Skeleton Man Setting & Symbolism

Skeleton Man Objects/Places

The Grand Canyon

The canyon is the location for the climactic action at the end of the novel.

Second Mesa

Billy Tuve's home is on the Second Mesa.

The Navajo Inn

A coffee shop where Joe Leaphorn and his cronies meet to recall the tale of the Skeleton Man.

Short Mountain

Shorty McGinnis runs the trading post at this desolate location.

The El Rancho Motel

The location of Billy Tuve's interrogation by Joanna Craig.

Diamonds

A case of diamonds was lost in a 1956 mid-air collision over the Grand Canyon. They become the focus of the various characters for different motives.

Snuff Tins

The old shaman who found the diamonds encases them in decorative snuff tins to build a

shrine in a hidden slot canyon within the Grand Canyon.

John Craig's Arm

The diamond case was cuffed to John Clarke's arm when the planes collided in 1956. DNA from the arm can prove that Clarke was Joanna Craig's father and help her claim her inheritance.

Entrenching Tool

Billy Tuve traded this Army...
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