Question

read the excerpt from leslie marmon silkos story \the man to send rain clouds.\

\what did you say? i didnt hear you.\

\i said that i had been thinking about something.\

\about what?\

\about the priest sprinkling holy water for grandpa. so he wont be so thirsty.\

what does this dialogue reveal about louise?

she follows some of the spiritual ideas of the pueblo people.
she is a devout follower of the catholic church.
she often turns to father paul for support and guidance.
she wants teofilo to receive his last rites from father paul.

Explanation:

Analyze the dialogue and context

Using the Native American Literature Analysis knowledge point, we examine the excerpt from Leslie Marmon Silko's "The Man to Send Rain Clouds." Louise suggests having the Catholic priest sprinkle holy water on Grandpa Teofilo "so he won't be so thirsty."

Evaluate cultural implications

Using the Cultural Syncretism knowledge point, we analyze how Louise blends Catholic rituals with traditional Pueblo beliefs. In Pueblo tradition, the deceased return as rain clouds to bring moisture to the living. By wanting holy water sprinkled so Grandpa "won't be so thirsty," Louise is adapting a Christian element (holy water) to serve a traditional Pueblo spiritual purpose (ensuring the deceased has water to bring rain).

Assess the multiple-choice options

• Option 1: "She follows some of the spiritual ideas of the Pueblo people." This is correct because her reasoning for wanting holy water is rooted in Pueblo beliefs about the dead needing water to bring rain.
• Option 2: "She is a devout follower of the Catholic Church." This is incorrect because she is repurposing a Catholic ritual for a non-orthodox, traditional Pueblo belief.
• Option 3: "She often turns to Father Paul for support and guidance." This is incorrect as the text does not show her seeking personal guidance or support from him.
• Option 4: "She wants Teofilo to receive his last rites from Father Paul." This is incorrect because Teofilo is already dead, and her focus is specifically on the water preventing him from being thirsty, not the official sacrament of last rites.

Answer:

• She follows some of the spiritual ideas of the Pueblo people. (Correct answer)
• She is a devout follower of the Catholic Church.
• She often turns to Father Paul for support and guidance.
• She wants Teofilo to receive his last rites from Father Paul.