"A Writers Style" - N. Scott Momaday Review

An emphasis on family is one of the central facets of Native American culture. There is a sense of community between Native American. Louise Erdrich, a Chippewa Indian herself, writes a gripping bildungsroman about a thirteen year old boy named Joe who experiences all forms of family on the Native American Reserve where he lives. He learns to deal with the challenges of a blood family, witnesses toxic family relationships, and experiences a family-like love from the members of the community. In her book, The Round House, Louise Erdrich depicts three definitions of the word family and shows how these relationships affect Joe’s development into an adult.

The essays, “My Kiowa Grandmother,” by N. Scott Momaday and “Take My Saddle from the Wall: A Valediction,” by Larry McMurtry, both seek to understand the values and traditions of an old way of life that has been lost to the trials and tribulations of time. By reaching back into history through their families, both authors achieve the same effect, while using starkly contrasting narrative structure; they show the characteristics that have been lost to younger generations.

“We live the Old Way” are the words that author, Catherine Knutsson, uses to introduce readers to the fascinating culture of the Métis Indians in her intriguing book, Shadows Cast by Stars (1). Set in an unspecified future, sixteen year old protagonist, Cassandra Mercredi, finds herself and her family fleeing from the mainland of UA and going to find refuge on “The Island” (Knutsson 21). They have been targeted because they are “marked by the precious Plague antibodies in [their Native American] blood” (Knutsson 1). According to Essentials of Young Adult Literature, Knutsson’s book is categorized as American Indian and Indigenous Literature (Short, Tomlinson, Lynch-Brown, and Johnson 177). After analyzing the text, the categorization is correct because the story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, Cassandra, who provides readers are given insight into the cultural beliefs and values of the Métis tribe. Additionally, her character communicates the traditional roles of men and women within the tribe, while integrating cultural details that provide authenticity to the story.

In the story “Coyote Finishes His Work” the importance of farming, hunting, and nature is expressed which are all aspects of Native American culture. Coyote teaches the people various life lessons including how to hunt, gather, make shelter, what to wear, and how to dance. The belief in Mother Nature is mentioned which showed that they strongly believed in devoting some parts of their life to her and they had cultural ties to nature. Old Man states that “All people will live together. Earthmother will go back to her first shape and live as a mother among her children. Then things will be made right.” This symbolizes that a higher being will return and create a more desirable living condition for all.

Many were forced to evacuate to other regions within the country and endure the infamous Trail of Tears. While Native Americans are not forcibly removed from their homes anymore, this story shows a modern-day example of mistreatment or borders that Native Americans deal with. While the mother faced many different conflicts, externally and internally, she readily accepts the challenge and is not willing to step down. She displays the pride of the Blackfoot Indians and is not willing to let the government tell her who she is and let them define her. She sets an example for Native Americans, standing up against a government that has held them down for so long. That they should always have pride in who they are, and where they came

The author’s different styles of writing attract different audiences. Momaday uses a historical approach to storytelling while Kingston uses a personal and social approach. Both authors engage their readers by using metaphors, similes, and an individual style of writing. Yet they use these rhetorical devices to make different points and to draw different conclusions from the past. Ultimately, these rhetorical devices convey the oral traditions in each passage that provide the history of different cultural

In Andrea A. Lunsford 's book Easy Writer, she describes how to conduct research and evaluate source material. In addition to informing the reader of the proper ways to incorporate source materials into an article, and concludes with how to write a researched paper. Lunsford begins chapter 37 "Conducting Research", with a detailed explanation of how a writer should start to the research process. First, Lunsford informs the reader to analyze the research assignment, research a question to answer, and then to form a hypothesis. Then, Lunsford details how to perform each of these steps, beginning with the questions a writer need to ask themselves vital to the research process. These questions include information on the purpose of the research project, the target audience, and the interests or assumptions of the audience. After that, the author asks the reader to question their own attitude, feelings, and influences on the topic. Some other questions Lunsford advises the reader to answer before beginning a research project include the amount and types of evidence needed to influence their audience. As well as, questions related to the time and length of the research project. Next, Lunsford explains to the reader how to formulate a question and hypothesis for a research project. This process is begun by finding a topic and, then narrowing it down to an issue from which a question and hypothesis can be generated. Lunsford recommends that writers also plan out their research

