This Tender Land

Odie’s reflections as an elderly narrator frame the narrative, and he occasionally inserts comments revealing his broader perspective. Analyze the narrator’s role. Is he a reliable narrator? How might the framing device affect readers’ perception of the story?

Consider Lincoln Indian Training School as a microcosm of broader efforts at American imperialism and cultural hegemony. What does Krueger’s portrayal of the school suggest about such efforts, as well as resistance to them?

The novel’s title appears to come from a comment Jack makes referring to “this beautiful, tender land” as a manifestation of divinity (151). Consider the function of land in the novel. How do Odie and other characters relate to the land? What significance does it hold for them?