

However, when they are sprinkled with scenes like the desert crossing they can revitalize the readers interest into the story. Historical fiction novels can sometimes be dry when compared to genres like fantasy, drama, romance, etc. This situation of amusement keeps the reader interested in the story and allows them to better connect to the main character. Instead of enlightening them of how they survived, they gave them the impression that they were just tougher.

Their white counterparts did not know of this and were baffled that the Navajo could survive without consuming hardly any water. In order to complete the task they would drink from the cactus to maintain their hydration.

His fellow Navajo grew up in the desert on the reservations therefore, they knew how to survive.

Him along with other trainees were given the task of crossing a desert with only one canteen of water. One clever moment of the novel was during Ned’s military training. They were normally scorned by the whites but, now they were admired by them.Īlthough this novel focuses more on the historian side of historical fiction, the fiction writer aspect demonstrates how Ned felt during this time period. This was a proud time for the Navajo Indians. Only native speaking Navajo could decode it quickly and efficiently. Whites could learn the Navajo language but, when they tried to interpret the code they often could not. This code was in fact so complicated that only Navajo Indians could understand it. They typically formed two person teams, one for relaying the messages and another for recording them. The Navajo code was crucial for the success of the United States military, especially in the Pacific during battles like Iwo Jima. This historical fiction novel is heavy with factual information, even though the character himself is fictional. However, his efforts soon would gain the respect of his non-Indian colleagues. At first he is stereotyped and treated like most Indians were treated during that time. He became the second group of Navajo to learn the secret code based on their language. He convinced a recruiter to enlist him while he was still in high school. Ned joined the military and the war effort at a very young age. He was also forbidden to speak Navajo but, knowing the language proved to be instrumental later on. He was often treated differently and unjustly compared to white students at non-reservation schools. Racism against the Navajo was obvious especially during his time at the school. He grew up on a Navajo reservation and attended a boarding school ran by whites. Code Talker is a novel narrated by a man named Ned Begay, describing the story behind the metals he received during World War II.
