Blog #13: Response to Amanda Hightower

After reading the preface to this story and the story it's hard to determine my stance on whether or not this is one of the American Dream coming true. In contrast to Amanda's thinking, I do think she achieved the American Dream to an extent. However, I do not believe it was completely achieved...is it ever, though? 
Amanda talks about how horrible her life in this white school was. She talks about "the Americans forcing her to change". Yes, she did face many hardships in her childhood schooldays, but didn't everyone? Everyone must go through trials in order to appreciate success later in life. Also, how could a person achieve the "American" Dream without becoming "americanized"? Which is what I believe the aim of most of her school experiences were. There are still very strict private schools today that don't allow hair to be longer than a certain extent and have very strict rules. 
Also, although Zitkala-Sa often mentioned crying and being very unhappy at her white school, the short scene when she's back home over the summer involves her crying and being unhappy.. "as I sat restless and unhappy in my mother's cabin" (Zitkala-Sa 435)... "That moonlight night, i cried in my mother's prescence when I heard the holly young people pass by our cottage" (Zitkala-Sa436). This shows that is was not only her experiences in school causing her troubles like Amanda seems to think. She's crying in a place she longed to be while upset at school. 
Another thing I kept thinking while reading Amanda's article was, achieving the American Dream doesn't typically happen to children. However, her childhood experiences are what Amanda claims are proof of her not achieving the American Dream. As an adult, Zitkala-Sa says she "was the proud owner of my first diploma", "ventured upon a college career against my mother's will". This shows that she was an independent woman and able to achieve very very much, despite her trials and tribulations. She achieved much more than many Indian women during her time... including an education, which was a very valued thing. 
In conclusion, I disagree with Amanda for the most part. I do think Zitkala-Sa's story represents an American Dream coming true. Especially because I know how much she achieved past the point of the story.