Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac: Book Review Summary
This paper reviews Joseph Bruchac's novel Code Talker, which chronicles the life of Ned Begay, a young Navajo man who becomes a code talker for the United States military during World War II. The review traces Ned's experiences from his forced assimilation at a boarding school to his combat service in the Pacific Theater, highlighting themes of resilience, sacrifice, and racial injustice. It examines how Bruchac uses Ned's personal narrative to illuminate the broader historical contributions of the Navajo Code Talkers, as well as the discrimination they continued to face upon returning home.
- Introduction: Pearl Harbor and the Navajo Code: Historical context and the Navajo code's origins
- Ned Begay's Early Life and Forced Assimilation: Ned's boarding school experience and cultural suppression
- Enlistment, Bravery, and Combat Service: Ned enlists and sees combat in the Pacific
- Sacrifice, Recognition, and Racial Injustice: Ned's wounds, homecoming, and racial discrimination
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What makes this paper effective
- The review follows the novel's chronological arc closely, allowing readers to understand the narrative structure of Bruchac's book.
- A direct quotation from the novel is used to ground the analysis in textual evidence, demonstrating basic literary analysis technique.
- The review connects historical context — Pearl Harbor, the Navajo code, Pacific combat — to the personal story of a single character, making the analysis both specific and meaningful.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This review demonstrates the use of a central thematic question — whether the risk Ned Begay took was worth it — to organize and evaluate the narrative. By returning to this question at both the midpoint and conclusion of the review, the writer creates a coherent analytical thread that elevates the summary beyond simple plot retelling.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with historical context about World War II and the Navajo code, then introduces protagonist Ned Begay and his childhood. It moves through enlistment and combat service before concluding with the injustice Ned faces upon returning home, ending with a value judgment about sacrifice and purpose. A single Works Cited entry is provided in MLA format.
Introduction: Pearl Harbor and the Navajo Code
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II and declared war on Japan. Because the Japanese had deciphered every military code previously used, the American army turned to the Navajo code, one of the most complex languages ever encountered in cryptography. Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac tells the story of Ned Begay and other Navajo men who risked their lives to serve as code talkers for the American armed forces.
Ned Begay's Early Life and Forced Assimilation
The novel is narrated by Ned Begay, who recounts his life beginning at age six, when he is sent to a Native American boarding school. There, he is alienated and forbidden from speaking his native language. Bruchac captures this cultural suppression through Ned's own words: "It was no good to speak Navajo or be Navajo. Everything about us that was Indian had to be forgotten" (Bruchac, p. 18). Despite the harsh treatment and racism he encounters at school, Ned demonstrates resilience by holding onto his cultural identity.
Enlistment, Bravery, and Combat Service
After the United States declares war on Japan, military recruiters visit the Navajo reservation, and Ned Begay decides to enlist — an act of both selflessness and bravery. He is willing to risk everything in service to his country. His first mission takes him to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, where he experiences combat firsthand. The question of whether such a sacrifice is worth it is one the novel returns to throughout Ned's journey.
Work Cited
Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Speak, 2006.
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