ALMANAC OF THE DEAD

 

TCG'S Table-Outline of the Novel

                                

Last Updated: 6/15/08

Main Note to Almanac: I will be providing no extensive web notes to the novel, which may have tempted some of you to consider them as a viable substitute for actually reading the book. As for a briefer outline, there's little I could do that'd be more helpful than the MAP in the text (right after the Table of Contents), with locations, groups of characters, and even a good deal of historical background. As final encouragement, I've decided that both "Final" essay questions will involve the novel and ask you to demonstrate a reading knowledge thereof. What I will do by way of notes, I've decided, is create a table of "Tom's Themes"--that is, key motifs that strike me as especially important during my fourth time thru the novel (or is my seventh?), keyed to page numbers . . . and a table of "main" characters. . . .

ALMANAC--"Tom's Themes"
* "NATIVE THEMES" *
* Indian "Time"19-20, 24, 34, 35, 87, 136, 171-172, 177, 216, 224, 233, 247, 257-259, (311,) 313, 523, 570-571, 574-575, (581,)
593(-594,) 629
    . . . [The "Fifth World":] 31, 121, (567)
---Prophecy (incl. of the "End")35, (46,) 78, (88), 96, (115), 130, 135-137, 155-156, 164, (168,) 178, (233,) *235*, 246-247, 250-251, 257, (276,) 290,
[& oral tradition: 315-316], *316*, (323,) 326, 332, 339-340, 425-425, (430,) 468, 472, 476, 480-481, 503, 511, 532,
*570*, (574-)*575*-576, *578*, 581-582, 590, 606, 608, 617, 629, 631-632, 703, 709-712, 718, 721, 725, 735, 746,
(753,) 755, 758-760, *762-763*
---"North" & "South"31, 135, (178,) 216, 222, (237,) 246, (279,) 293, 326, 332, 336, (341,) 370-371, 419, 475, (484,) (492,) 506, 513,
(578,) 589-590, *592*, 608, 623, 667, (669,) (709-)710, 735-736, 738, 753, 756, 759, *763*
---The ALMANAC per se128-130, 134-137, 142, 172, (174-177,) 178, *245-253*, 452, 569-580, 584, 588, 592-595, 615, 756
* Serpents/Snakes21, *130-131*, 134-136, 138, (162,) (283,) 319, 321, 323, *340*, (368,) (377,) 417, 421-422, 429, 473, 519, 569,
573-575, (593,) 617, 620, *735*, 750, 757
---Great Stone Snake31, 35, 91-93, 95, *135* (Maah' shra-True-Ee), 416, 512, 519, 572, 576-577, 620, 702-703, 735, 742, *758-759*,
*761-*763*
    . . . and Damballah: 416-418, 422-424, 429, 732, 735, 742
* Macaws ("Spirit" ~) 
         		21, (127,) (257,) 269, (303,) (320,) 326, 332, 339, 468, 472, *475-476*, 481, (494,) 510-512, (578,) 589-590,
592, 692, 709-712, 719, (728,) 738, (740,) 760
* The "Living Dead" I
(Native Spirits)		(47,) (53,) 156-157, 190-191, 193-194, (199-200,) (204,) (215,) 217, 232, 235, 258, 316(-317,) (411,) 414, 416-420,
423-*424*-425, 428-429, *430*, 470-471, 475, (479,) 496, 502, 511-513(-514), 517-*518*, 520-521, (523,) (531,)
(573,) 581, 589-590, 593, 602-*603*-604, 606-607, 619-620, 623, 625-627, 632, 710-712, 717-720, 722-*723*-724,
731-737, 742, 746-747, 749, 757, 760-762
* Survival (& the "Land")202-203, (211,) 218, 222, 225, 234, 246-253, 474, 624, 651
* MIXED-BLOODS27, 40, 76, (88,) 117, 121, 221, 274, 290, (339,) 415-420, 420-423, 428, 472, (479,) 489, 529, 626, 742, 746-747
* "ANGLO THEMES" *
* Culture of Death (Anglo ~)26, 38, (49,) (50,) 52, 64, *101-109*, (138-139,) 161-162, 174, (187,) 302-305, 336, 342-346, 353, 386, (401,) 423, (424,)
425-426, (428,) *443-445*, 475, 478, 480, (521,) 533-535, 538, 546, (550,) (560,) 564, 571, (582,) 663, 711, 717-718,
734, 753, 759-760
---Drugs, Sex, and Violence(These are, of course, too rampant throughout the novel to even gloss; just be aware that Silko's seemingly obsessive
presentation of such "moral depravity"–including the degradation of women and misogyny/SEXISM [e.g., 102, 458]–is
aimed at portraying a "dying" Western culture.)
--- Uranium Mining =
