How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
As I turned back to the right, a sniper's bullet whined by my head. S***! I reached to touch the medicine bag in my pocket. It was there, safe, protecting me. (14.26)
In the midst of battle, Chester relies on the medicine bag—a traditional Navajo charm—for protection. The medicine bag represents the way Chester draws strength from the traditions and customs of his Navajo culture during the war.
Quote #8
My family agreed that if things continued as they were, the Japanese would eventually take me away. I needed a ceremony. They would put up an Enemy Way. (17.34)
Nothing better than an Enemy Way ceremony to get rid of those pesky war nightmares. This quotation suggests how Chester's Navajo culture helps him get over the trauma of the war.
Quote #9
We Navajos see ourselves as composed of two bodies, the physical and the spiritual. The two are inseparable, and life according to the Good Way requires that they be in sync, and that we be in sync with our world. (17.40)
Here, Chester explains to us the "Good Way," another pillar of Navajo belief. The Good Way, like the Right Way, emphasizes balance. This tells us just how important the idea of balance is in Navajo culture.