House Made of Dawn: 5. The Longhair, July 28 Summary & Analysis

The omniscient narrator offers a long, vivid description of the landscape. The narration follows the summertime activities of many native animals, including snakes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, and several species of birds. These animals are connected to the land, unlike the “alien and inferior” animals brought to the Americas by European colonists. The indigenous people of the land have a similar connection to it, having occupied the land for 25,000 years. The people are not eager for change, and even after Europeans forced new languages and religion upon them, the people retain their “essential way of life.” This commitment to the past is an act of resistance.

Abel walks through the canyon above the plain. He considers his return home a failure. He has not said what he wants to say to Francisco. Worse, Abel has lost his connection to his people’s language, robbing him of the ability to pray or sing with them. He finds some peace walking through the canyon, but he lacks the words to articulate its beauty or the beauty of his town. He wants to sing of this beauty, but he can’t.

Abel approaches the Benevides house. Inside, Angela waits for him. She hears him arrive and start chopping wood, and she listens to the rhythm of his work. Later, she walks to a bathhouse where an attendant gives her a mineral bath. Rejuvenated, Angela returns home and finds Abel on the front stoop. The sun has set, and the air seems colder than it should. Angela brings Abel inside for coffee. She expected to greet him with amusement, but she is only “grateful and chagrined.” She senses that Abel has an instinct for power and sex that she hovers around like a fire.

Angela asks Abel if he finds her beautiful. When he says no, she asks if he would like to have sex with her. He says yes, and the two have sex. Elsewhere, an old man rests after a long day of labor in the fields. His lame leg suggests the man is Francisco. Under the whispers and noises of the plants and wildlife, the old man hears the vibration of an evil presence. He is too old to fear this presence, and he responds only with sadness. The old man walks out of the cornfield, leaving behind the albino man, who watches him from a hidden spot behind the stalks.