‘‘The Way to Rainy Mountain’’: Journey of the Kiowa People to Oklahoma
Book Paper Instructions The book review paper assignment will be in the format of a scholarly book review. Follow the instructions below to write a great review of the book you selected.
1 A book review is not a book report. A book review is oftentimes like a movie review (perhaps you’ve read one or heard one on the radio or TV). As in a movie review, the reviewer tells the audience generally what the movie is about, how the main characters are, how their performances make the movie work or make the movie fail, and they tell the major strengths and weaknesses of the movie. A book review does the same thing: it briefly covers the book’s content, subject matter, and time period (setting). Then it analyzes the argument the author is making by writing the book.
To find the author’s argumentative points in the book, you need to read the introduction or preface very carefully and look for clue phrases like “This book will argue...” or “The main contention of this book is...” perhaps the author might be a little more subtle, but the thesis statement of any historical monograph will be found in the introduction and/or preface/prologue. After you carefully read the introduction, proceed to the last chapter or the conclusion/epilogue. At this part of the book, authors generally restate the central argument. After you’ve read these two portions carefully, proceed to reading the remainder of the book.
2 Once you’ve figured out what the author’s main point is, ask yourself if it is new, provocative, and/or tantalizing. If it is, then you should probably then figure out why you think his/her central argument is innovative. If not, then determine what made the writer fail in delivering a solid argument. A book review requires you to read a book, think analytically about the books broader implications, and includes a determination on your part if the author succeeded in being persuasive or if they failed to convince you of anything. A book review seeks to identify the books strengths and weaknesses so in a sense this is your opinion, but refrain from using phrases such as “I think” or “I believe.” It is always a good rule of thumb to never use the word “I.” Your criticism of the book should be incorporated throughout the paper, and not just tacked on at the end or in separate paragraph.
3 Pay attention to the evidence the author uses to support their argument. What are the sources? Is the author leaving anything out? Does the author judiciously use evidence or are certain sources used haphazardly? You might want to check out the endnotes of the book and be constantly asking yourself as you read “how does the author know this is indeed true or actually happened?” Then find the corresponding endnote to see what source contained the 2 information he/she used.
4 Make sure that you also bring in relevant content from class into your review of the book. Specifically, think about how this book is relevant to discussions we’ve had about historic topics that correspond to this book. 5 Make sure that you are doing your own work. As far as citations go, all you need to do is include a page number(s) in parentheses at the end of the statement that contains the quoted or paraphrased section.
5 Avoid over quoting. Generally speaking, one statement or sentence of quoted material per page is acceptable. Get accustomed to paraphrasing (and even then, you need to include a page number(s) in parentheses after a paraphrased section). A rule of thumb for quotations, never quote more than 1-2 sentences directly from the book at a time. This review should be mostly in your own words.
6 DO YOUR OWN WORK. DO NOT plagiarize these sources because if you do, you will fail the assignment and risk receiving further academic consequences. The Dropbox link on D2L will submit your paper checks submissions for plagiarism based on internet sources and other submitted papers. If you cheat, you will get caught. 7 Book reviews must be completed using standard 12-point, Times New Roman, Cambria, or Arial Font with standard margins. Expected word count will be between 1000 and 1250 words (roughly 4-5 pages).
Grading Standards
A – student demonstrates a superior understanding of the author’s main point and how the author supported the main point complete with an a evaluation of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the student’s book review is free of grammatical/spelling errors and the student has not committed the sin of over quoting. All paraphrased and quoted material has been correctly cited.
B – the student demonstrates some understanding of the author’s main contention and how the author supported it. Yet the student did not adequately address a few major claims made by the author or the student over quoted, cited incorrectly, or did not adequately evaluate the book’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the paper contains grammatical and/or spelling mistakes.
C – the student either misunderstood the author’s main point and/or failed to adequately analyze its relationship to the way the author supported the central argument. The student’s paper is barely coherent and lacks organization and structure, or the student may have concentrated too much on summarizing rather than evaluating. The student over quoted, cited incorrectly, did not explore the 3book’s strengths or weaknesses, and failed to proofread their work.
D – the student turned in a book report instead of a book review. These types of papers usually are more summary than anything else and just a summary of the book will not earn a very good grade on this assignment. Analysis and critical thinking is required for a successful book review.
F – the student either did not turn in a book review and /or plagiarized it or quoted excessively and turned in hopelessly incoherent drivel
The Way to Rainy Mountain
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‘‘The Way to Rainy Mountain’’
The Way to Rainy Mountain is about the history of the Kiowa people and their journey from Montana to the Rainy Mountain, Oklahoma hundreds of years earlier. The narrator embarks on this journey to trace his grandmother’s people, the Kiowa in Oklahoma. He then visits his grandmother's grave to honor her. In this story, Momaday offers the essential concept to recognize the value of this journey. Reading through the book, one can notice that the author published it in 1969 when American Indian tribes were experiencing a crisis. Later, the US government enforced policies to incorporate these tribes into the European American culture.Government policy implemented during the Momaday generation separated many American Indians from their tribes. However, they revived their tribal relations as the 1960s political climate promoted racial unity and reconnection with ancestral roots. Momaday wrote the Way to Rainy Mountain at the same time the American Indian Movement was founded. This movement emerged as the most productive civil rights group concerned with American Indian issues. As such, readers can view Momaday’s story as a historic renaissance of the Kiowa identity during the twentieth century.
In the Way to Rainy Mountain, Momaday traces his ancestral people as he seeks to unite with them. The narrator chooses a unique way for his story. He talks about his grandmother’s life, death, and his desire to visit her grandmother’s grave to present an educative and informative image of his past (Momaday, 1969). From the beginning of the narration, the reader can notice that the Kiowa tribes respect the land they live in and their nature. Momaday’s persistence in focusing on the Kiowa golden age as opposed to the tribe's challenges and fall shows his attempt to protect and uphold Kiowa culture. This idea seems relevant to the author’s unique choice of paying attention to the vanishing of buffalo as a Kiowa decline signifier.
The narrator introduces some Kiowa myths as he tells the life and death story of his legendary grandmother as part of the journey to his tribal roots. This narration captures the reader's attention as it opens for them a new world of belief, hope, and trust. Belief is an essential tool that helps one understand and enjoy life. The narrator says that his grandmother revered the sun, was a Christian in her late years, and always remembered her birthright (Momaday, 1969). This statement helps the reader to identify the significant trends Kiowa Indians inherited. Momaday’s grandmother never lived a simple life, given that she faced particular challenges and wanted to choose the best ways to live. However, she respected her ancestry and history and never forgot her roots. The Kiowa people appreciated many things, including the sun. From the above statement, the reader can learn that the Kiowa people respected the sun and feared its energy and power.
The book does not simply describe how American Indians learned, developed, and protected their culture. It describes the culture of the Kiowa people, their beliefs, and preferences. Momaday focuses on three visions: Personal, historical, and cultural. The author unites these visions and es...