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

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

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Summary

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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Chapters 12-17Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 12 Summary: “Disappearing Daughter”

Isaac has a vision in which Nita tells him that he can help make her parents happy again by finding her long-lost sister. Isaac asks Gabe about the sister, but he becomes upset. Isaac tells him that he knows about the sister because Nita told him. He explains his visions to Gabe, and Gabe agrees to ask Ruth if he can talk with Isaac about the missing sister. Isaac watches as Gabe asks Ruth, who seems resistant. As they walk that afternoon through a snowstorm, Isaac wonders if an accident in the snowstorm is how he will become a ghost. He tells Father about the bad dreams he has while he walks, and Father says the same thing has been happening to him. Father assures Isaac that this will be over soon, but Isaac knows it will not be that easy.

Chapter 13 Summary: “The Coming of My Final Day”

Ruth fears telling the story of her and Gabe’s missing daughter until she realizes that, since Nita has died, the soldiers can no longer take Nita away: This threat prevented her from speaking about her other daughter, Naomi. Gabe tells the story of how the soldiers took Naomi to cook for them. He prompts Isaac to explain how Nita visited him, and Isaac tells everyone that he will soon be a ghost. He recounts his visions and visits from ghosts including Nita, Mister and Missus Jonah, and the Old Man and Old Woman. Isaac’s mother and father are sad to hear Isaac’s experiences but are willing to help him in any way they can. Isaac tells them he must help Nita find her sister.

Isaac awakens that night to find Joseph, the grandson of the Old Man and Old Woman, standing over him. Joseph explains that he knows where Naomi is but rescuing her will be dangerous because the soldiers guarding her are the ones who gave the Choctaws the blankets infected with smallpox. Isaac wakes his parents to let them know that he is leaving, and they ask him to be careful.

Chapter 14 Summary: “Joseph’s Story”

Joseph and Isaac walk to a clearing in the woods, and Joseph tells Isaac that he did not take one of the blankets because he had been out hunting when the soldiers brought them. The soldiers saw him coming back to camp, and when he slipped on the ice and knocked himself out on the ground, they made their camp next to him and took the squirrels he caught for themselves. When Joseph regained consciousness, one soldier offered him a blanket, but another soldier decided to let Joseph live to help them. Joseph built cooking fires and fished for the soldiers to keep them from killing him.

The soldiers laughed when they told Joseph that all the Choctaw are dead from the smallpox blankets. Joseph escaped by cutting the restraints around his legs and running as far as he could. The soldiers soon followed behind him though, so Joseph turned into a panther and ran out to scare the soldiers away, making them believe a panther killed him in a cave. Joseph then turned back into a boy and made his way out of the woods to the road, where he found the group of Choctaws that included Naomi and her family.

Joseph tells Isaac that the same soldier that captured him is the one who captured Naomi. Isaac and Joseph agree that they no longer have to worry about Nita being taken, but Isaac knows that everyone else is still in danger.

Chapter 15 Summary: “The Bending Branch of Treaty Talk”

Joseph tells Isaac about one of the lead wagons that is filled with Choctaw councilmen who ensure the soldiers safely guide their travels. Isaac has a vision of Old Man, who tells him that he must rescue Naomi by himself, and he should do so by asking the councilmen to let him help them. Isaac tells Joseph what Old Man said, and Joseph agrees to stay close by. Isaac enters the camp of the councilmen and offers his help. The Choctaw councilmen represented by Nani Humma, agree that Isaac can stay and help them. The council men treat Isaac warmly, and he immediately begins helping in any way that he can. He is uneasy about not telling the councilmen the full truth regarding what he is doing there, and it is not long before Nani Humma figures out there is something suspicious about Isaac’s story.

Chapter 16 Summary: “Seeking Naomi”

Isaac sneaks out to visit Joseph, but Nani Humma follows him and demands to know what is going on when he sees the two boys together. They tell Nani everything, and Nani agrees that they can stay if they do not cause any trouble. Nani tells the rest of the councilmen about Isaac, Joseph, and Naomi, and they are outraged that the soldiers took Naomi from her family. The head of the council, Mister Tibbi, explains that the best course of action is for the councilmen to help Joseph and Isaac rescue Naomi, but they must do everything in secret.

Chapter 17 Summary: “Good-bye to My Family”

Nani suggests that Isaac and Joseph visit Isaac’s family the next day, and the boys agree. Isaac sees his family is well, and he has lunch with them. He tells them about all that has happened, and Luke decides to take Joseph some lunch since he is remaining out in the woods to stay out of the soldiers’ sight. Luke gives Joseph his blowgun to help him hunt for food. Isaac’s mother mentions that Joseph can live with the family when they reach their new home. Isaac is glad that his family likes Joseph. Instead of goodbye, Isaac and his family tell each other “chi pisa lachike” which means “I will see you again, in the future.”

Chapters 12-17 Analysis

The characters again find strength in the community as Isaac gains assistance in bringing Naomi back to her family. Joseph and the Choctaw councilmen join Isaac in his mission and provide invaluable advice to ensure that Isaac is successful. Moreover, Gabe and Ruth gain strength from telling the Choctaw the story of what happened to Naomi. With encouragement from Gabe, Isaac is willing to tell his family about his visions and visits from ghosts, as well as his impending transition into a ghost himself.

Death also serves as a point of strength by ending the threat of violence. With Nita’s death, Naomi can flee without risking Nita’s safety. Gabe explains, “We have been afraid to look, afraid to ask or tell anyone what happened. But now that Nita is gone, they cannot hurt us anymore” (59). This foreshadows the strength that Isaac’s death will bring him, which is all the more valuable as Isaac explains that when he began planning to rescue Naomi, “I was afraid now, more afraid than ever” (62).

The supernatural offers another form of strength to the Choctaw. Death allows Nita to visit as a ghost and alleviate the burden of her death by visiting with those she left behind. When she visits Isaac for the first time, she tells him, “You are still my big brother” (53-54). With Joseph, Tingle introduces another form of supernatural strength. Joseph’s ability to turn into a panther allows him to escape from the soldiers and proves an invaluable tool in his and Isaac’s quest.

Tingle again depicts as physically dangerous to the Choctaws with the revelation that they took Naomi from her family and in Joseph’s description of his experiences with them. Yet, the Choctaw have some form of advocacy by way of the Choctaw councilmen who observe the soldiers. Joseph explains that the soldiers are bound by the treaty to keep the Choctaws safe, and the Choctaw councilmen keep watch to make sure that they do just that. However, Joseph also notes, “They can’t know everything the soldiers do” (69).