Discussion: How to react if you witness injustice

While analyzing the short story, you will have noticed that the officer’s decision to arrest the three Indian boys was an abuse of power. While the officer had the right to question the boys, he did it in a violent and offensive manner. He knew the laws of Indians, and yet he decided to make use of his power just to demonstrate the superiority of white men.

The arrest was a clear evidence of injustice. While the bar was filled with witnesses - “some Agua Caliente Indians” (ll. 18-19), the “girl coming from the bar” (ll. 55) - nobody intervenes to protect the boys.

Questions for consideration

In this section of the study guide, we will provide a few questions for you to consider when discussing the topic of injustice in your paper.

First of all, do you think it is right to get involved and to react when you witness an injustice?

What would you have done if you were in the bar with Victor and his friends?

The girl who accompanied the police officer knew what was going to happen and decided to ...