In the book There There, by Tommy Orange, we see many characters’ points of view as they experience and struggle to find their own identities as Native people. The characters are fragmented as a result of rejection from family or others within their culture. Looking at characters in the story through the gender theory lens allows the reader to analyze and understand characters more deeply. And through their journeys of being gender stereotyped, Orange gives the reader personal glimpses into how they coped and overcame it. Most notable Blue, Orvil, Jaquie and Octavio as they overcome or exceed the expectations that were set for them.
Blue is Native and was adopted at birth by a wealthy white family. She grew up in the suburb of Oakland, knowing of her Native identity but never feeling a part of it. Blue moved to Oklahoma when she found a new job, and met her now ex husband Paul, who was mentally and physically abusive. By using gender theory the
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Being raised by his great aunt, Orvil was not educated in what it means to be native. He sneaks at night to watch videos of powwows and doesn’t want anyone to know that he is interested in his heritage. Since he was raised to not understand what it means to be Native, Orvil doesn’t understand how a Native man would behave at the powwow and the importance of the regalia and dancing in the powwow. Also how his past reflects his understanding of the different power genders have. Orvil states “acting normal, like they don't look like what they look like. Indians dressed up as Indians.” This quote shows that, in Orvil’s mind, it doesn't seem normal for boys in this generation to dress up and dance in front of a crowd. This ritual is seen as something only girls would do, and when Orvil saw them acting normal about it, it just seemed foreign to