Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Josiah, Old Man Ku'oosh, Old Betonie, the Night Swan, Ts'eh

Tayo has a series of mentors who help him along his journey. His uncle Josiah is a father figure and moral authority who teaches him important lessons about Native American culture. Old man Ku'oosh and old Betonie deepen this understanding and help Tayo see the real conflicts that confront Native Americans in a post-atomic world. The Night Swan and Ts'eh offer Tayo lessons from a particularly feminine perspective: their messages about racial change and the importance of memory are accompanied by sessions in the bedroom. Bow chicka bow wow.