Summary Of The Way To Rainy Mountain

My favorite history professor once said, “We are what we think.” Later he explained it to me that each place has its own way of supporting its own inhabitants and each society has its unique culture and historical background. I still remember my high school deskmate, an Indian boy, who was often laughed at because he always ate with his hands at the school canteen. However, his diligence and friendliness earned him a lot of respect and praise. With better understanding of each other, I learned some Indian culture from him and understood the importance of culture difference. He gradually got used to using chopsticks when having meals in China. Culture is essential to people’s lives because it gives them a character of their own. Culture shapes

The cultural values of an individual have a deep impact on his or her attitude towards life. According to “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday, “The last time I saw her prayed standing by the side of her bed at night, naked to the waist, the light of a kerosene lamp moving upon her dark skin” (112). Momaday describes a scene of his grandmother praying in tradition Kiowa form, which presents to readers a vivid Kiowa prayer and reveals his great nostalgia for his deceased grandmother. Throughout the essay, readers can find that Momaday uses his personal experiences of exploring the Kiowa culture and history to illustrate his own principle and attitudes towards life. Another example from the story illustrates that “The Kiowas are a summer people; they abide the cold and keep to themselves, but when the season turns and the land becomes warm and vital they cannot hold still” (112). It is not hard to find that Kiowa’s culture background plays an important role in daily lives of the natives and distinguishes it from other cultures. Momaday successfully links the Kiowa culture with his beloved grandmother and gives the readers a different experience of the wonderful Kiowa culture. He shows great respect for the Kiowa culture and reveals inner respect for his grandmother simultaneously. Momaday uses his personal experience to show that cultural differences are inevitable,

If we think of a small tribe existing somewhere in the world, we can imagine that the tribe’s culture, which is not respected by others, could be deserted. Nowadays, it seems less possible to survive without being recognized and respected. Cultural respect is mutual because respect for other culture is to respect your own culture. For example, when I study abroad I would represent China to make friends with people from other countries. Hence, respecting other cultures is essential to live a colorful and harmonious life. There is a famous saying, “Do as the Romans do,” which means respecting other cultures by doing what the local people always do. This also means the habit of respecting other cultures can cultivate ourselves and manifest a positive attitude towards life in the same way Momaday had shown his respect towards his grandmother and the Kiowa culture. On the contrary, lack of respect for people and their culture will lead to great damage like what the government did to the Utah local habitants. We are what we think so it is vital for every single man or woman to show great respect for each unique culture in the world. We are what we think so being respected we can become cosmopolitans. We are what we think so embracing other cultures ultimately means embracing