The Lullaby By Leslie Marmon Silko

“We are together always / There never was a time / when this / was not so”(Silko 18). The short story “The Lullaby” by Leslie Marmon Silko follows the life of Ayah, a Native American woman who has experienced a surplus amount of loss. Ayah tells the story of her life with memories and how the events in these memories affected her. Throughout her life, she lost everyone she loved. All of this caused her a great deal of pain but also is a misfortune that many Native American people are forced to face. That said, she always found a way to persevere and never let the hardships in her life consume her. That being said, Ayah is a resilient person who has a deep love for her family but has also faced many struggles as a marginalized woman in America.

The surface of Ayah being maternal is the fact that she is a mother, but there is much more to this for her. She deeply cares for her children and shows them with tenderness and affection. Her love for her children is apparent in her memories of them, as she recalls their laughter and positive presence in her life. The short story states, “She did not sleep for a long time after they took her children”(Silko 9). Ayah loved her children more than she loved anything else. When they were taken from her, she exhibited symptoms of depression because a substantial part of her person was being a mother. She is depicted as a caregiver who values emotional connection and affection in her relationship with her children. That said, she also displays maternal behaviors and loyalty to her husband, Chato. The short story states, “She offered half the blanket to him and they sat wrapped together”(Silko 18). Although she and her husband didn’t have the greatest relationship after their children were taken away, she continued to care for him. She worried for him and was constantly helping him in any way she could. Similarly, she is shown as maternal when she sings Chato a lullaby. She comforts him in a way that is best described as maternal, and she has likely done so more than once. Ayah is a character who is constantly trying to protect and comfort those around