Yellow Woman Themes

Identity is perhaps the most significant theme explored in this story. The title character and narrator is only known to the reader as “Yellow Woman,” a figure from Pueblo folklore, while the stranger she meets by the river, called Silva, claims to be “ka’tsina,” a mountain spirit known to seduce native women and take them from their communities. The narrator becomes fixated on uncovering Silva’s true identity, telling herself he couldn’t possibly be…

For most of the story, the narrator is in a dream-like state, taking in the details of her surroundings but constantly doubting her senses. Reality blends indistinguishably with myth and mysticism during the time she spends with Silva. In the end, she decides to tell her family a version of the truth—that she was kidnapped by a Navajo rather than by a mountain spirit. By making the narrative a blend of realism and mythology…

This short story was written a few years after the beginning of the American Indian Movement in 1968. As more Native American artists and writers produced work that celebrated their cultural heritage, they also spoke out against the persecution of Native Americans, past and present. Silko’s work in particular highlights the discord between Native American and white cultures. She fought against the erasure of her culture by centering the subjects of Pueblo identity, tradition, and…