Point of View

Little Big Man is written in first person, although there is one first person story within another. First, Ralph Fielding Snell tells his story about finding the story of Jack Crabb; then Jack Crabb tells his story. Because the two stories are told in first person, there are questions about their veracity. The reader naturally evaluates the reliability of each of the narrators, and the point of view increases the tension.

Setting

Little Big Man takes place throughout the Great Plains during a period of rapid expansion of settlement. The setting is absolutely critical to every aspect of the story. Ralph Snell tells the reader not to judge Jack too harshly because he is representative of the men of the era.

The central conflicts of the story are completely dependent on the setting as well. Without a rush of pioneers, there is no need for...