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The Missionaries
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Night Watchman, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power, Solidarity, and Community Action
Oppression and Supposed Good Intentions
Humor and Pain
Sex, Violence, and Gender
Agency and Exploitation
Summary
Analysis
Thomas visits his father, Biboon, gives him a pinch of tobacco, and asks for the story of his name. His father says that in the beginning, the world was covered in water. The creator lined up the best divers, but when they dove, none could find the bottom. Finally, the creator landed on the muskrat, and when the muskrat dove, it came back up drowned but with a little bit of silt in its paw. From that, the creator made the whole earth.
The muskrat might not be the most valued or celebrated animal, but, according to the creation story that Biboon tells, its efforts were essential for the creation of the Earth. The novel as a whole follows an arc similar to that of the creation story. While Thomas might not hold a conspicuous position of power, his industry and ingenuity prove essential for combatting the threat posed by the Termination Bill, Arthur Watkins, and the United States government.
Themes
