The Lady in the Pink Mustang
What is the colorful car that represents both independence and escape for the woman in the poem?
What job does the speaker in the poem have?
A secretary
Where does the poem take place?
What rumor or idea does the poem talk about?
Mexicans are taking jobs from Americans.
Q1
The Lady in the Pink Mustang
Why is the women driving away in the poem?
Freedom
What strange thing happens to the speaker’s body in the poem?
She turns into office objects
What is the mood or tone of the restaurant in the poem?
Chaotic and Confusing
What kind of jobs are the Mexicans actually doing in the poem?
Hard or low-paying jobs.
Q2
The Secretary Chant
What time of day does most of the poem take place in?
Night
What does turning into office objects symbolize?
Losing her individuality / Losing herself
What kind of people does the speaker deal with at work?
Confusing or demanding customers.
What attitude does the speaker criticize in the poem?
What attitude does the speaker criticize in the poem?
Complaining instead of working hard
Q3
The Restaurant Business
What group of people does Louise Erdrich often write about?
Native Americans
What is the poem criticizing about work?
It can dehumanize people or take away identity
What real-world issue does the poem make fun of?
How strange and stressful work life can be.
What big problem does the poem point out in society?
Racism or unfair treatment of immigrants
Q4
So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans
What message does the ending of the poem show about freedom?
That freedom can be risky or come with a cost.
What bigger issue does this poem connect to for women in the workplace?
Inequality or loss of control over their roles
What is the deeper message behind all the chaos in the poem?
Life can be absurd or hard to make sense of.
At the end, what does the poem say Mexicans are really doing?
Helping the country and surviving
Q5
The Lady in the Pink Mustang