Pacific Studies Journal
Abstract
This poem reflects on the tension between traditional cultural roles and personal freedom, using the figure of a taupou—an honored ceremonial title in Samoan culture—as a lens. The speaker contrasts their sister’s symbolic beauty and status with her eventual rejection of expectations, choosing instead a life of independence and reinvention in America. The shift from reverence to silence around titles suggests a broader commentary on changing values and the cost of self-determination.
Recommended Citation
Avia, Tusiata
(2007)
"Village princess,"
Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 30:
No.
1, Article 13.
Available at:
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol30/iss1/13
Included in
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