This narration is told in past tense by a third person by storyteller who knows everything. As a result, the readers can understand the point of view of the Catholics and the Native Americans. The narration’s title explains the belief of Pueblo that the dead people come back as rain clouds. The “man” represents Teofilo, the deceased grandfather whose body is discovered by Leon, his grandson. Leon asks Teofilo to bring rain into the community, which was an essential natural asset. The reason is that the water helped individuals who depended on farming activities. Additionally, the story presents different internal and external conflicts (Silko, 1969). For example, Father Paul was undecided about bringing the holy water and sprinkle it on Teofilo’s body or not because he contradicted the people’s perception about the rains. On the other hand, Ken and Leon were hesitant to inform Father Paul about their discovery of Teofilo’s dead body.
The story’s writer, Leslie Marmon Silko, used death, symbolism, and obscurity to illustrate what she felt about the culture. She showed her openness to different religions because of her mixed descent origin. Obscurity was used more often to determine how the lines of culture were blurred. For example, Leslie talked about the heavy curtains that prevented light from penetrating to showcase that clear decisions could not be made (Silko, 1969). Another example is the red blanket used to block Teofilo’s view, signifying how culture could be concealed. In addition, there were many areas where symbolism was prevalent. For example, the author talked about Leon’s oversized jacket to represent western culture. It was hard to embrace these customs because individuals were not familiar with them (Silko, 1969). Teofilo could also be associated with the native culture, although his death broke it down. Eventually, his people started to embrace western beliefs and customs and integrated them with theirs.
Reference
Silko, L. M. (1969). “The man to send rain clouds.” New Mexico Quarterly, 3839(41), 33.