Ned is still being punished for his use of the Navajo language and is told, by Mr. Straight, that he must “speak English” and that “Navajo is not good, no good at all,” words that echo Principal O’ Sullivan’s “Navajo is no good, of no use at all!” from Chapter 2. How does it underscore the ignorance of the attempts to strip him of his language?
This scene really underscores the theme of identity. Because of his young culture clash in school, Chester struggles to make peace with his identity from a young age. He's torn between the reverence of his parents' customs with the urge to fit in with his peers. In fact he's embarrassed to be so different. This rift between his cultural heritage and his social identity only worsens as he grows up witnessing all the trouble the government causes for his family and their property. While he wants to be accepted, he can't help but feel ashamed for compromising his family's traditions in high school. He enlists at the start of the war in order to become a part of something greater than him. He wants to make his parents proud. By a strange twist of fate, he is given the perfect opportunity to reconcile his identity as a Navajo with his desire for acceptance during his service. When people recognize his value as a soldier comes from his Native American heritage, they treat him with greater respect and no longer expect him to conform to their cultural expectations. Chester takes these experiences and develops them into his public speaking career later in life, becoming a great advocate for his people.
