Point of View

Dance Hall of the Dead is narrated in the third-person omniscient style, but from the main character Joe Leaphorn's point of view. Because Lieutenant Leaphorn is a Navajo, and because the story focuses on the Native American lifestyle in modern day America, Leaphorn's point of view is more than merely his personal point of view. Leaphorn represents the Navajo point of view as well. Throughout the novel, Leaphorn reflects on the Navajo way. This reflection not only shows Leaphorn's cultural pride, but it also serves to educate the reader regarding the wisdom of the Navajo. Fundamentally, the Navajos believe that everything in nature, man included, is interdependent. A beetle does not move unless something causes it to move. The beetle's movement in turn causes some other animal to move as well.

The Navajo people believe there is a natural pattern in everything, including evil-doing. Leaphorn's ability...