The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

The Marias Massacre features prominently throughout Jones’s novel, though only one of its central characters directly participates in the assault. Analyze how Jones chooses to portray a historical event. What perspectives does he use, and how do these perspectives support the novel’s themes?

Jones alludes to Blackfeet traditions and cultural values without explaining them, suggesting that his readers should enter the text with some knowledge of Blackfeet culture. How does this subvert traditional power structures in literature? How does his approach reflect his experience as an Indigenous American writer in the American literary landscape?

Good Stab blurs the lines between heroism and a flawed sense of morality. How does he both conform to and challenge the conventions of an anti-hero? What do his final appearances and actions in the novel highlight about the kind of hero he is?