Yellow Raft Symbolism in Yellow Raft in Blue Water The symbolism found by Native Americans in many everyday objects and colors is no exception. They believe that yellow is a contrasting pattern, on the one hand it denotes happiness, joy and contentment, but on the other hand it is the color of cowardice, deception and pain. Michael Dorris, the Native American author of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, most likely considered this while choosing the title for this bestseller. It is full of hidden meanings for the color yellow, especially in Rayona's section. One of the first instances where the mystery appears is when Rayona and Father Tom hop aboard the "God Squad Express" headed to the Teens for Christ Jamboree. During the trip, Father Tom decides that they should stop at Bearpaw Lake State Park to rest and dive into the lake. Rayona without hesitation dives into the icy water and swims towards a lonely yellow raft. “By the time I get to the low yellow raft, I'm out of breath and cold. I pull myself overboard and lie down on the dry, sun-warmed boards, panting and soaking up the heat. The silence is as vast as the sky." (P59) Rayona feels happy and peaceful on this raft, but the calm is shattered by the arrival of Father Tom. After jumping into the water, he gets a cramp and Rayona saves him, drags him onto the raft and they lie down together. “We are the same size, from feet to head. He presses, presses, presses and the air rushes out of my lungs. I want to sleep, drown, pierce the planks of the raft deeply. (P60) Father Tom violated Rayona's sense of security, she felt safe, but the raft was deceptive. The yellow raft is also dangerous for Rayona, she uses it as a way to escape it... middle of paper... ...but the letter from her imaginary family falls out. He realizes that he no longer needs or believes in that fantasy and quickly crumbles it and throws it away. On the return trip, Christine wears a pair of smudged amber sunglasses. “When I put them on, they turned the world yellow like an old photograph.” (P239) Even though the glasses are stained, the yellow world Christine sees represents her newfound happiness. The mystery represents many things in this novel, without the references to it; the plot and themes would be completely different. The raft represented false security and escape for Rayona, but also a relief when she could share her secret with Evelyn. For Christine, the color yellow represents failure when she could not cross the bridge, but towards the end of her life, yellow symbolized safety and contentment.Bibliography: