• We learn a lot about Stands With A Fist in this portion of the book.  What do you think about her by the end of Chapter XV?

   

  a.  At the beginning, I could not understand what is "Stands With A Fist". Is it a person's name? Is it a phase? When I kept reading, I got the clear answer in this book. Stands With A Fist became stronger than ever and recovered from her fomer suffering. (Jennifer,033107)

   

  b.That she really loved her husband, or at least he meant a lot for her. She tried to recover but the memories of the time shared with him killed her in the depth of her soul; she just wanted to be with him. She experienced a harsh moment, but I think that she is strong and she will demostrate that in the next chapters, I hope. (Flavia, 04/01/0)

   

  C. I think that Stands With A Fist is a very strong woman. Although she is the only white person among the tribe, now other Indians consider her as one of them. Also, she lost her husband and children. I think that a normal woman cannot stand this. She is doing well in her life, though it is very hard. For these reasons, she is very strong. I can understand why her name is Stands With A Fist. I think its meaning is “Overcome adversity in any case.”

  (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

   

   

  d. Her name was very tricky and funny. I didn`t understand her name at the beginning of the chapter. However, I remembered her name during reading because I saw this movie as a high school student. As you know, Stands With A Fist lost her children. It is the worst experience to a mother. I believe that  she will become stronger and overcome it.(Jinwoo Kim 04/01/07)

   

  e. Stands With A Fist, what a strange name for a woman. In the first I was confused, but later I realized that it was a name for a brave, strong and broken-hearted woman . She has lost the most valuable thing in her life, her husband and her children. She was the only white woman in the tribe. I think she will play an important role in the remainder of the story. (Mohamed Ali, 04/02/07).

   

   f.strange name for a women Stand With a Fist .A women who lost her childern a one of the most painfull stituation for a mother in her life time to lose childeren (shaheen (kashish)).

   

2. Comment on Stands With A Fist’s relationship with her husband and on her lack of children.

    

   a. She could not accept the truth that she lost the important things in her life, such as her husband, even her mind.  She hoped that everything could come back as before. In my opinion, for women, family is her own thing. It was a difficult thing to face such a bad situation in her life. It could be frustrating!! (Jennifer,033107)

    

   b. Their relationship was good. She admired and respected him. He respected and loved her. Although her two children died, he continued with her. That must mean that he loved her a lot.  (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. It is terrible for her to lose her children. I think that Stands With A Fist really loved her children and husband. Her husband was very nice to her and very smart, generous and brave. He really understood her feeling about losing her children.  Also, he loved his wife. Women usually consider their children as their most valuable possession and their husband as an honest partner in their whole lives. Also, she do that. Without her children, she thought that there was no reason to live. However, he still stood by her. (Dae Gun Kim 01/04/07)

    

   d. When I read it, I was very impressed by her relationship with her husband. She really loved her hubby and kids. If I were she, it might be very terrible for me and I could not live any more. I could feel her grief because my aunt lost her son when he was in the army. My aunt is still grieving even though it was 20 years ago. (Jinwoo Kim 04/01/07)  

    

   e. It was a wonderful relationship; her husband was a brave, handsome, wonderful, exceptional man, and a model husband. She had never been struck by him, and though both their babies had died, he had refused to take another wife. He think that his wife enough for him. She was proud with him and was happy. (Mohamed Ali, 04/01/07).

    

   f. Human feelings… mm! Feelings nothing more complicated and sublime.  (?) At a glance the couple had a perfect “marriage” with all the momentum between them creating a perfect bond. Around the world the children become a “consolidation” of marriage and I’m pretty sure that for Comanche culture that’s the way it is. (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   G. Her situation was very bad if i were her i could't talerate this situation. One of my family lost her husband 4 years ago until now but nobody knows where is he it remind me her situation.(4/12/07 Nazanin)

    

    H. Most miserable thing for a  women to happen in her life is to lose her husband and childern .At begining of story she had a beautifull life ,having a handsome husband but later on she lost everything she had (shaheen(kashish)).

3. The Comanche women stop Stands With A Fist from killing herself the first day after she gets the news of her husband’s death, but on the next day, they allow her to take her knife when she leaves to begin her mourning because “she was calmer now, and if [she] still wanted to take her life, then so be it.” (p. 85)  Do you believe a person has the right to end his/her own life?  How is suicide viewed in your culture or religion?  Is it legal or illegal in your country?

