Scott Momaday's "A House Made of Dawn"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how, on the surface and upon first reading, "A House Made of Dawn" sounds and appears to be like every other Native American novel - focus on the typical patterns of return and homing. But a closer study of the novel's tone, themes, structure and diction reveals that its fame is intricately connected with its unique non-stereotypical illustration of Native American views and emotions. This paper focuses on various different aspects of the novel to show why it is different from other similar writings and why it truly deserved a Pulitzer Prize.

From the Paper:

"It is a rich, metaphorically lyrical tale depicting Native American's situation in a big white world of America. The story may appear rather puzzling to those who are unable to move with the author from one location to another almost in the blink of an eye. The tone of the novel isn't disturbing as that of some other native pieces but is certainly thought provoking. But the one thing that I found highly amazing and unique about this novel is the fact that it isn't exactly written for white people to make them feel guilty and ashamed. It is actually written for Native Americans so that they are able to come to terms with the core of their misery and confusion as Indians surrounding by arrogance of whiteness."

More papers on Scott Momaday's "A House Made of Dawn":

• Book Review # 27910 : "Indian Killer" and "A House Made of Dawn"
• Analytical Essay # 7132 : "House Made of Dawn"
• Analytical Essay # 9903 : "House Made of Dawn" and "Indian Killer"

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