Southwest United States
The novel is full of descriptions of the Southwestern region of the United States. This comes as no surprise as Navajo Nation is generally composed of areas that encompass the states of Arizona, Colorado, parts of Utah, and New Mexico. The narratives of the Southwest are not just purely about its size and location but there is a real sense of warmth and fondness in the accounts, making use extensive descriptive language to give the reading audience how central this portion of the United States was to the formation of not just Chester’s character but the character of the entire Navajo Nation.
War Atrocities
Descriptions of war atrocities stand as a stark contrast to the warm and affectionate language used in describing the American Southwest. The language that the narrator uses to describe both the active combat and the aftermath of the fighting is relatively simple, almost elementary in its delivery but the simplicity of the language he uses does little to decrease the impact of the brutality of war. The simplicity of his descriptions also makes it very easy to picture the immensity of damage and destruction that the war brings not just upon the landscape but even on the minds of those participating in it.
The Pacific Islands
A significant chunk of the narrative is set in the Pacific Islands as this is the main stage where the fighting against the Japanese forces is thickest. It is also here where Chester experiences his most harrowing times. Beyond the narratives of the physical destruction inflicted by all the fighting there is also a definite undercurrent of regret in his descriptions. Although having grown up largely in a desert Chester is still able to appreciate the beauty of the tropics and the sea. His descriptions of the beauty of the islands however are more of a “could have been” rather than a description of the reality; that is that it was more of wishful thinking as if to say that the islands could have been beautiful if it hadn’t been for the foxholes, shattered trees, and bodies of soldiers that lined the beach.
Coming of Age
Central to the novel is the chronology of Chester’s character development and because the novel is first of all a memoir the book is full of descriptions of the many transitions of his character. He narrates his life as a biracial youth growing up in the rural Southwest of the United States where he was a herder. He then transitions to narrations of his life as a Marine Corp recruit then a full fledged solider and war hero. He describes his difficult transition into civilian life, the horrors of war having scarred him both in body and mind; as well as the may personal tragedies that he experiences on his way to finally being recognized as a military hero.
