Comparing Masks In Greg Sarris Grand Avenue

Windows to the Soul Many Characters in the novel Grand Avenue, by Greg Sarris, are wearing masks. Masks that conceal themselves and their culture in an attempt to fit into the world that has enveloped their history and stifled their heritage. The key to these masks is the eyes. The eyes of the characters in the novel tell stories. The despair of the Native Americans is first shown in The Magic Pony when Jasmine, the voice of the story, describes her Aunt Faye’s eyes. “Her eyes looked dark and motionless, like she was seeing something she didn’t want to see and couldn’t look away from” (p.4) Faye, like many inhabitants of the novel, seems helplessly focused on the sordid
All of her will is focused on achieving this goal. For her, saving the pony from the slaughterhouse is a way to retake a part of her that was lost in the very same slaughterhouse when she went to work for Smokey, the local pimp. In another story, Ruby’s eyes still exhibit an innocence and exuberance of youth. Slaughterhouse is a story told by the voice of Frankie, Ruby’s teenage boyfriend. The story begins with Frankie describing her eyes “pretty as the nighttime sky”. (p.51) But later in the story, Frankie notices a change in Ruby. “The sun showed in her eyes, but I couldn’t see her straight on.” (p.63) At this point, it appears that Ruby has resigned herself to working for Smoke. Frankie’s last glimpse of Ruby’s soon-to-be-lost innocence comes on page 65. “I leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes was wide open and holding the sun in little dots of light, and if I hadn’t closed my eyes just then and kept looking I would’ve seen the mountain range, everything in her eyes clear to the ocean and