N. Scott Momaday, the cultural and literary background

Schubnell traces the historical, cultural, familial, literary, and anthropological backgrounds of the entire Momaday canon and presents him as a mainstream writer formed by both Native American and European American traditions. He outlines Momaday's concept of self-realization through language in the context not only of Indian oral tradition but also of James Joyce, Marcel Proust, and Isak Dinesen; sees his view of nature as an extension of New England transcendentalism and in the tradition of John Muir and Henry David Thoreau; and explores the influence of Yvor Winters on Momaday's poetry. Other influences include Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens. The author analyzes the main themes of Momaday's works, his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, House Made of Dawn, his exploration of racial heritage in The Way to Rainy Mountain, and his interest in painting and drawing. ISBN 0-8061-1951-9 : $19.95.… (more)