Mind Map Connections

- Sickness
. Tayo suffers from PTSD from the war
. He has constant flashbacks reminding him of the traumatic experiences he witnessed in WWII
. There he also found acceptance by his fellow soldiers but once the war was over he went back to being discriminated against as an indian
.  “Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the War.”
. He longs to find that feeling of acceptance again

- Society
. Society does not accept Tayo because of his mixed race
. He is both Native American and white leading to him being split between both worlds
. “You drink like an Indian, and you’re crazy like one too – but you aren’t shit, white trash.  You love Japs the way your mother loved to screw white men”
. Comments like this are why Tayo is lost. He is treated like he does not belong anywhere and this troubles him and only makes his illness worse.

- War
. Tayo was in WWII
. He has both good and bad memories from the war
. In the war he gain acceptance from other soldiers and became part of that family
. As a soldier he was treated the same as everyone else and not like an Indian
.  “Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the War.”
. He also however experience sever tragedy with the death of Rocky which led to his illness

- Family
. Because of his mixed race, his friends and family constantly hurt him
. His family wished he died and Rocky lived
. This constant remembrance of what had happened in the war only fuels the illness further and adds stress to his life which is already extremely complicated