Critical Essay: The Way to Rainy Mountain
N. Scott Momaday’s work, The Way to Rainy Mountain , focuses on the Kiowa peoples’ journey to Rainy Mountain in Oklahoma. This particular piece of work deals mostly with the physical journey, but does so in a biocentric manner. The Kiowa people were deeply connected to nature, which is made overtly clear with each of the three points of view used in Momaday’s work. However, The Way to Rainy Mountain shows the intense relationship between the Kiowa people and animals. It is a beautiful example of how a group can extend democracy to nonhumans, which differs greatly from today’s society because of its consistent dominion over all of nature. Momaday’s work offers an ecocritical outlook which, when applied to our own society, creates a stark contrast in both understanding and treatment of nonhumans. The Way to Rainy Mountain is a piece of work written by N. Scott Momaday. The work’s central focus is the Kiowa’s journey. The work follows the Kiowa people from their beginnings in Mo...