Ten Little Indians Study Guide & Notes

Ten Little Indians Plot Summary

Preview of Ten Little Indians Summary:

This collection of nine short stories reveals multiple facets of life in contemporary America as experienced by Native Americans. Although there seems to be strongly autobiographical material in all of the stories, this material is presented through various lead characters who all appear to be different objectifications of the author, or literary masks, used to tell the stories. All stories are filled with humor and pathos. The conflict between indigenous Native American tribal culture and the mainstream white contemporary American culture runs through all the stories, giving them an extraordinary humanity as pain and heartbreak coexist with redemption and humor.

"The Search Engine" concerns a young and gifted Indian girl who as a student at Washington State University nurtures a dream of becoming a poet. She discovers a volume of poetry by a Native American named Harlan Atwater and decides to contact him. She eventually tracks him down in Seattle...
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