    

    

   a. I don't think a person has the right to end his/her own life.  In my culture, we don't approve suicide even if people are suffering in a bad situation. I don't know if it is legal or illegal, and I don't think the news should report suicides. People will learn how to kill themselves. I can imagine why people choose to commit suicide; however, in my country, it is very usual to hear such news. (Jennifer, 04/01/07)

    

   b. Nobody has the right to end a life. God gives you a life and he is the only one who can end it. For Catholic people, suicide is not allowed, but in Peru it is very common to hear about suicides. There is no law that says that it is legal or illegal, and if it is illegal in a country, how they can prevent people from committing suicide? I think that this law would be very difficult to enforce. (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. Because rccently, several TV stars have killed themselves in South Korea, suicide is a big issue. They committed suicide because they could not overcome their sorrow. I’m so sorry about that. In our country, committing suicide is legal, but aiding and abetting suicide is illegal. In my opinion, a suicidal act is the worst thing in any case. I know that people who want to kill themselves have an unconquered problem. However, their lives are not only theirs. I mean that they should consider their family and friends before doing that. First of all, they should love themselves. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

   d. In my view, I believe people have the right to end their own life. However, it doesn`t mean suicide. I believe that it is a cowardly act. I am nonvinced that people should love their life because it is the most valuable thing there is. In Korea, any suicide is not be justified by any excuse. It is illegal. (Jinwoo Kim 04/01/07)

    

   e. No, I don't believe that any person has the right to end his own life. In both my culture and my religion, suicide is forbidden and it is viewed as a very terrible thing.  The person who does something like that is considered to be of with low faith. I think in my country suicide is illegal. One must know that his soul does not belong to him. It belongs to God who gave him life.  Heshould never think this way. Any person should face any situation with belief and a brave heart. (Mohamed Ali, 04/02/07).

    

   f. The debate whether suicide is the answer for terminal illness is for me a really interesting issue, but only in that case. However, for an Anabaptist person to commit suicide is one of the worst sins. I can criticize his attitude, but it doesn’t diminish my respect for other rights. The Costa Rican culture morally censures suicide and if you survive the law forces you to attend sessions of mental evaluation and support.   (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   g.Accourding to me suicide is done by those people who dose'nt belive in god or hearafter ,beacuse if he does he will not take this extream step ,he /she has no right to end a life which is given by god.(shaheen(kashish)).

4. What is the importance of the night ride on the prairie (pp. 82-84)? I am sorry I made a mistake in the chapter.  It is chapter XII, Part 3.

    

    

   a. The prairie is very different between day and night. When riding on the prairie, it could be a "mirage", means a sheet of water seeming to appear in the desert or on a hot road. So, the prairie and illumination would grow more brilliant. (Jennifer,033107)

    

   b. If the question refer to the chapter XII, part 3, in my opinion that experience in that bright night give Lt. Dunbar a turn in his daily routine. It gave him a new mission. He was always waiting for Indians or for something new in his quiet life. Although he could have awaited the visit of the Indians, he preferred to be the first to go to meet them and not to wait impatiently. (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. My answer is the moon because it can give a rider light at night. During day, riding on the prairie is very dangerous because a rider can take paralysis and see illumination. In this chapter, they move at night. However, there is no light at night. They cannot decide where they go and where they are. Also, they cannot see each other. I think the full moon is necessary to move at night. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)   

    

   D. If this question is asking my opinion, the important thing in riding on the prairie are a star and bedclothes. A stars, such as the polar star and the Big Dipper are important to get the direction. The polar star can give the direction and prevent us to loose own direction. In addition, bedclothes are important because there are sudden change of temperature in daytime and night. (Jinwoo Kim 04/01/07)

    

   e. It was a symbolism. All together the gorgeous prairie, the relaxing rides on Cisco, and the mysterious of two socks. In my opinion the behavior of two socks was the most amazing thing of those; Dunbar was extremely surprised with two socks behaviors almost as if he was a dog. (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   f. A refers to an arera of land of low topography relief that historically supported grasses and herbs with few tress and having generally a mesic climate. A fire is must in prairie.(shaheen(kashish)).

