TheWaytoRainyMountain1

TheWaytoRainyMountain1AbouttheAuthorN.ScottMomadaywasborninLawton,Oklahomain1934.MomadaybelongstoagenerationofAmericanIndiansbornwhenmosttribalcommunitieshadlongceasedtoexistasvitalsocialorganizations.HisKiowaancestorssharedwithotherPlainsIndiansthehorrorsofdisease,militarydefeat,andculturalandreligiousdeprivationinthe19thcentury.Theironlychanceofsurvivalwastoadaptthemselvestonewcircumstances.Momaday’sgrandfather,forexample,adjustedtochangingconditionsbytakingupfarming,adecisionpresseduponhimbytheGeneralAllotmentActof1887.

2AbouttheAuthorN.ScottMoma

…andinsummertheprairieisananvil’sedge.(paragraph1)

metaphor3 …andinsummertheprairieis

AtadistanceinJulyorAugustthesteamingfoliageseemsalmostwritheinfire.(paragraph1)

personification4 AtadistanceinJulyorAugu

…poppinguplikecorntostingtheflesh.(paragraph1)

simile5 …poppinguplikecorntostin

Mygrandmotherwassparedthehumiliationofthosehighgraywallsbyeightortenyears,butshemusthaveknownfrombirththeafflictionofdefeat,thedarkbroodingofoldwarriors.(paragraph3)

synecdoche metaphor6 Mygrandmotherwassparedthe…andtheirancientnomadicspiritwassuddenlyfreeoftheground.(paragraph4)

Metonymy7…andtheirancientnomadicspi

Theskylineinalldirectionsiscloseathand,thehighwallofthewoodsanddeepcleavagesofshade.(paragraph6)

Simile

8 Theskylineinalldirections

Thisisaperfectfreedominthemountains,butitbelongstotheeagleandtheelk,thebadgerandthebear.(paragraph6)TheKiowasreckonedtheirstaturebythedistancetheycouldsee,andtheywerebentandblindinthewilderness.(paragraph6)

alliteration9 Thisisaperfectfreedomin

Thegreatbillowingcloudsthatsailuponitareshadowsthatmoveuponthegrainlikewater,dividinglight.(paragraph7)

simile

10 Thegreatbillowingcloudsth …theycouldseethedarkleesofthehillsatdawnacrosstheBighornRiver,theprofusionoflightonthegrainshelves,theoldestdeityrangingafterthesolstices.(paragraph7)

simile11 …theycouldseethedarklees

AtthetopofaridgeIcaughtsightofDevil’sTowerupthrustagainstthegrayskyasifinthebirthoftimethecoreoftheearthhadbrokenthroughitscrustandthemotionoftheworldwasbegun.(paragraph8)

similepersonification12 AtthetopofaridgeIcaugh

Therearethingsinnaturethatengenderanawfulquietintheheartofman;Devil’sTowerisoneofthem.(paragraph8)

Metonymy

13 Therearethingsinnatureth

There,inaverylittlewhile,woodtakesontheappearanceofgreatage.(paragraph11)SynecdocheMetonymy14 There,inaverylittlewhile

Thewindowpanesareblackandopaque;youimaginethereisnothingwithin,andindeedtherearemanyghosts,bonesgivenuptotheland.(paragraph11)SynecdocheMetaphor15 Thewindowpanesareblackand

Theagedvisitorswhocametomygrandmother’shousewhenIwasachildweremadeofleanandleatherandtheyborethemselvesupright.

alliteration16 Theagedvisitorswhocameto …thescarsofoldandcherishedenmities(paragraph12)

…battlesthattookplaceinthepastandwererememberedfondlybythoseoldwarriors

Metonymy17 …thescarsofoldandcheris

Nowthereisafuneralsilenceintherooms,theendlesswakeofsomefinalword.(paragraph14)

Metaphor.Personification

18 Nowthereisafuneralsilenc

Mylineofvisionwassuchthatthecreaturefilledthemoonlikeafossil.(paragraph14)

simile19 Mylineofvisionwassuchth

Ithadgonethere,Ithought,toliveanddie,forthereofallplaces,wasitssmalldefinitionmadewholeandeternal.(paragraph14)

Climax

20 Ithadgonethere,Ithought,

There,whereitoughttobe,attheendofalongandlegendaryway,wasmygrandmother’sgrave.Hereandthereonthedarkstoneswereancestralnames.Lookingbackonce,Isawthemountainandcameaway.

Synecdochemetaphor

21 There,whereitoughttobe,Inthisessay,Momadatnotonlytellsthestoryofhisgrandmother,butalsoexploresthehistoryofhisKiowasancestorsandthushisownracialandculturalheritage.Intracingthethreestagesofhispeople’shistory—emergence,evolutionanddecline—theauthorconveyscomplicatedfeelingsofnotalgia,belonging,andpride,mixedwithasenseoflossandalighttouchofsadness.Ourculturalorethnicheritagemaydiffer,yetseekingone’srootsisacommonhumanexperience.22Inthisessay,MomadatnotonlyMomadayalsoblendsamovingnarrativeofthestoriesoftheKiowaswithalyricalandpictorialdescriptionofthelandscapewherehisancestorsoncerangedintheirgoldenageandwherehe’sreturnedinord