House Made of Dawn by N.Scott Momaday

House Made of Dawn by N.Scott Momaday - An Extension of Central Thematic Preoccupations in Sherman Alexis' 'Indian Killer'

This is a two and half page paper on two novels. 'House Made of Dawn' by N. Scott Momaday though encompasses various genre of autobiography, history, fiction, memoirs, and ethnography, this paper will strive to present an analysis of the awakening factor highlighted in the strong wordings of the author, as also depicted in the novel 'Indian Killer' by Sherman Alexis.

The awakening of the Indian literature of the Americans, more commonly known as the Red Indians, achieved its breakthrough in the writings of Momaday, in particular his first novel 'House Made of Dawn' written in 1969. House Made of Dawn also had the distinction of getting the famous Pulitzer Prize. The novel presents a detailed insight into the Native American life, through the eyes of an Indian caught between the two world, one which took him to Vietnam and his return as a veteran, and the other, his ordeals after commission of a murder felony. Momaday successfully attempts to bring out and awaken the literary world on the existence of a culture that had always been there for possibly thousands of years, but only through an occasional perspective from an anthropologist and/or a historian. The launching of the novel, 'House Made of Dawn' unfolded two very important aspects, one it strengthened the need for ethnic studies, and second equally important was the importance to the civil rights commitments of the 60s era. These two purposes were excellently served in the depiction of the protagonist, the character of Jemez Pueblo, his first presence in New Mexico, and secondly at an urban relocation center in Los Angeles after committing the crime of murder. (Roemer, 2002).

The depiction of other characters, such as Francisco and Reverend Tosamah too is suggestive of the evident and prevailing diversity on and about the Indian people and their culture. The first is both a staunch believer of the Catholic faith, and a medicine man for the tribal, and the second is the modern age preacher living in Los Angeles preaching the Native Indians on the Word of God and Christianity. Yet, the most important character is Abel is given the assignment of eliminating the growing difference between the Indian reservations where he and his ancestors grew up, and the city, which has trapped him, but all in vain. (Pinkmonkey, 2002)

In a similar thematic context, Sherman Alexes's Indian Killer too attempts to portray the same growing disparities, differences as well as the lack of understanding present in the American society for the Red Indians. Upon going through the novel, one might assume that it is simply a novel about an Indian serial killer out on the loose in the city of Seattle, hunting and scalping white men, kidnapping small children, the result of which is that the entire cit is in a state of frenzy and fear. To add mayhem to all this euphoria, there is this radio personality, a Mr. Truck Smith lashing out his racist venom at the Indian community with his latest versions on the killer's motives and movements. Other characters that form part of the same diversified role, for both the good and worse, as created by Momaday in his novel, 'House Made of Dawn', include John Smith, Marie, and Jack Wilson.

On the contrary, and also one of the most revealing and strongest links of Alexe's writings with the work of Momaday's 'House Made of Dawn' is the portrayal of controversial, relationships between the whites and the Indians, both of who though belonging to the same country, yet each has his own claim to the land they call their home. These disparities are successfully depicted in the white folks living in Seattle and the Red Indians as one case. The most important is that of young John Smith. John Smith was born on the Indian reservations, but grew up amongst a white family, after his adoption while still young. The author has portrayed him as an individual still in search of his roots, although he grows up and makes Seattle his permanent home. This is the same famous killer bent on taking revenge for the wrongs done on his people by the whites. He has chosen the violent mode of killing white folks of the town, and thereafter scalping them, a ritual practiced in the olden days when the Red Indians scalped their enemies as evidence of their triumphant deed as they chose to call it. Furthermore, as another proof of his crime, this Indian serial killer leaves behind feathers as a show of defiance for his people. The same city where the Indian serial killer is on the loose, there also exists Marie, an Indian social worker helping the homeless of Seattle, and at the same time refraining from accepting her family's ties to the reservation and their desire to remain committed to their ancestral culture. The mystery writer Jack Wilson is yet another controversial character of the novel, which though claiming to be part Indian, part American, continues to write misleading propaganda on the Indian people and their culture.

Yet, another aspect which could be strongly linked, and perceived as an extended thematic occupation in Alexe's Indian Killer to Momaday's 'House Made of Dawn' is the apparent portrayal of anger prevalent amongst the Red Indians, and it appears that nearly everybody is bent upon getting out this anger. For example in the Indian Killer, there is immense talk about serial killings, the serial killer, but there is absolutely no mention of any police work, and neither are any investigations pursued. It appears that the entire focus of the author is on creating fear and anger amongst the white folk, for the killings and murders, and the element of revenge amongst the Indians. Both the white and the Indians have been meted against each other, using the serial killer as both the reason and an excuse for doing so. Yet, the underlying truth is far from it. It is the Indians, the Red Indian people, who like other minorities have remained the target and attention of neglect over the centuries, in nearly all aspects of life even though it is their land, their birthplace and their country, a crude reality to accept, let alone acknowledge.