    

5. Why did Lt. Dunbar know “there was a possibility he would never see [Fort Sedgewick] again?” (p. 87)

    

   a. Lieutenant Dunbar knew that he would never see this place again because he could see the flat and rode out here. (Jennifer,040107)

    

   b. That idea of not see the fort again was due to his future meeting with the Indians. Lt. Dunbar didn't know if he would be killed by the Indians, taken as a prisioner, or considered as a new friend for them. His destiny was uncertain, and because of that, he had that feeling that it was a possibility not to see again that place which had been his house for a long period. (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. It is because Lt. Dunbar knows that the West frontier is very dangerous area. He wonders whether he can survive or not. It is because there are lots of Indian tribes. Indian people are very strong and dangerous adversaries to them. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

   d. Obviously he might perish in the next “interview” with the Comanche people. (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   f.Leiutenant Dunbar was not sure wheather he would be alive or not and hence he thought that he would never again.(shaheen(kashish)).

    

6. What is Lt. Dunbar’s great personal crisis (pp. 103-104)?

    

   a. Lt. Dunbar felt hollowness and he was controning (?) under such a crush of unpleasant things. The warrior was walking back toward to them, Lt. Dunbar needed to escape from them. 

      (Jennifer,040107)

    

   b. He was scared of how to communicate with the Indians. He felt that he was nothing and the only way to escape this crisis of not knowing what to do was just to escape.(Flavia, 0/01/07)

    

    

    

    

   C. After facing Wind In His Hair, he cannot do anything. There are two reasons. One is that he cannot communicate with Wind In His Hair and other Indians. Therefore, he cannot explain who he is, who a woman is, and why he is here. The other is that he feels scared of them. The Indians were not friendly at that time. Lt. Dunbar thinks that he is just like chalk on the board. He is under so much stress because of the huge and strange Indian group. After all, Lt. Dunbar runs away, but two brave Indian guys follow him. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

   d. When some Indians appear, the great crisis of Lt. Dunbar is fear. He didn`t know what he should do. He just can escape from them.(Jinwoo Kim 04/01/07)

    

   e. He can not communicate with their strange language. He doesn't know what to do. He was very scared and wanted to escape from them. (Mohamed Ali, 04/02/07). 

    

   f. Somehow they (Lt. Dunbar and Stands With A Fist) click and build a bond between each other. Later Lt. Dunbar, on his way back, felt pity for her. It was an existentialist debate inside his mind. (Felix, 4/3/200

    

   g.Bascially he was not able to communciate with them .(shaheen(kashish)).

7. Chapter XIV describes the visit of Kicking Bird and Wind In His Hair to Fort Sedgewick.  They know no English, and Lt. Dunbar knows no Comanche.  How do they manage to communicate?  Have you ever tried to communicate with someone whose language you know not at all?

    

   a. Lt. Dunbar tried to express everything in pantomime, expressive movements of the face and a body language with Kicking Bird and Wind In His Hair. For example, when he wanted to them to sit down, Lt. Dunbar did the act of sitting.  I think body language is very useful when I try to communicate with someone whose language I don't know. 

       (Jennifer,040107)

    

   b. They communicated using their body expressions, especially hand gestures and facial expressions. Lt. Dumbar used his hands for greetings, then for a cup of coffe,and then for sitting. I have never tried to communicate with someone whose language I didn't know, but my mom did it. When she was here, she used her hands and face in many situations to try to comunicate with Americans when she wanted to buy something. For that reason I think that a standard language is the body signs.(Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. They have no knowledge about each other’s language, but they communicate with each other with body-language. I have a similar experience. When I was an undergraduate student, I met an American soldier in front of the main door of my university. My university is located in Young San, which is a place for the US army in South Korea. He asked me, “Where is the bus station near by here?” At that time, I couldn’t speak English. I tried to use body-language. However, it is very hard to show the direction to a bus station. I gave him a detailed picture that shows well how to go to the station. With a picture and body-language, I was able to talk with someone who used a different language from me. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

    

    

    e. They use simple gestures and mimic of daily situations trying to explain all they want to communicate. (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   d. It was very funny and I understood their problems because I had the same experience in the US.  Lt. Dunar was trying to show his mind using his body launguage and facial expression. I have never tried to talk with someone whose language I don`t know. However, I had an experience trying to communicate with someone in the US.  It is a very funny experience. Last semester, I went to a restaurant with my friends. After ordering my dish, a water asked to me "super salad?" I thought 'It was very big salad' I said "It`s OK!!!" A water asked again " What is OK?" I said " I want a super salad!!!!!" However, his asking was "SOUP OR SALAD"....Oh my God....(Jinwoo Kim 04/02/07) Great story!

