Laughing Boy · Question
How does Laughing Boy develop the theme of Nature and Spirituality?
Answer
Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge develops Nature and Spirituality across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The Navajo connection to the land, animals, and gods is woven throughout—through prayers, ceremonies, the beauty of the desert, and the symbolic meaning of horses, turquoise, and the 'Trail of Beauty.'
Laughing Boy's connection to the desert, his horse, and the prayer 'travelling in beauty' reflect a spiritual bond with nature.
Laughing Boy finds solace in the night sky and dawn; the dream involves divine figures and the importance of being awake for the gods.
The landscape is described as having a spiritual power that moves Slim Girl, and Laughing Boy's connection to the land is portrayed as a form of 'strong medicine.'
Evidence in the book
- I
Laughing Boy's connection to the desert, his horse, and the prayer 'travelling in beauty' reflect a spiritual bond with nature.
- III
Laughing Boy finds solace in the night sky and dawn; the dream involves divine figures and the importance of being awake for the gods.
- II
The landscape is described as having a spiritual power that moves Slim Girl, and Laughing Boy's connection to the land is portrayed as a form of 'strong medicine.'
- III
The ceremony's poetry and the concept of hozoji ('walking in beauty') become real to Slim Girl in a sentimental way, even as she struggles with the grotesque forms.
- IV
The ceremony's use of natural elements and the concept of 'hozho' (beauty/harmony) emphasize spiritual connection to nature.
- IV
The burial in a cliff niche, prayers, and the pony sacrifice reflect deep spiritual and natural connections.
- I
The vigil, sweat-bath, and prayers to the gods reflect a deep connection to nature and spiritual purification.
- II
The night landscape and Laughing Boy's prayer song reflect a deep connection between the natural world and spiritual practice.
