Painted Turtle: Woman with Guitar: Analysis of Major Characters
"Painted Turtle: Woman with Guitar" explores the life of Painted Turtle, a Zuni woman whose journey reflects her struggle with cultural identity and the constraints of gender roles within her community. Beginning with a childhood longing for freedom and gender transcendence, Painted Turtle faces significant trauma, including rape and societal stigma, which complicate her relationship with her heritage. As she seeks escape from her traditional life, she turns to music, ultimately finding solace and expression through her guitar, despite the hardships of performing in lowly venues.
The narrative also introduces key characters, such as Baldy, a complex figure who embodies the conflict between cultural identities and becomes both a romantic partner and collaborator for Painted Turtle. Old Gchachu, the clan's father figure, represents traditional Zuni beliefs and the weight of cultural expectations, while Grandma Wilhelmina and Waldo Etawa symbolize the intersection of past and future, offering varying perspectives on heritage and independence. Marelda Etawa, Painted Turtle's mother, signifies the importance of family and tradition, grounding the story in the themes of continuity and cultural preservation. Together, these characters enrich the exploration of identity, resilience, and the transformative power of music in the face of adversity.
Painted Turtle: Woman with Guitar: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Clarence Major
First published: 1988
Genre: Novel
Locale: Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico
Plot: Experimental
Time: The 1930's to the 1980's
Painted Turtle, a female Zuni singer and guitar player whose alienation from her culture allows her to transcend reality through her music. Early in her life, she yearns to be a boy and experience the freedom of her father's sphere; however, she must learn the confining ways of the worlds of her mother and grandmother. She is raped at the age of thirteen and gives birth to twins. Most of the Zuni interpret this as a curse, and their attitude strengthens the discomfort she feels concerning the demands and expectations placed on her as a result of her gender and culture. To escape, she goes to a mental hospital and later becomes an unsuccessful barmaid and prostitute; eventually, she becomes a nightclub performer. She finally realizes that her childhood guitar can offer her not only an escape from reality but also an escape from a dreaded life on the reservation. She travels to third-rate clubs, bars, and hotels, singing for tips while sleeping in flophouses and cheap motels, until she meets Baldy.
Baldwin (Baldy) Saiyataca, the narrator of the story, who peers into Painted Turtle's life across actual time and mythic distance. His own story becomes woven into hers, and they become lovers and musical partners. He meets Painted Turtle on “the grimy cantina circuit” when he is sent to hear her perform by their mutual agent, Peter Inkpen. Baldy's task is to transform Painted Turtle into a more commercially appealing singer by suggesting that she switch to the electric guitar; instead, she unwittingly transforms him, and he joins her act when he trades his prized electric guitar for an acoustic one. Being the son of a Hopi mother and a Navajo father makes him emblematic of the story; he, like Painted Turtle, must walk between two worlds. He represents conflict between people who are different. Throughout the novel, Saiyataca remains a distant figure and a stilted voice, telling little about Painted Turtle's life and even less about his own. He is seen through her eyes as the narrative reveals her life to the world.
Old Gchachu (CHAH-chew), the father of the clan, the human incarnation of the old ways. The collective memory—culture, custom, folklore, and history—is represented in his being; while Painted Turtle is in his presence, she is never sure if her experiences are dreams or reality. He prophesies when she is young that she will marry a wise priest, become famous for her traditional cooking skills, and become legendary for her love of children and family. When these beliefs do not come true, he reminds her that the soul of a Zuni dies if it strays too far from home.
Grandma Wilhelmina, Painted Turtle's grandmother, with whom the family lives, in accordance with Zuni custom. This character represents both the sanctity of the past, as she embodies the traditional female role of healer and caretaker, and the options of the future, as she produces fine jewelry and sells it in stores all over the Southwest. Without saying much, she validates Painted Turtle's independent spirit and sanctions her movement away from the traditional life.
Waldo Etawa, Painted Turtle's father, who symbolizes both the traditional father figure and the erosion of the Native American way of life. He teaches his daughter traditionally male tasks and helps her develop skills usually not taught to women. He fuels her independence by treating her like a son. Though successful, he lets the family's material and social status slip as he fails to keep white society and modernization from altering the “old ways.”
Marelda Etawa, Painted Turtle's mother, who represents the stability of hearth and home and the probability of continuation. She remains at home as caretaker to both an older and a younger generation as well as a keeper of the family lore, its customs, and its traditions. She rears her two grandsons in Painted Turtle's absence.