Coyote Kills A Giant Analysis

Decisions

Coyote Kills a Giant, a short Navajo tale, selected and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz and Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howls both demonstrate very different storylines however there are a few similar points between the two. Coyote Kills a Giant talks about the importance of being wise with your decisions and not allowing your pride. On the other hand, Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howls demonstrates the greediness in one’s self through the little girl wanting Christmas everyday because of all the advantageous and joyous acts that occur throughout the holiday. These two short stories show the negativity brought out through an egotistical choice, which could be prevented thinking more about others.

In the Navajo short story Coyote Kills a Giant, the protagonist, Coyote, implies his inflexibility when Old Woman urges him to stop going towards the specific location where the giant occurs to live. The Old Woman says to Coyote, “"You better stop going that way, or you 'll meet a giant who kills everybody." (Line 3) and Coyote responds to her, “"Oh, giants don 't frighten me," said Coyote (who had never met one). "I always kill them. I 'll fight this one too, and make an end of him." When Coyote says this we see the egotistic personality he withholds. Nevertheless, later in the story when he makes the blindly decision to keep going due to his ego, the narrator displays the obstacles this decision that he makes brings to him. The narrator