"The Yellow Woman" Leslie Marmon Silko

Laguna Pueblo Culture
- Oral storytelling
- TYW was the focus of female fantasy stories
- Both heroic and sexual, TYW protects the Pueblos
- YW tales embody both male and female qualities: aggressive sexuality (male) and traditional object of female desire
- A woman courageous in the service of her people and usually achieving success through sexuality rather than destruction

Theory 1: Independence
- TYW often lives on her own away from the village and behaves differently than the norm
- This shows how Silko's life may have been; her family lived on the outside of their reservations and therefore were excluded from Pueblo rituals

Theory 2: Illustration of TYW
- Female liberation
- Independence, sexual freedom,and heroism
- TYW has the power which physical sensations and desire have to blot out the thought of home, family, and responsibilities