The author, Richard Bradford, uses first person narrative in his novel Red Sky at Morning. His story unfolds through the eyes of Josh Arnold, the strong-willed, independent son of Frank Arnold, a respected and wealthy man in Sagrado, New Mexico during the times of World War II. When Josh was two he began to become immune to things like Indian fire and ringworm which was the primary cause for their summerhouse in Sagrado. The Arnolds moved from Mobile, Alamabama during the War to live year long in Sagrado when Frank had a conviction to serve his time in the U.S. Navy. Once there, Josh met Steenie, a role model, protector, and social educator to Josh. Steenie taught him all he needed to know about living in Sagrado, and they soon became the best of friends. Throughout the story the characters grew as they all learned of a new cultural differences. Three cultural differences in the novel were ethnicity, religion, and regional attitudes.As seen in the novel Red Sky at Morning, there existed three different groups, creating complex ethnicity, and clear distinction. An example of this in the story is when Steenie explains to Josh “We only recongnize three kinds of people in Sagrado: Anglos, Indians, and Natives. You keep your catagories strait and you’ll make out alright.” (36) In this conversation Josh as the newcomer to Sagrado, is educated by Steenie to the cultural rules of the unique town. In that part of the country Indians and Natives came first. Josh being an Anglo was considered a minority and discovered that he better keep his place. Steenie told Josh to keep predjudiced comments about Mexicans or Indinas out of everyday coversation if he planned to survive in Sagrado. In Alabama on the other hand racial remarks were widely excepted about blacks in everyday culture. The distinct ethinic differences in Sagrado influenced the perception and actions of Josh as he grew to understand the cultures and their people.Rel...
