Refers to "The Way to Rainy Mountain" by Momaday
Literary devices are techniques that writers use to enhance their writings and create specific effects. Tone is the way in which a writer portrays a certain topic with a certain attitude. In writing any piece of literature, the author always has a purpose, such as to reveal a truth about life or express personal feelings.
In "The Way to Rainy Mountain," Momaday uses many literary devices, especially in the first paragraph. He uses alliteration with "brittle and brown" and "willow and witch", onomatopoeia with "cracks" and "popping", repetition with "one hill or one tree or one man", and consonance with "hickory and pecan." Also, a simile is used with "grasshoppers...popping up like corn." There are two metaphors: "the prairie is an anvil's edge" and "to look upon that landscape...is to lose the sense of proportion." Momaday has used all of these techniques to create a vivid image of the Oklahoma plains where his Native American tribe lived. He also used these literary devices to create an intense tone of pureness as he talks about the extreme weather, loneliness, and raw nature of this land. He also incorporates a lot of imagery into "The Way to Rainy Mountain" to make the reader feel like he/she is actually experiencing his visit back to his grandmother's homeland with him. Momaday uses several voices in this story including an ancestral voice, in which he discusses Kiowa myths, a historical voice, in which he talks about the history of the Kiowas, and a voice in which he talks about his memories and experiences. These voices together portray Momaday's purposes in teaching about his culture's history and understanding his ancestry.
An important aspect of "The Way to Rainy Mountain" is deicide, which is the killing of a god, or basically the death of a culture. In my opinion, this idea is seen in today's world, on a smaller scale. Many people or families might, at one point, have religion as a big part of their lives, but, because of their busy daily schedules, religion becomes less and less of a priority. In this case, deicide is occurring as people abandon their religions.
In "The Way to Rainy Mountain," Momaday uses many literary devices, especially in the first paragraph. He uses alliteration with "brittle and brown" and "willow and witch", onomatopoeia with "cracks" and "popping", repetition with "one hill or one tree or one man", and consonance with "hickory and pecan." Also, a simile is used with "grasshoppers...popping up like corn." There are two metaphors: "the prairie is an anvil's edge" and "to look upon that landscape...is to lose the sense of proportion." Momaday has used all of these techniques to create a vivid image of the Oklahoma plains where his Native American tribe lived. He also used these literary devices to create an intense tone of pureness as he talks about the extreme weather, loneliness, and raw nature of this land. He also incorporates a lot of imagery into "The Way to Rainy Mountain" to make the reader feel like he/she is actually experiencing his visit back to his grandmother's homeland with him. Momaday uses several voices in this story including an ancestral voice, in which he discusses Kiowa myths, a historical voice, in which he talks about the history of the Kiowas, and a voice in which he talks about his memories and experiences. These voices together portray Momaday's purposes in teaching about his culture's history and understanding his ancestry.
An important aspect of "The Way to Rainy Mountain" is deicide, which is the killing of a god, or basically the death of a culture. In my opinion, this idea is seen in today's world, on a smaller scale. Many people or families might, at one point, have religion as a big part of their lives, but, because of their busy daily schedules, religion becomes less and less of a priority. In this case, deicide is occurring as people abandon their religions.
It's shocking how easily culture is lost. Even though my parents are immigrants from China, I already feel somewhat detached from Chinese culture, and I'm afraid that my future (possible) children will not have any attachment to it. (However, I think Chinese culture is at a much smaller risk of dying out than Native American culture.)
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