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
In the hearing, Senator Young begins and says that the state can’t take over the responsibilities of the federal government if the federal agreements were terminated. Instead of arguing against termination, the tribal committee has decided to buy time. Thomas describes the Turtle Mountain Reservation and states his strong opposition to the government plan before thanking the government for its efforts. Senator Watkins interrupts him. Patrice gives testimony about the jewel bearing plant. Senator Watkins ignores Patrice and addresses his questions to Thomas. Millie then testifies by reading her report about the economic conditions of the Turtle Mountain Reservation. After the hearing, with the support of Roderick, Thomas goes to Senator Watkins’s office to flatter him, hoping that might help their case. After, Thomas thinks that’s a sign of how bad things are, that he’s willing to forget about his dignity to try and butter up Watkins.
The delegation is strategic in its opposition to Watkins. Instead of arguing what they truly believe—that Watkins is motivated by racism and that the United States government is, again, attempting to steal their land—they try to delay and buy time. Notably, Watkins’s testimony from this chapter is taken verbatim from the actual Congressional transcripts, a decision that Erdrich makes, in part, to underline that the racism and injustice she is describing is not part of the fictional work she’s creating but is a very real part of United States history, which continues to this day.
Themes
