A Council of Dolls

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism, religious discrimination, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, substance use, addiction, graphic violence, death, and child death.

“I have a bunch of secret thoughts, and one of them is that I’m glad Dad is my father, even if it means I have to be Sissy and not the better version Mama wishes I’d be.”

This quote draws a connection between Sissy’s external conflict with Lillian and the identity issues she experiences well into adulthood. It alludes to the fact that Lillian intended to marry Luther instead of Cornelius until Luther died in combat. This allusion emphasizes the interconnectedness of the characters’ lives and traumas through several generations, introducing the theme of The Enduring Impact of Historical Injustices on Indigenous Americans.

“I don’t tell Mama about my nightmares. She doesn’t like to hear what bothers me. So nightmares get piled up next to my angry thoughts, which don’t get cleared away by penance anymore.”

This observation reveals Lillian’s character as a mother, portraying her as uncaring. It also evokes sympathy for Sissy and develops the conflict between the two characters. Without being able to confide in her mother, Sissy is limited in her ability to process troubling experiences and emotions. This context informs her fractured sense of self in adulthood. The passage also subtly touches on the tension between Christianity and Dakhóta spirituality in its allusion to the Catholic practice of penance. Sissy refers to this practice as “clearing away” her “angry thoughts,” yet the novel suggests that merely attempting to erase trauma is not a viable path toward healing.