Laughing Boy · Chapter
Introductory Note explained
The author provides a disclaimer that the book is a work of fiction, though it aims to be true to Navajo customs and character.
What happens
The author provides a disclaimer that the book is a work of fiction, though it aims to be true to Navajo customs and character. All persons, incidents, and places are fictitious, and any hostility expressed by characters toward Americans arises from the plot, not the author's views.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it forces Laughing Boy to confront the ultimate reversal of his mo…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingKey passages
“This book is a work of fiction. I have tried to be as true as I knew how to the general spirit of Navajo things, to customs and character, but all personages and incidents in the story are fictitious, as well as places.”
The novel is fictional, though the author strove to accurately reflect Navajo customs and character; all characters, events, and locations are invented.
Author's disclaimer about the fictional nature of the work.
“This story is meant neither to instruct nor to prove a point, but to amuse. It is not propaganda, nor an indictment of anything.”
The purpose of the story is entertainment, not instruction or advocacy; it is not intended as propaganda or criticism.
Author clarifies the intent of the narrative.
