What is the value of one's culture? Native culture is an integral part of a person's life. A person is made up of many different characteristics, such as personality and appearance; however, what makes a person more unique would be their own culture. Native culture is what a person grew up with and identifies with, so losing or forgetting it would mean losing oneself. While it is important to stay true to your culture, many people end up losing it. This is the consequence of living in America, where people with different cultures exist. Often, different cultures feel the need to adapt to the more traditional culture. For this reason, many people tend to forget their native culture in an attempt to assimilate a different one. Similarly, Beth Piatote illustrates this idea of ​​Western assimilation through her short story “Life-Size Indian.” Throughout the story, Piatote describes how Nathaniel felt the need to assimilate into another culture, but in the end, the realization of his native culture results in greater value. Piatote also includes many characters in his story. One of them is Bean, who is in direct contrast to Nathaniel. Nathaniel also meets Jen, who tells him the story of a life-sized Indian who pushes Nathaniel to embrace his native culture. Lastly, Mel is used to symbolize Native American culture. Piatote uses Bean, Jen, and Mel to help Nathaniel on his journey to decide what his identity is. Nathaniel has always been indecisive, but through the experiences of these four characters, he finally understands what it means to be Native American and that his judgment is very important. Throughout the story, Piatotes uses several vivid descriptions to show Nathanael's indecisive personality. “Na...... half of the paper ......le in guiding the reader through the experiences illustrated by Piatote. It allows the reader to grasp a very particular picture of the situation and to connect different symbols together to obtain a broader concept. More importantly, it serves as an aid in conveying the theme of the story. Through the symbols of each character, Piatote illuminates the idea of ​​the two conflicting cultures that Nathaniel must face. When Nathaniel meets Jen, he faces American culture. When Nathaniel meets Mel, he faces Native American culture. Piatote also includes a contrasting character, Bean, to show the reader that Nathaniel wishes to live the life that Bean has, where both cultures play a role in his life. Ultimately, when Nathaniel encounters the two cultures on a "face-to-face" level, he realizes that, due to his personal fears and desires, he remains with his native culture..