The Night Watchman

The Night Watchman

by

Louise Erdrich

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Night Watchman makes teaching easy.

The Night Watchman: Thomas Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Thomas goes back to work at the jewel bearing plant. At the bottom of his timecards, he signs himself “the muskrat,” accompanied by a drawing of a muskrat. He’d been cleared after the stroke, but sometimes it still takes his brain a second to catch up. Occasionally he has trouble finding the right words. The battle with Arthur V. Watkins had been, he fears, “a battle that would cost him everything.”
After his battle against Arthur Watkins and his stroke, Thomas identifies even more closely with the muskrat—its hard work and the power that overlooked people (or animals) can have—that gave his family its name.
Themes
Power, Solidarity, and Community Action Theme Icon
Oppression and Supposed Good Intentions Theme Icon
Agency and Exploitation Theme Icon
Quotes