Laughing Boy Summary
Oliver La Farge

Laughing Boy Summary

Laughing Boy is an idyllic account of the love and marriage of two Navajo Native Americans, Laughing Boy and Slim Girl. It is one of many novels depicting a romantic love that overcomes numerous obstacles, only to end with the heroine's early death. The novel is a memorable account of an ill-fated, but deep and poignant, romantic love.

In a larger sense, the book chronicles the cultural conflict of whites and Native Americans found in the areas where Native Americans remain a significant percentage of the population. It was perhaps the first novel to treat Native Americans not as villainous savages or idealized noble primitives, but as a people with their own mores, culture, and religion that can be appreciated even by outsiders. La Farge sought to celebrate a way of life that was passing out of existence, the life of Native Americans living on a reservation relatively...

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