Novarre Scott Momaday's book The Way to Rainy Mountain is both a personal and anthropological exploration of the ways of the Kiowa Indian tribe. Momaday was raised on a Navajo Reservation, but was educated within the 'white' university system, where he first gained a reputation as a poet. His work straddles the borders of the genre of autobiography and ethnography. The book is the story of a tribe, a chronicle of both history and myth. "There are on the way to Rainy Mountain, many landmarks, many journeys in the one" (Momaday 4). Although about a people whose lives have been displaced and forever changed as a result of colonialization, the book functions less as a political critique and polemic and more as an internal spiritual journey. "Rather, it describes a process: a people, one person and one family at a time, preserves essential aspects of its heritage, connects through imagination to that heritage, and in so doing, assures its survival" (Charles 66).

While growing up Michael Dorris never encountered a Native American literary character that he could relate too, and being of Modoc Tribe of California descent, this was something that was very important to him. After graduating from Georgetown University, and earning a Master’s Degree at Yale, Dorris began to create these characters and ideas that he had longed for himself during childhood. He married his literary partner, Louise Erdrich, who was also of Native American descent. They had three children together, plus the three that Dorris had adopted, all of which were born on Native American reservations. All three of his adopted children suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. During a twenty year period before Dorris’ death, he published fourteen books and over one hundred articles. In 1987 he published his first novel “A Yellow Raft in Blue Water.”

People come from different backgrounds and ancestral foundations. They are at times defined by these beginnings, and some may end up wanting to know more. Most do not find their ancestral grounding in their childhood but come to realize it later in life. Many have the advantage of being someone and identifying with their culture as a basis of their personality. Maintaining proper and adequate understanding is determined by what one handles and does on a personal, cultural and familial level. Scott Momaday is a reflection of a person who has been born and lives within the culture. His book, Journey to Rainy Mountain, is a collection of poems, memoirs and myths on the Kiowa culture.

Krakauer uses an exceptionally descriptive writing style in this book. The author focuses on describing an event or a character in detail. This quote is an excellent example of the author’s writing style. The author uses figurative language and sensory details to create detail which allows the reader to envision the setting in their mind. Without style, writing often becomes tedious and repetitive. Writing style is how the writer chooses to express himself or herself through writing. In conclusion, style separates decent authors from phenomenal authors. (86 words).

Momaday uses a colorful description to explain what he sees while he’s visiting Rainy Mountain. These descriptions paint a bright image in the readers mind.

    Leslie Marmon Silko is a Native American from New Mexico and is part of the Laguna tribe.  She received a MacArthur "genius" award and was considered one of the 135 most significant women writers ever.  Her home state has named her a living cultural treasure.  (Jaskoski, 1)  Her well-known novel Ceremony follows a half-breed named Tayo through his realization and healing process that he desperately needs when he returns from the horrors of World War II.  This is a process that takes him back to the history of his culture.

Native American authors often share common themes that stem from life on reservations; these include poverty, violence, abuse, and alcoholism. Sherman Alexie, a Native American from Spokane, Washington, is not only one of these authors, but she may be the most successful and well-known Native American writer who contributes these themes. Alexie often made strong attempts to portray life as a Native American in her short stories in novels. For her, it was about depicting the Native American experience. she does just that in her short story collection, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.” Alexie uses literary elements, such as themes, symbolism, and imagery to further aid her overall message of what life is like growing up and living on a reservation. These experiences, as she demonstrates, contrast sharply with those of white society, as they cannot fathom a similar culture.

What makes a person a good reader? What makes a person a good writer? To answer these questions, we must first realize the definitions of both terms: a reader is one who reads or enjoys reading texts and a writer is one who creates compositions using words. In order to read and write, you must have a broad knowledge of the language that you intend to deal with. Each of these roles has traits that are especially unique to it. Good readers must be able to understand: not just the meanings of the words, but also whatever the author of the text is trying to show them. Good writers, on the other hand, must be eloquent. That is to say, they are able to turn their inspirations and ideas into stories that convey their thoughts and ideas to their