Adjustment For Development

American Indian literature is a beautiful flower on the tree of American literature.Contemporary American Indian literature embodies the vitality of American Indians whoare, despite their dwindling populations, still trying hard to preserve their extraordinaryculture. One of the main objects of my study in this thesis, House Made of Dawnrepresents the beginning of―Renaissance of American Indian Literature.‖This masterpieceby N. Scott Momaday reveals the tradition of American Indian culture. He employs thewriting style of European novels. Getting rid of parochial racial consciousness, he createsthe veteran―Abel.‖Coming back from World War II, Abel wanders between the Europeanculture and primitive American Indian culture, psychologically tormented in his quest tofind a sense of identity. This thesis also analyzes another context titled Ceremony, which iswritten by Leslie Marmon Silko who was born in the later1970s. When reading theindicative figural description and affectionate landscape depiction, readers can easilyrecognize the fact that although Silko has many similarities with Momaday, he endowsTayo with new thinking pattern and tries to rewrite the pessimistic ending of Abel inHouse Made of Dawn.Starting with an analysis of social background, figural character and the influence ofvarious figures on the protagonists, my thesis highlights the two different attitudes andcourse of action in House Made of Dawn and Ceremony as they face the problem ofacculturation. Combining with the leitmotiv of these two novels, I point out the greatcross-cultural appeal caused by cultural difference. Even the pessimistic Momaday, whoalways asserts the importance of primitive culture, inevitably writes several lines todemonstrate the irresistible appeal of the European culture, especially when depicting theimage of White woman. From the boarding school, the young generations of AmericanIndians are forced to accept a new culture. However, I contend in my thesis that theyshould face the ineluctable acculturation calmly, assess the two different cultures‘advantages and disadvantages objectively and seek reason in their cultural contabescence.Based on the study of the similar experience but different action towards acculturation inHouse Made of Dawn and Ceremony, the thesis concludes that for American Indians the best way to ensure the endurance of their primitive culture lies in developing their owncommunity through adaptation and acculturation of their own choice, rather than blindlypatterning their way of life on the model of white America.