Example of reasoned essay argumentative essay

Zitkala-Sa is of Native American decent and has two major works: Old Indian Legends and American Indian Stories. Both books are autobiographies that describe how she encounters another culture, and how she interacts with the Christian culture.
When she was young, Zitkala-Sa, against her mother’s will, joined a school, which was funded by missionaries. The school was comprised of almost only whites or “ palefaces” as the Native Americans referred to them. In the schools she attended, she had to interact with different cultures. She achieved so much in Indian affairs and was an icon for her people.
She contributed in music, politics, and literature, all which challenged the belief that the Native American culture is sinful and savage while the white man’s culture is good. Her life’s experiences and interaction with both cultures led to statement ” Language is like a suit of clothes: it can be tailored to one’s purposes”.
This metaphor may be interpreted to mean that because she experienced two cultures, she learnt how to adapt in each. Therefore, by language she means culture and that when she was in the Native American culture, she behaved as they expected her to and for the Christian culture (whites) she behaved different. This is evident in both books.
Taking the metaphor literally, for example if one knows several languages, he/she may comfortably fit into the cultures that speak those languages. This allows one to communicate their purpose and intentions to the people of that culture, as Zitkala-Sa was able to do. Knowing different cultures and/ or different languages, enables one to learn the different culture, which, in Zitkala-Sa’s case, demystified what she grew up knowing about the other culture.