The story of Chief Joseph is one of the most famous episodes in the history of the West. As in his earlier novels, O'Dell sees the whites as alien despoilers. The question arises whether O'Dell's descriptions of Indian life and the depiction of native American characters are perhaps too idealistic. How accurate is his portrayal? Is it influenced by the "noble savage" concept of the eighteenth century? Are the settlers overdrawn, since they are all morally corrupt? Do O'Dell's stories portray a historic period or a nostalgic memory?

How do they compare with other famous Westerns such as Cooper's Leather Stocking Tales and McMurtry'sLonesome Dove (1985)? A discussion of the settling of the West may also lead to larger issues such as the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.

1. There is a strong sense of fate in this last novel of Scott O'Dell. From the very beginning, Chief Joseph...