Spiritual Eagle By Momaday

Spiritual Eagle

A struggle occurring inside your own mind with yourself, that is the type of internal conflict

Abel is going through. Abel’s internal conflict is person versus self. He didn’t want or see himself being an eagle hunter, then he not only does, yet killing the eagle himself. That same decision changes his whole character; making questions about this character from many angles.

Abel’s person versus self conflict over the eagle is very complex. In particular when Abel himself becomes something he never wanted to be. Abel’s people weren’t just proud they weren’t strong. Author Momaday Characterizes Abel’s people, “They were medicine men; they were rainmakers and eagle hunters” (44). Abel was expected to follow his tribe doing, by becoming an eagle hunter. Abel’s thinks, “ He could see it still in the mind’s eye and hear in his his memory the awful whisper of it’s flight in the wind” (48). This thought causes himself conflict because of his actions contradicts his feelings and thoughts. Able took actions such as killing the bird and the rabbit. Before,After, and even during these events he show remorse; he also made other gestures to condone his actions. His conflict gets very complex due to it being his people's

That relationship affects not only the conflict, but the outcome. All these things combined to give Abel meaning in this story. The way M. Scott Momaday writes you can take these types of character and make your own conclusion about Abel. This characterization of Abel’s tribe, “ They gathered around the old eagle and spoke to it, bidding it return with their good will and sorrow to the eagle’s of the crags.” This shows that they care and do these things for their faith, and no other. This outcome that you can draw is part of Abel. Abel comes out in the end after the conflict and the outcome is made clear to be a spiritual eagle