"Neither Wolf Nor Dog" Literary Analysis: Bridging the Cultural Chasm Anonymous 11th Grade

“The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.” (Unknown). Attempting to really connect with people who are a part of an entirely different culture than your own is a very difficult thing to do. Whether they belong to a different religion, ethnicity, or race, connecting with people who are not the same as you can be surprisingly challenging. However, if you are able to accomplish this feat, it can be an immensely rewarding experience. In Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn, Kent is ultimately successful in bridging the cultural gap between Native American and White culture. This was certainly no easy task, but Kent is able to accomplish this by hearing what Elder Dan has to say, seeing things from a Native American perspective, and participating in Native American traditions and culture.

Kent first began to close the cultural gap through talking with Elder Dan and truly coming to understand what he had to say. Elder Dan provides Kent with a very large amount of information about Native American culture. Elder Dan wishes for Kent to help him write down his thoughts and experiences into a book. In order for the book to be written, Dan needs to get Kent to understand the reasoning behind his philosophies and...