Purpose and Tone Exercise 5

Read each selection to determine the purpose and tone the writer conveys.

N. Scott Momaday--writer, artist, lecturer, educator--has made important contributions to American literature. For example, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, The House Made of Dawn. However, this silver-haired poet has contributed most, perhaps, to a discussion about respecting the language of those not in positions of power. Momaday's background is interesting: his father was a Kiowa Indian, and his mother descended from American pioneers. He lived on several Indian reservations while growing up, and he spoke and heard both English and Kiowa as a child. He is a man shaped by two languages and two cultures, two cultures that have been at odds as America has become a powerful nation. Understanding two languages and cultures, he has reminded us all of the sacredness of our language, the importance of stories. This wise man understands that the language we speak defines us and plays a role in creating our memories. It is through our stories that we preserve our heritage.