How I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-11

Chapters 12-17

Chapters 18-27

Chapters 28-29

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Themes

White Violence Versus Choctaw Pacifism

The conflict between the Choctaws and the white Nahullos is complex and nearly impossible for the Choctaws to navigate successfully. From the beginning, Isaac represents the Nahullos as being more powerful than the Choctaws, with Treaty Talk being little more than a notice that the Nahullos are about to take what they want. He even discloses early in the story that, “Treaty Talk is why I became a ghost” (4).

Part of what makes the Nahullos such a formidable opponent is their inconsistent behavior. The confusion created by the Nahullos’ inconsistent behavior puts the Choctaws at a disadvantage in moving forward because they cannot predict if the Nahullos will pose a threat or offer help in any given situation. The Choctaws are at a further disadvantage due to the winter weather, which increases the resources the Choctaws need for survival and thus their dependence on the Nahullos’ more advanced resources. Isaac reveals the link between the winter weather and the Nahullos in his description of the Nahullos’ arrival in the swamp:

One morning I woke up and the world was white. Even before I opened my eyes I felt the white. Everything was quiet, and I peeped through the branches of our lean-to. Ice hung from the trees and mounds of snow covered the ground. This was a warning. On this white day, many people would become ghosts (23-24).

The tension between the Choctaws and the Nahullos drives Isaac’s story forward and creates suspense. The Choctaws ultimately overcome the Nahullos upholding their pacifist ways and showing empathy. It is only when Joseph protects the leader of the soldiers from the wolf that the Nahullos retreat from the Choctaws, which shocks the Choctaw characters as much as the reader. Isaac notes, “For a moment that stretched into forever, we stood in silence and watched Leader walk away” (138). Here, Tingle subverts expectations and provides a memorable plot twist. Finally, the young Choctaws’ actions in rescuing Naomi and protecting the Nahullo soldier earns them the pride of their ancestors, which is the highest honor they could receive. Without the Nahullos, Isaac, Joseph, and Naomi would not have demonstrated their exceptional strength of character, which further underlines the central role this conflict plays in the story.

The Aid of Supernatural Influences and Choctaw Spiritualism

In How I Became a Ghost, the supernatural is a protective force against the harms of the natural world, such as death, abuse, and predators. Isaac indicates that the supernatural in his story is not a negative force. Near the beginning of the book, Tingle pauses the story with an aside in which Isaac instructs, “Do not be afraid” (7).

The supernatural is consistently revealed to be a positive force as the story progresses, with Joseph telling Isaac, “Why do you think I wanted your help? Your brother, Luke, is bigger and faster. I asked you to help because you see ghosts. And a ghost will bring you a sign” (70). The transformation of characters into ghosts upon their death removes part of the loss created by death and allows the dead to continue their relationships with the living, in many cases offering help that they would otherwise be unable to give. This form of the supernatural infuses nearly every aspect of Choctaw life. For instance, instead of saying goodbye to each other, they say Chi pisa lachike, or “I will see you again, in the future” (84).

Another example of the supernatural providing protection from the harms of the natural world is the spell that causes a rattlesnake to appear near Nita’s body. While Isaac instructs Nita’s family to allow the soldiers to take Nita’s body if they request it, someone finds a way to ensure that Nita’s body is respected and that her parents needn’t part with it. In addition, Joseph’s ability to transform into a panther provides him with a way to escape the soldiers as well as the power needed to kill the wolf predator that kills Isaac and threatens to kill the soldier. He admits the advantage his shapeshifting gives him when he says, “I ran like only a panther can run” (67).

While the Choctaws are no match for the physical threats they face in terms of real-world abilities, they are superior to all of them with their harnessing of the supernatural. The supernatural thus offers the Choctaws a source of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

Community and Connection to Nature as a Source of Strength

Community and the Choctaws’ connection to nature is their source of strength. The Choctaws immediately demonstrated the value they place on their connection to nature by performing their rituals in the woods and the river upon learning that they must leave their home. That they complete these rituals together symbolizes their reliance on one another rather than any particular place. While they leave their home with regret, they do so as a community. Mother emphasizes this concept when Father expresses hopelessness while they watch their houses burn. She tells him “We can stay together” (18).

Following this tragedy, the Choctaw build a new community in the swamp, relying on their connection to nature and their individual roles to sustain them. The Old Man tells the Choctaw, “Young men will get the meat. Deer and squirrels are all around us. The swamp is full of fish” (20), confirming that nature will provide for the Choctaw and that each member of the community is imperative for the nation’s survival.

On an individual level, Nita and Isaac’s families form a bond and care for one another along the Trail of Tears. On a larger scale, the Choctaw councilmen support the endeavors of Joseph and Isaac to save Naomi, and the bonepickers assist in hiding her once she’s fled her captors. The Choctaw ghosts also function as a part of the community, divulging important information to Isaac (such as that the blankets from Nita’s family are safe), assisting in Isaac’s rescue mission, and offering wisdom.

The Nahullos rely on their own community for strength as well. They work together to remain in control of the Choctaws and advise each other on the best courses of action for the group. For instance, when they find Joseph, one Nahullo stops the other from giving Joseph a smallpox blanket because he recognizes that Joseph can be a help to them. They work together to find Naomi, and they think of their own families when they encounter Nita’s body and the old women bonepickers. Isaac sees the relatives of the soldiers when one of the bonepickers is shoved to the ground and says, “The soldiers could not see the ghost women, but their memories were strong. I could see it in their faces. They winced as they stared at the fallen bonepicker” (132).

Interestingly, the Nahullos’ connection to nature doesn’t seem to be as strong, necessitating Joseph’s assistance in hunting and keeping them from crossing into the swamp during warmer weather. Likewise, their interactions with their ancestors work in the favor of the Choctaws. These incidents suggest that nature—and the supernatural—side with the Choctaws. The message being that the weaker, but more morally upright faction, will overcome the stronger, immoral one. This also solidifies the white Nahullo colonists as invaders in a territory that’s not their own. The very landscape resists them.