Narrator

The narrator of "Happy Trails" is an unnamed male in his late forties. He writes about his uncle Hector's disappearance when he (the narrator) was seven years old. In the recent past, he and his mother had a funeral for his uncle forty years after his disappearance. The narrator is honest, witty, and cynical at times about life on the Coeur d'Alene reservation. In addition to his uncle, the narrator mourns many other family members who have passed from disease or ended up in prison. Through his exploration of his family's losses, the narrator showcases the many obstacles that Native Americans face after centuries of inherited pain and displacement by the American government. By the end of the story, the narrator expresses his determination to live, suggesting his desire to overcome the overwhelming adversity that other to which other members of his family have succumbed.

Uncle Hector

Uncle...