Director, Environmental Studies
Professor of English

STUDY QUESTIONS

On Mary Austin

Sources

Mary Austin. Land of Little Rain. Chapters 1 (The Land of Little Rain), 5 (Shoshone Land) and 9 (The Basket Maker)..

Mary Austin. The Young Woman Citizen (selections).

John Gatta. Making Nature Sacred. 157-162.

1. According to Gatta (158-159), what was the cultural, historical, and biographical context of Land of Little Rain, and what was her audience?

2. How would you characterize Mary Austin’s basic response to Native American culture? What did that response require? How was it different from Muir’s view of Indians? (Refer to Land of Little Rain and Gatta 158)

3. What are the basic characteristics of her spirituality? Note as many as you can. What similarities do you see between Muir’s spirituality and Austin’s? What differences are there? (Refer to Land of Little Rain and Gatta)

4. How does Austin describe nature in chapter 1: “The Land of Little Rain?” What do you find most striking or important in that chapter?

5. How does Austin describe Paiute and Shoshone culture and the role of the medicine man in chapter 5: “ ShoshoneLand”? What do you find most striking or important in that chapter?

6. How does Austin describe Seyavi in chapter 9: TheBasket Maker? What meaning and significance does she have? (Refer to Land of Little Rain, chapter 9 and Gatta 161)

7. What ecosocial critique does Austin express in the readings? (Refer to Land of Little Rain, Gatta 158-159, 161, 162, AND The Young Woman Citizen). Do you see any relationship between her critique in The Young Woman Citizen and her writings in The Land of Little Rain?

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