The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

by

Sherman Alexie

Betty Towle Character Analysis

A white missionary teacher who instructs Junior during the second grade. She is bigoted, unfair, and continually punishes Junior throughout the year; she sends him home with a letter “that [tells his] parents to either cut [Junior’s] braids or keep [him] home from class.” She calls Junior “indian without capitalization” in an attempt to debase and humiliate him, but this treatment seems to cause Junior to accept and own his cultural identity in a defiant, steadfast way.
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Betty Towle Character Timeline in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

The timeline below shows where the character Betty Towle appears in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Indian Education
Violence, Poverty, and Loss Theme Icon
Cultural Pain vs. Personal Pain Theme Icon
Community vs. Isolation Theme Icon
In second grade, Junior is subjected to hatred and cruelty at the hands of Betty Towle, a white missionary teacher who forces Junior to skip recess, to apologize for “everything” though... (full context)