Ishi: Last of His Tribe | Literary Qualities

Ishi: Last of His Tribe Literary Qualities

The simple formality of language, style, and tone in Ishi: Last of His Tribe complements the content of this understated but eloquent history. The serious and dignified tone reflects the tragedy of the extinction of a people's way of life.

Time is measured by the turns of the moon, the seasons, and the celebrations. Although suspense results from concerns for the group's safety and the outcome of the chase, the tension is slow-moving and dignified. Kroeber frequently uses short sentences to express tension and increase suspense, while using longer sentences to express the characters' deeper thoughts and feelings. Kroeber chooses the diction carefully to match the mood and tone of each event in the narrative, and the use of a third-person, limited omniscient point of view lends a personal quality to Ishi's story while maintaininga sense of objectivity.

Because the author's husband was a trusted friend...
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