill, she progressively pulls away from her Christian faith. One day, she directs Harley Wind Soldier, her six-year-old grandson, to bury her rosary in the yard. She begins praying to Wakan Tanka, the Sioux spirit god, and refuses to let the Catholic priest into the house.

Seven years earlier, Evie left the reservation and moved to Minneapolis. She has only returned to...
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