House Made of Dawn

The final part of House Made of Dawn is a quiet denouement for the life of Francisco. As he does at the beginning of the novel, Abel returns to Jemez. In the first instance, Abel returned a broken man, and his alienation and sadness led to a tragic act of violence. In the second instance, Abel returns as a recovering man. He’s recovering from his wounds and slowly recovering from alcohol addiction. With Francisco’s health faltering, Abel has a purpose in his life. He cares for his grandfather in his final days, providing the care and love that Francisco gave him after the departure of his father and the deaths of his brother and mother. Francisco has functioned as the constant presence in Abel’s life, the person to whom he could return in times of trouble. Now, Abel is the stable presence in Francisco’s life. Francisco’s failing health gives Abel the chance to repay his grandfather for a lifetime of love. This opportunity is the foundation on which Abel builds his recovery.

On his deathbed, Francisco’s mind sparks vivid memories. He experiences these memories in a non-linear way, allowing him to reflect on a life spent on the reservation. Francisco is part of the same generation as Tosamah’s grandmother, those Indigenous people who witnessed the last cultural heights of their people and were forced to endure their managed decline via bureaucracy and exile to the reservations. This experience motivated Francisco’s involvement in the community. He was an important part of many ceremonies, rituals, and cultural practices in Jemez. Even when his grandchildren were young, he tried to pass on their knowledge to them. Through no fault of his own, however, these efforts have faltered. His daughter is dead, as is his other grandson. Abel is barely in a condition to father the next generation, much less pass down Francisco’s knowledge. Nonetheless, Francisco continues to try. He shares his memories with Abel as stories, thereby perpetuating his people’s tradition of oral storytelling. These stories bring Abel and Francisco together one final time, joining them in a tradition that stretches back generations.

Francisco’s stories have a profound effect on Abel. When Francisco dies, Abel acts. The protagonist who spent so much of his time drifting from tragedy to tragedy is confronted with the death of his last remaining family member. This time, he doesn’t drift. He immediately begins to prepare his grandfather’s body in accordance with the rituals and beliefs that he knows were so important to Francisco. The old man’s efforts to preserve his culture and pass it down to the next generation inspire Abel to perform rituals that would give his grandfather great solace. By performing these rituals, Abel takes control of his life. He finds a purpose in continuing his grandfather’s legacy, and this purpose gives him a sense of catharsis in a difficult moment of grieving. The best representation of this is the race of the dead. Francisco has often reflected on his participation in the race of the dead. To him, it was an important and profound moment of cultural unity. Abel steps outside at dawn after preparing his grandfather’s body and talking to the priest. He sees the runners in the distance and breaks into a sprint. Abel runs, ignoring the pain in his body and the grief in his mind. Whereas Francisco worried that these rituals would be lost to the coming generations, Abel finds a way for this ancient tradition to make sense in his world. Abel runs as an individual to counteract his own grief, while Francisco ran as a way to preserve a culture which was on the verge of dying. Although Abel doesn’t have the same understanding of the race as his grandfather did, his decision to continue Francisco’s legacy celebrates both his grandfather and his cultural heritage. This is perhaps the best tribute Francisco could have wanted.