Code Talkers Sparknotes

Have you ever wondered what it felt like to be a Navajo in World War II? Well, the book Code Talkers brings the story of a young boy, called Ned Begay, to life. Ned Begay is a young child who was sent to a boarding school for Navajos. He was stripped of his religion, language, and all around culture. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he decided he wanted to join the war. He joins to help be a code talker. After the accounts of his travels within the war, he gets sent back home, after the victory by the United States. This story is brought alive by Bruchac, and he brings to life the story of Ned Begay. He helps tell about how the war affected the Navajos. Ned Begay goes through several spiritual shifts throughout the war and changes drastically.

Mostly mental changes, but with language, he goes from secretly speaking Navajo to becoming a Navajo code talker. In Code Talkers, Ned Begay is a “good” student. He follows directions and never speaks his native tongue. After being caught speaking Navajo, Ned is labeled hopeless just like the rest of his classmates. The author portrays this by stating, “I tried to be careful when I spoke our sacred language, that Friday I had been caught” (Bruchac pg 35). The author states this because it shows how young and stupid Ned was. He grows throughout the book and becomes a better person. The author includes this to help show/explain how Navajos were treated, and with their punishments, Ned Begay blossoms. During the beginning of the war Ned Begay had difficulties in helping himself. He struggles to show how he will help the Bilagaanaas, but on page 38, the author states, “Even though I understand what they meant I could not help remembering that we Navajos had sacrificed a lot” (Bruchac pg 38). Ned Begay went through hardships when he started thinking about the war. The author helps explain this on page 38 by telling us how the Navajos had sacrificed a lot, while the Bilagaanas (the Navajo word for white people), had sacrificed a lot. Joining the war would most likely only benefit the whites. At the end of Code Talkers, the author helps create the story ending by showing Ned Begay’s story of becoming a code talker. The author ends the

He at the start of the story is stripped of everything that is his culture; his hair, his clothing and most importantly his language. He goes throughout the story with struggles, at first getting beaten for even speaking his native tongue, to being a national code talker. He goes through many changes during the war. From being a quiet, young boy, following the rules and never overspoken, to a tough man who takes pride in his language and culture. He goes through the war with no real friends, afraid that they might end up dying. He struggles with mental health as well during the war, afraid of so many things. But after the war, he was granted no medal; there was no superhero celebration. As he comes back, he's just granted a simple thank you. Ned Begay (with the help of Bruchac) tells the story of a young boy who is stripped of everything he’s ever known, sent away from his family and thrown into war. Despite everything, he stays positive and continues to take pride in his culture and his language. After the book ends, Ned Begay states that he wants his Navajo children to always take pride in their ancestors and that they need to never forget what they came from and what they accomplished. Throughout the book, Ned Begay goes through several changes; cultural, language, and mental