House Made of Dawn: Analysis of Major Characters
"House Made of Dawn" is a poignant novel that explores the struggles and complexities of its major characters, particularly focusing on the experiences of Abel, a World War II veteran. After returning to his native pueblo, Wolatowa, in 1945, Abel grapples with the pain of his past, including the tragic loss of his mother and the traumas of war, which render him out of sync with his cultural heritage. His grandfather, Francisco, embodies the traditional values and ceremonial practices of their community, yet he faces the challenges of aging and illness. The narrative also introduces Father Olguin, a priest who navigates the intersection of Christian and indigenous beliefs, alongside other characters like Angela St. John and John Big Bluff Tosamah, who each represent different facets of cultural identity and personal struggle.
As the story unfolds, Abel's relationships with these characters, including his brief affair with Angela and his friendship with the kind-hearted Ben Benally in Los Angeles, highlight themes of dislocation, identity, and the search for belonging. The novel addresses the impact of external forces, like the oppressive actions of corrupt figures such as Officer Martinez, on the lives of Native Americans. Through its exploration of these characters, "House Made of Dawn" offers a rich tapestry of cultural conflict and personal redemption, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of identity and the resilience of the human spirit.
House Made of Dawn: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: N. Scott Momaday
First published: 1968
Genre: Novel
Locale: New Mexico and Los Angeles, California
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: July 20-August 2, 1945; January 26-February 28, 1952
Abel (ah-BEHL), a World War II veteran who returns to Wolatowa, his native pueblo, in 1945. Thick-chested and stocky, but also agile and athletic, he was orphaned at the age of five, when his mother died, and has been reared by his grandfather, Francisco. Reserved and stoic in his dealings with others, he is out of harmony with the rich traditional life of Wolatowa, in part because of painful memories of childhood but also because of his traumatic war experiences. Sentenced to prison for killing an albino from his village whom he thought was a witch, he is paroled and “relocated” in Los Angeles, where he leads a rootless, alcoholic life.
Francisco, Abel's maternal grandfather. In his late seventies when Abel returns from the war, he was one of the great runners in Wolatowa's ceremonial races when he was younger but is now crippled by disease and a lifetime of hard work. He possesses great personal dignity and is devoted to the rich ceremonial traditions of Wolatowa, which are to him a harmonious mixture of Christian and pagan elements. His death in 1952 begins Abel's reaffirmation of the cultural values of his native place.
Father Olguin (ohl-GEEN), the priest at Wolatowa. Born in Mexico, he is small and swarthy. Because he is weary, is prematurely gray, and has one blind eye, he seems older than his years. He is extremely devout, but he is able to respect the non-Christian traditions of his people.
Fray Nicolás (nee-koh-LAHS), one of Father Olguin's predecessors at Wolatowa, known to Father Olguin only through his journal. Extremely devout, he could not understand his parishioners' religion of combined Christian and pagan elements and assumed that the latter were evidence of devil worship. Francisco was his altar boy.
Angela St. John, the wife of a Los Angeles physician, living temporarily near Wolatowa in 1945. Pale and dark-haired, she is beautiful but, perhaps because she is pregnant, she is disgusted with her own body. Her employment of Abel to cut wood leads to a brief love affair. She visits him seven years later in a Los Angeles hospital.
The albino, who humiliates Abel in the rooster-pull contest. His almost inhuman paleness is eerily combined with powerful physical strength. His apparently unmotivated malice causes Abel to assume that he is a witch and to kill him.
John Big Bluff Tosamah (toh-SAH-mah), who calls himself the Priest of the Sun and presides over religious ceremonies that include visions induced by peyote. Physically graceful, witty, and humorous, he is also loudmouthed and arrogant, and he frequently ridicules others. He is fairly sophisticated in matters of theology, however, and is deeply conscious of his own Kiowa traditions.
Milly, a Los Angeles social worker who becomes Abel's lover. She is a strong-figured, somewhat plain blonde who is graced with the ability to love in spite of a painful past that includes early poverty, abandonment by her husband, and the death of a four-year-old daughter.
Ben Benally (beh-NAHL-lee), a Navajo who is Abel's coworker and friend in Los Angeles. Unlike Abel, he is burdened with no painful memories of the reservation and intends eventually to return to it. Because he is at peace with himself, he is able to adjust to his “relocation” in Los Angeles. Sweet-natured and absolutely decent, he gives Abel his only coat when Abel leaves Los Angeles to return to Wolatowa.
Martinez (mahr-TEE-nehs), a corrupt Los Angeles policeman who extorts money from American Indians. His savage beating of Abel leads to Abel's return to Wolatowa.