Teen Pregnancy
Early in life, Joy Harjo was faced with a difficult challenge - that was raising and tending to a baby. As a teen mother, Harjo faced much scrutiny from her abusive stepfather. But, Harjo felt that she had a responsibility to the child, and continued with the pregnancy. After the baby was born, she tended to it, and was a successful mother. After the birth of the baby, Harjo married a husband, who, like her father and stepfather, was abusive.
Spirituality
Joy Harjo had to endure many difficult things throughout her childhood - from being a teen mother to having an abusive family. However, she continued with her life despite those things, and was successful. The way that she did this was by finding peace through spirituality. Her Native American roots inspired her to learn more about her culture, and she attended a boarding school focused for Native Americans. To this day, she continues to seek guidance from her religion.
Abusive Relationships
Almost all of the relationships that Harjo had were abusive, ever since she was a child. Her first father was an infamous alcoholic, and preferred substance over family. When her mother divorced him, she married another man, who, at first, seemed friendly. However, he developed into an abusive man as well. When Harjo herself went looking for a husband, she married an abusive man, and had to run away from him across the country.
