Use of Pictures in “The Names” by N. Scott Momaday

Unlike the past autobiography’s we have  discovered in this class, “The Names” uses several multimedia pictures to give the reader a more visual sense of his life. Most often the images show Momaday’s extended family dating back to his great grandparents. This is effective in allowing the reader to feel more attached to the story and give them the chance to visualize the person who is being mentioned in the story.

One image that serves as a powerful reminder of his past is the picture of his mother on page 23. It depicts his mother dressed up in a traditional Native American outfit. This is a powerful image as it depicts one of his closest family members and his heritage as a Native American. While he was an only child, he spent most of his time around his mother and his father. In the genealogy chart it also shows that his mother was born to both a white man and a native American woman, and this depiction of her in traditional clothing shows that despite not being a full blooded Native American she was still tied to her native roots which was obviously passed on to her son.

To me personally the most important use of a picture is the genealogy chart on the first page of the book. This chart depicts all of Momaday’s family on both his mother’s and father’s side. Family is a huge part in the life of Native Americans. A genealogy chart depicts all aspects of your past, and it’s so fragile meaning if someone in it was never born or was replaced by someone else it could completely affect your future or prevent you from even being born at all. The pictures in “The Names” serve as a reminder to never forget your past, your family and where you came from. Pictures can serve as a powerful item to stop time and preserve it for future generations.

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~ by frauh2 on April 7, 2011.