At the story’s core, Silko’s The Man to Send Rain Clouds emphasizes a central idea of both preservation of old ways while incorporating new ones. As past traditions carry on, the changes brought by the Church move the storyline. The author achieves the idea of continuity of change by manipulating atmosphere and mood of the setting. Almost none of the characters in the story are described by the author using direct language; instead, they are built up by their actions and environment. When Ken and Leon find the old man, they do not speak to each other. Additionally, the author does not give almost any input herself; the tone of the story is neutral. So, all contributions of the theme are not derived from characterization, but instead the setting.