Ricardo Vega

Period 4

1/10/2019

Momaday Analysis

In this passage, N. Scott Momaday’s visual images of his recollection from a place called

Rainy Mountain, diction that suggests Rainy Mountain has an important role in his life and in the

life of his ancestors, combined with details that describe the harshness, history, and beauty of the

mountain, asks us to experience his adventures on Rainy Mountain as well as the journey of his

ancestors that helped shape their cultural heritage and to consider why Rainy Mountain is a place

that holds a special place in Momaday’s life as well as the lives of his ancestors.

In the first paragraph, Momaday reveals to us the many elements that make up the Rainy

Mountain and his experiences. In one particular sentence, the author effectively stimulates the

sense of smell to familiarize the reader with the environment. As he describes, “... linear groves

of hickory and pecan, willow and witch hazel.” which aid in bringing the reader along with him

on his passage through the Rainy Mountain and develop a better understanding.

In addition, the author also displays a more calm and playful side of the mountain. His

choice of words like “Great green and yellow grasshoppers…” suddenly changes his tone

towards the mountain through alliteration because of the frequent use of words that start with

“g”. As a result, it makes the mountain seem fun and positive because his method of description,

the words “great”, “green”, and “grasshoppers”, has almost a childish tone to it. When coming

across this line, it almost seems similar to a phrase that has been commonly said in Spongebob
Squarepants, a cartoon meant to entertain children, when Spongebob says, “Jumping jellyfish!”,

it provokes a similar emotion as to the line that Momaday used.

As the passage progressed, he began to reveal more about his past family members and

how Rainy Mountain has a connection to him. He first explains how his grandmother was buried

on Rainy Mountain and describes her last seconds of life with the line, “... and I was told that in

death her face was that of a child.” This metaphor is effective in showing what type of women

his grandmother was. Typically, people think of a child as innocent, unbothered, and happy

which is how he chooses to imagine how his grandmother felt during her last moments before

she passed.

In continuation, Momaday provides us with small details that reveal the reason why he

chooses to care about the mountain. As he explains it, “Although my grandmother lived out her

long life in the shadow of Rainy Mountain, the immense landscape of the continental interior lay

like the memory in her blood.” which is an example of hyperbole that expresses how familiar his

grandmother was with the mountain and may be a reason as to why he even chooses to write

about Rainy Mountain, because of the importance it had in the lives of his ancestors.