How The Rainbow Was Made Summary

Analysis of Native American Folklore In “How the Rainbow was Made” from the Ojibwe tribe and retold by S. E. Schlosser, the creation of a natural phenomenon is explained in a way that the people of olden times would understand it. The story goes that a little boy, Nanabozho, was out painting flowers different colors when suddenly two birds emerged. These two birds then began to swoop down into the paint and get some on their feet. They then flew back into the sky where the colors stayed from their feet and made a rainbow in the sky near a waterfall; so now whenever water glistens in the sky, there will be a rainbow. Through this ancient explanation of rainbows, the author uses literary devices to help convey his story to readers. Most Native American stories were told orally so these devices were needed to help listeners envision the stories that were told. In the case of “How the Rainbow was Made,” Schlosser uses personification, imagery, and purpose to paint his mental picture.

This is shown when the author states, “Brother Sun shines his light on the rain or the mist” (Schlosser). Native Americans believed almost everything had a spirit and was, in a sense, a person, so this form of storytelling is to be expected. By comparing the sun to a person, the characters within the story are more connected in a worldly sense as actual Native Americans were often one with nature. Indians were firm believers in pantheism, the “profound feeling of reverence for Nature and the wider Universe” (Harrison). Through personification, this pantheistic belief is made ever more