The Importance Of Father Paul In The Man To Send Rain Clouds

In Psychology culture is defined as, “traditions and patterns of behavior that are passed from one generation to the next” (Berger 2015). Tradition holds a large amount of significance in many cultures. It enables groups to establish a collective identity and creates separate identities for the individuals involved. However, those individuals must also learn to accept other cultures and embrace their traditions as well. Father Paul comes to this realization in “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” by Leslie Marmon Silko. Teofilo’s death creates an opportunity for the Father to witness Native American culture first hand, while also changing his perspective, making him a dynamic character and establishing cultural symbolism throughout the story.

However, there is still a clear divide between the Pueblos and their new Catholic patriarchy. When the Father asks if Teofilo has been found Leon tells him that, “ everything is O.K. now ” ( Silko 1173). While this technically isn’t a lie, it illustrates Leon and Father Paul’s relationship. Clearly, Leon does not respect Father Paul and does not think he holds enough significance to be informed about Teofilo’s death. One may argue that he was simply doing this in order to avoid a Catholic burial and to enable his community to perform their normal rituals; however, the story shows that Leon is more pleased with the Father’s absence from the burial than the burial itself. In fact, he wouldn’t have even included the Father whatsoever if Louise had not asked him to. When Father Paul inquires about the burial the author reveals his reaction when she writes, “ Leon smiled. It wasn’t necessary Father ” ( Silko 1175) . Leon’s reaction is not only strange, but smug. He enjoys telling the Father that his traditions were not forgotten, but instead, were considered unnecessary to him and his