Reading Hogan’s “Aunt Moon’s Young Man” Through a Postcolonial Feminist Lens: the Old Versus the New

Abstract

Throughout history, Native American women have struggled to claim their place in a society shaped by colonization. Because of this, Native American women are not only marginalized by Western ideals and standards, but are ostracized within their own tribal communities as Western beliefs have influenced and continue to influence traditional ways of life. This influence creates tension as the once-valued, traditional beliefs held by Native Americans concerning gender roles clash with those imposed by colonization. This dichotomy leaves Native American women at a difficult crossroads: between choosing to remain true to their history only to face ostracism and ridicule, or choosing to allow Western ideals shape their identity while losing their history in the process. Linda Hogan’s short story, “Aunt Moon’s Young Man” illustrates the juxtaposition of traditional versus Western ideals. Hogan creates characters in her short story that exemplify the characteristics of both choices, and some characters who remain somewhere in the middle. In doing this, Hogan helps open space outside of the binary of traditional versus Western to create a definition of what it means to be a feminist for Native American women.