Various forms of literature will employ varied approaches in telling the story with specific characteristics embedded in each for the required effect to the reader. A myth, for example, often explains the origins of certain phenomena and will usually involve the supernatural to back up some of the explanations. A critical analysis of “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog”, an American myth, highlights the importance of compassion, courage and gratitude as the ingredients of a progressive society. Long Arrow, the protagonists, undergoes gradual transformation from a recluse to a hero after the intervention of a kind chief.
Myths will always overlook the need for logical explanations and the readers are expected to accept the events as they are described in the story. The healing of Long Arrow’s deafness, for example, goes against the common conventions of a medical process because the story informs that a wormlike substance came out of his ears ( School , 2012, p. 1077). There are also mythical characters like the boy who turns into a kingfisher and the people who live at the bottom of the lake. The reader is expected to follow the story with focus on how it ends and desist from questioning the conventions. From this approach, it is apparent that the story explains the origins of horses and how man came to domesticate them.
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Compassion from the leaders, as a characteristic, has been perpetuated as a requirement for any thriving community. Long Arrow, out of being born with a defect, had been left behind by the people of his village because they saw him as a nuisance and useless. However, his miraculous healing and arrival at the chief’s home marks the end of his woes and a start of new life ( School , 2012, p. 1078). Although the chief’s wife was against adopting the boy, the chief insists that he will adopt and train the boy. His compassion earns the community good returns when the boy goes looking for the elk dogs.
Courage is another element of character that the myth seeks to perpetuate as a requirement for progress. Long Arrow, out of desire to give back to the community, questions the chief on the best way to show his gratitude. The chief informs him of the search for the Elk Dogs although he cautions Long Arrow that no man has ever returned from the expedition to look for the animals ( School , 2012, p. 1079). This does not deter the boy from his mission and he ends up being recognized as a courageous person as he goes through the steps required to reach his destination. He is not afraid of drowning when he gets to the lake and is eventually rewarded as the first person to bring the mysterious animals to his community.
Gratitude is another characteristic that makes Long Arrow a hero in his society. After being adopted and receiving an informal education, the boy is eager to serve the society which once took him for an unwanted nuisance ( School , 2012, p. 1079). Considering that he is well educated and is more intelligent than any other boy in his society, the chief feels that he should wait and serve as chief when the time comes. However, his desire to do serve pushes him to embark on a journey to search for the Elk Dogs and is determined although he is aware that it is not an easy task.
Indeed, “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog” is a mythical explanation of the origins of horses by a boy who was considered an outcast by his community. Long Arrow’s redemption was enhanced by the compassion of a kind chief who adopted him when there was no one else ready to do it. With time, the boy proved to be a courageous individual and was ready to risk his life in order to give back to the society. In spite of the many obstacles, he gets to the bottom of the lake and manages to return with the mythical animals. His feat makes him a hero of the community as he is the first and last person to get to the underworld where the mysterious animals lived.
Reference
School, A. H. (2012). Prentice Hall: Literature, Grade 10, Part 2, Common Core Edition. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781256493914/