Killing the Earth		34-35, ((68!?,)) 759-760, 762
---(Other) Affronts to the
Ecosystem		117, 121, 156, 159, 162, 189-190, (258,) 313, 375, 415, (491,) (518,) 523, (580,) 618, 625, *628*, 632, (650,) 651,
(652,) (656,) (661,) 683, (701,) 702, 718, 722-723, 728, (733,) 749, 762
---[BUT also:] Slams at
Deep Ecology & mainstream
environmentalism		377, 415, 683, *689-690*, 716, 725-730, 733-734, 737, 748, 750
---Aridity (vs. Water/Fertility)[see especially Guzman, Leah, Alegría] (23,) 27-28, 30, 36, 41, (49,) *63-65*, (116), *120*, 123, 174, (176), 190, 202,
213, 222, 237, (271,) (275,) (362,) *374-376*, 378, (379,) (395,) 410, 415, (472), 479-480, (485,) 488, (491,) (522,)
523, (551,) (572,) 574-*575-576*-577(-578), (580,) 581, (594,) 618, *619*, 632, 637, 650-652, 655-656, 658, 660-661,
663-664, 670, *672-678*, 718, (724,) 725, 734-736, 738, (740,) 749-750, 756, 758-760
---The "Living Dead" II
(Anglo Alienation--incl.
from the Land)		58, 64, 116-117, *120-123*, 215, 222, 224-225, 258, 301-305, *313*, 350-355, (374,) (377,) 378, (394,) (397,) 411,
416-417, 425, 436, 478, (488,) (496,) 511, (531,) (539,) (604,) 611, 628, 638, 677, *689*, (699,) 717-*718*(-719,)
(722,) 725, (733,) 734, 738, 750
---"Death-Eye Dog" (epoch)251-253, 257, 571-572(-573-574)
---Flying(?!)54-55, 100, 157-160, (208,) (349-350-)351, (462), 542(!), 564(!), (637)
    . . . and the steep "white marble staircase"?! (vs. the "jungle"): 267, 279-280, 284, 295, 297-300, (487)
    . . . and the various jabs at technology, especially Menardo's vest as the "magic of high technology" (503)
---"Light"(?!–& glass/gems)267, (268,) 279-280, 283-285, (295,) 297, 299, (318,) (320,) 371, (486-487,) (658,) 662, 665, (674,)
[gems:] *677-678*, (680,) 683, 686, 729-730, 748
* Racism28, (38-39,) 40, 43, 71, 75, 85, 115-117, 119-121, 169, 179, (182,) (200,) 203, 208, 211-212, 217, (222,) 225, 258, 264,
270, 274, 277-278, 283(-284,) 293, 323-324, 326-328, 337, (339,) 341, 357, (379,) (383,) 385, 387, *404-408*, 426-427,
431, 433-444, 448, 457, 461, 474-475, 483, 489, 495, 499-500, 505, (508,) 510, 515, 525-526, 529, 541, (543,) 545-549,
556, (559,) 561, 579, (609-610,) 621, 628, 630, (633,) 645, 650-651, (657,) 661, 666-667, (671-672,) (685,) 686, 690
703-704, 714, 729, 734, 737-738, 746, 753, (760)
---Cultural Theft(28,) 31-35, 89-93, 95, (128,) 133, (142,) (226,) 235, (314,) (626,) 716-717, 719
---Colonialism:
Land Theft/Slaughter		39-40, (56,) 74-75, 79-81, 88, 116-118, 128-130, 133, 135, 178, 190, 208, 213-*216*, 220-223, 229, 233-234, 236-237,
246-248, 251-252, (278,) 306, 312, 315, 324, 336, 415, 468, 475, 488, 502, (513,) (515,) 518(-519,) 526, *527-531*,
576-578, 607, 616, 623, 630-631, 643, 645, 702, (710-)711, *714-715*, 721-722, 725, 739, 742-746, 749
---Boarding Schools26, 87-88, 95, 121-122, 151, (182-183,) 234 (Carlisle!), 754
BORDERs (see also
"North & South")		133, (201), *216*-217, (220,) (237,) (245,) (261,) 357, (364,) 398-399, (433,) (436,) (454,) (457,) 461, (462,) (476,)
(494,) 513, 561, *591-592*, 598, 600, 619, (620,) 621, 623, 628, 636, (641,) (646-647,) (652,) 656, (662,) 663, 666-667,
670-671, 690, 692, 711, (716,) 732, 736-738, 740, (749,) 753, (755)
Class/Classism (& Marxism)267-271, (275,) 277-278, 285-286, 289-290, 295, 297(-298,) 306-307, 311-315, (320-321,) 323(-324,) (328,) 330, (332,)
341, 357, *393*, 398, 401, 407-408, 410-413, (415,) (423-424,) 426-427, 431, 434, 444-449, (454,) 461, 469-470,
481-483, 487, 489, 492-493, (495-496,) (499-)500, 504-505, (507,) 510, 513-514, 521, (523-524,) (526,) (530-531,)
534-536(-537,) 541-543, 548-549, 560, 564, 576, (585,) (589-)590, 592, 600-601, 608, (610-)611, 616-617, 623,
630-631, 637, 645, (646,) 648, (660-)661-664, 666-668, 671, 674, (676,) (678,) 684, 713-714, 728, 734, 737-738,
740-741, 747-749, 755