    

   f.They communicated with using their body expression,(hans, face) they show the things instead of speak to each other. I think it's hard to communicate with someone whose languages we don't know sometimes we can but not always.(04/13/07Nazanin)

    

   g.The way they communicated to people was different they use their expressions rather then their mouth to communicate.(Shaheen(kashish)).

8. In Chapter XV Lt. Dunbar describes his visit to the Comanche village in a diary entry.  Based on his observations, what kind of impression do you suppose he made on the Indians?

    

   a. Lt. Dunbar tried to get with everything with the Comanche, he learned the basic Comanche words of their language even though it was difficult for him. Then he wanted to make friends with others, the social language from Lt. Dunbar was to give a cigarette to them and start a conversation. (Jennifer,040107)

    

   b. Everybody was kind to Lt. Dumbar. It is like everybody knew that he was a good white man. The sharing of the cigarette was an action that broke the ice during that meeting. Maybe the laughter of Ten Bears was good or bad, but Ten Bears accepted his cigarette, and that was a good sight. (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. According to his description of the Comanche village, the Indians think that Lt. Dunbar is a good person although many white men are their enemies. Also, Lt. Dunbar tried to communicate and to make good relationship with them. After they smoked together, they could break the ice between them. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

    d. He could see only what he wanted to see, but it seems to me the Indians noticed that he had good intentions. (Felix, 4/3/2007).

    

   f.A good white man "Lt.Dumbar" was known amoung all ,sharing of cigarette was a act towards socilaizing which made the ice break.(shaheen(kashihs)).

     

9. What do you like best about the book so far?  What don’t you like? 

    

   a. I like the parts about the warriors  that met each other. I don't like using the names, such as Stands With A fist, and Wind In His Hair, it makes me confused. (Jennifer,040107)

    

   b. The turn of Dunbar's life from loneliness to a new life with the companion of his new two friends, the coyote and Cisco,his horse. (Flavia, 04/01/07)

    

   C. When I first read the book , I was very confused by the Indian names. I didn't understand what the author said. I usually understood the names as dictionary meanings because I didn’t realize that they were Indian names. With searching the web site, I realized  that they are just names. At that time, I found a very interesting thing on the web site. Among the area names in the USA, there are lots of city names which came from names of Indian tribes; Potomac River, Bethesda and so on. Indian names are very interesting to me so far. (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

    

   d. The book tells us a very interesting story which is filled with feelings, and also gives us a good example of a patient man, Dunbar, who faced a lot of troubles and tried to commit suicide, and  a good example of a strong woman who also tried to commit suicide, but both of them resisted and got through the bad sitiuation. On the other hand, I don't like the way in which the author wrote the story's events. He tends to elongate the situation by adding a lot of words and describing the action in a boring manner.  (Mohamed, 04/02/07)  The descriptions aren't boring to me; perhaps it is because the vocabulary is not difficult for a native speaker.

    

    

   e.  Thus far the sensations of unreal and fantastic facts give me wins (?) to imagine and feel excited when it is time or sad if it is time.  (Felix, 4/3/2007)

    

   f .To me the best thing i likes about this story is that ,it helped me increase my vocabulary .story was litttle bit confusing though at begining but later as i started understanding it made a bit interesting.(shaheen(kashish)).

    

    

    

Write your questions for Nina below:

1.I didn't understand what does the story want to show by "the wind in his hair"using this so many times that makes me confused alot.(Nazanin,04/01/07)

Wind In His Hair is the name of one of the Comanche men.  You can see that it is his name because of the capital letters.  Other names of people in this book are Kicking Bird, Stands With A Fist, Ten Bears, Smiles A Lot, and Dances With Wolves.

2.Waiting, he thought, That’s what I’ve been doing. (the last line on page 82) In this sentence, why the author use a big letter “That’s”. I think “That” is not starting word and name and there is a comma in front of “That’s”. I think a small letter “that’s” is right. How about your opinion, Nina? (Dae Gun Kim, 01/04/07)

I agree; it isn't necessary to capitalize it, but it shows that in his mind, this was the beginning of a new thought (a new sentence).