ious nature. No matter where they are, in or out of school, the nuns have their eyes on them. In the school, nuns are always at the look out, to ensure that children are doing their dormitory routines perfectly. Even during their domestic activities like cleaning, mending socks and sewing, the nuns instil perfection in their works. Being new and ignorant, Englund often makes mistakes. She tends to become rebellious whenever her pride and beliefs are offended. Once she rebels when she unknowingly touches one Sister and gets slapped for it. With all pride she says, Well, she slapped me! Oh I wasnt going to be slapped. (435) There is another time when she throws her temper after she gets hit by a scissor. This clearly shows that unnecessary punishments lead Englund to her rebellious nature. Everything has to meet perfection or else they either have to redo it or get punished. Besides being always at the look out, the nuns also use the bells extensively. Englund recollects as one girl once told her that You dont talk before the bell rings and you dont talk after the bell rings either.(434) Basically, the sound of the bell instructs them when they can and cannot talk which seems like the watchful nuns are still not enough for the job. Englund also states other reasons that make her rebellious. One is the use of prayers as a form of punishment (Englund 439) and the other is when she is said to be unqualified to become a nun for having unmarried parents and no money (441). It seems like this contradicts the teachings of Christianity. In Christian values, money is not an important factor in life but still the convent uses it to discourage Englund from pursuing her dream.Throughout her life in the Mission, the nuns and priests throw in numerous racist comments about Indians and mistreat them in various ways. Because of this, Englund seems to believe that Indians are the inferior race. In her first trip to the Mission, Englund describes Father Ch...
