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53 pages 1 hour read

Scott O'Dell

Thunder Rolling in the Mountains

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1992

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Themes

The Unavoidability of War During Colonization

The desire for peace and the necessity of war is a constant struggle in this novel. The Nez Perce begin their lives in peace, though white settlers soon infiltrate and bring violence. War becomes such a facet of life for the Nez Perce that Sound of Running Feet wonders if they’ll ever be safe.

The clearest representation of the duality of war and peace in the novel is Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph is a peaceful man who desires only safety for his people. His attempts to make peace are met with violence—from his own people, from his daughter, and from the white soldiers. Chief Joseph makes it clear from the beginning that he believes in surrender before slaughter; he would rather lose his home, his culture, and his heart before losing the lives of his people. He says to Sound of Running Feet, “The white settlers are like the sands of the river. No matter how many we kill, more come […] We must protect our women and children, even if it means we are strangers in the land” (48). For him, life and peace are more valuable than honor and war.

The symbol of the rifle adds to the complexity of the struggle between war and peace. The rifle is symbolic of the violence that white men bring to the Nez Perce that the Native Americans perpetuate. It is war-hungry Wah-lit-its who begins conflict with the white soldiers at the edges of Lapwai, and a greedy Charging Hawk who murders Swan Necklace over a gun. The rifle is a symbol of the discord that war brings not only to the Nez Perce, but to all tribes who can no longer have faith in one another. For this reason, Sound of Running Feet rejects the rifle in the final moments of the novel, stating, “Some time the killing had to stop” (126). 

Connection to Home

Connection to home drives this novel—having their home taken away is the catalyst for the conflict that results in the destruction of much of the Nez Perce tribe. Connection to home is also what the white soldiers and settlers cannot, or refuse, to understand about the Nez Perce and other tribes. Where the tribes see sacred land, the white settler see greed and opportunity.

The dissonance between white and Native viewpoints on homeland begins when Sound of Running Feet asks the white settler Jason Upright why he would build a cabin on land he does not own. He replies, “You Nez Perce own too much land. You can’t use all the land, not even half of it […] You are a greedy bunch” (4). Many white soldiers and settlers share this viewpoint and see Native tribes as hoarders of valuable land and resources.

One’s connection to home is about spiritual practice, identity, memory, and tribal history. Chief Joseph talks about how this land gave him his name; “I have many names, but Thunder Rolling in the Mountains is the name that binds me forever to this Land of Wandering Waters” (15). Similarly, Too-hul-hul-sote talks about how he sees the land of Wallowa as his mother—something precious, which brought him life and deserves deep respect and care. He says to the white men:

‘This earth is my mother. You tell me to live like the white man and plow the land. Shall I take a knife and tear my mother’s bosom? [ …] The Spirit Chief gave no man the right to tell another man where he must live and where he must die’ (24).

For the Nez Perce, home is not only a familiar space, but also the foundation upon which spiritual, social, and survival practices are built.

Ultimately, it is their connection to home which the Nez Perce lose when they are driven to the Lapwai reservation, or even further afield for those who refuse to convert to Christianity. In losing their home, they lose their community, their religion, and often their lives. Without a foundation, they are only shadows of their former selves. 

Power of Women and Gender Roles in Native American Culture

It is significant that this novel, about the devastation of the Nez Perce community comes from the perspective of a young woman. Sound of Running Feet is an emblem of power in the novel, and many other women share in her strength—O’Dell is clear in his admiration for women, their capabilities, and the way they hold communities together in times of violence, pain, and grief.

Sound of Running Feet establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with in the first chapters of the novel. First, she shoots the gold pan from the settler’s wife in retribution for his insulting behavior, then she says, “Unlike other girls in our village, I often talked back” (6), suggesting she is more of the exception than the rule in her tribe. Sound of Running Feet is a keen shot and a brave warrior woman; she also is capable of deep feeling and resilience. The root of that strength is clear in Springtime, her mother, who refuses to give birth to a baby far from her native land. She forces Chief Joseph to wait one night for her to birth Bending Willow before she will cross the stream that leads them to Lapwai. Springtime’s principles overcome the practicality of the move—she refuses to give up her generational connection to Wallowa for any white settler.

Sound of Running Feet endures immeasurable pain in the novel but refuses to give up her strength. In the throes of battle, she gives her only source of escape to a pregnant woman and child rather than flee herself. She leaves camp after her father surrenders, agreeing with Swan Necklace that it is “better we die together than trust ourselves to those who speak with two tongues” (109). She even survives the pain of losing Swan Necklace and being held prisoner, thanks in part to the kindness of Alighting Dove: “When I was ready to leave […] [s]he signed that she felt my grief. Her fingers were gentle and so were her eyes” (116). Even in moments of great pain and treachery, the powerful bond between women holds Sound of Running Feet together. The strength of women to feel empathy for one another is a central theme of the novel.

O’Dell’s choice to not only tell the story of the Nez Perce, but to reveal the story through the eyes of a young woman indicates that female perspective and strength is a central tenet of this narrative. However, the narrative makes it clear that the tribe considered women less capable than men. For example, Sound of Running Feet desires to take part in battle, but her tribe tells her it isn’t the place of a woman. When she sneaks into the enemy camp to witness her tribe’s covert operation, her tribe wrongly blames her for alerting the white settlers. Charging Hawk kills Swan Necklace for possession of Sound of Running Feet, suggesting Charging Hawk sees her as an object rather than a human with free will. Even Alighting Dove’s kindness conforms to gender roles, as she teaches Sound of Running Feet how to properly perform the female occupations of her tribe. 

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