N. Scott Momaday, House Made of Dawn

Kathryn Napier Gray (University of Plymouth)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.6: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - United States.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1968

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

House Made of Dawn was first published in 1968 and is N. Scott Momaday’s first novel. The novel has received an extensive amount of attention from a wide range of writers, critics and academics, all of whom admire his ability to engage with the literary and cultural entanglements of Euro-American and Native American traditions. In recognition of the groundbreaking force of this first novel, Momaday was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1969.

The novel is set in the American southwest immediately after World War II; Abel, the protagonist, returns from combat psychologically scarred, disillusioned and drunk. As the novel develops, the reader witnesses Abel return to his grandfather, and his Jemez Pueblo heritage. The …

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1669 words

Citation: Napier Gray, Kathryn. "House Made of Dawn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 January 2005; last revised 07 April 2006. [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13248, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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