ALMANAC–"MAIN" CHARACTERS
Tucson & the Ranch
YOEME (& the Almanac) + Guzman -> mining engineer father & mother Amalia (also: Aunt Popa, Aunt Cucha, Uncle Ringo, Uncle Federico) -> twins: ZETA1 + LECHA2
    -> FERRO (& Jamey) -- PAULIE (& Dobermans) -- Jamey -- AWA GEE
(Seese's father ->) SEESE3 -> Monte4 . . . [the Stage Coach:] Cherie -- Tiny
STERLING -- [Laguna Pueblo:] The GREAT STONE SNAKE -- Hollywood movie crew -- Aunt Marie
California (& Columbia)
3ERIC -- 3,4DAVID (and his art dealer, G.) -- BEAUFREY -- SERLO (& "geneticist" grandfather)
2Alaska
the dogsled racer -- Rose (& the Army of the North) -- the old Yupik woman
Mexico: Chiapas & the Mountains
[the ALMANAC:] the four children & the old "crippled" woman . . . the 3 (or 4) Geronimos & Old Pancakes
MENARDO5 (& grandfather) -- Dr. Gris -- ILIANA -- 6ALEGRÍA7 (& boss: Portillo; travel agent Mario, & other "bus tour" passengers) -- TACHO/WACAH8
    -- 2 (SPIRIT) MACAWS
[5El Grupo:] the GOVERNOR -- GENERAL J. -- the (Tuxtla) POLICE CHIEF9 -- the FORMER AMBASSADOR -- the JUDGE -- their WIVES
    . . . 9Vico & the Argentine cameraman
7BARTOLOMEO -- [The People's Army:] ANGELITA/LA ESCAPÍA -- 8EL FEO (& the elder sisters)
(Miscellaneous)
[Africa:] Mama Marie . . . the BAREFOOT HOPI . . . WILSON WEASEL TAIL . . . the ECO-WARRIORS (incl. Green Vengeance) . . . the African (in Room 1212)
NOTES: The Barefoot Hopi bears resemblances to the well-known Hopi holy man Thomas Banyacya (1910-1999), a spokesperson for tribal prophecies similar
to those in Almanac; Wilson Weasel Tail seems based (in part) on Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933-), "Sioux" writer, lawyer, and outspoken critic of Western colonialism.

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TCG's Table-Outline to Almanac

Created: 6/15/08