Kevin Diaz

Mrs. Camp
AP Lit
2/26/12
Indian Camp Style Questions
1.

Because of the narrators lack of opinionated expressions and any expressions at

all but only matter-of-fact statements when describing the scene and situation, it is
obvious that the narrator is indifferent to the scene or event. The narrator may be
describing the scene this way in conjunction to the attitude of one of the main
characters, a doctor, who possibly because of his experience with pain and suffering
is completely indifferent to the laboring woman's pain and nearly even to the
husband's suicide.

3. The setting emphasizes a natural more wild aspect to the story which in turn creates
a carnal and more primal setting.
5. The setting is especially significant with the characters within the story, not with the
native indian characters, but with the foreign and more civilized doctor, his assistant,
and his son. The special relation of the setting to the characters facilitates the
indifference for the doctor. Not only is he indifferent because of his experience but
also because he and Uncle George likely do not care for the Indians and are even

racist as seen in Uncle George's comment, "Damn squaw bitch!" The son is not
affected by the setting much because his innocence prevents him from feeling
indifference to suffering regardless of the race.
6. There is not anything in particular in the diction of the narrator that stands out or
actually has an affect on the mood of the story. The narrator gives good attention to
detail however which adds to the morbidness of the suicide and also the primal
nature of the village. He also makes a few expressions that almost add a satirical
sense to the indifference of the doctor, as if he treats his indifference with humor.
7. The verbs are extremely matter-of-factly. There are many being verbs and most of
the others just show very static or unimportant actions. The past tense of all the
verbs almost seems to say that the entire incident is in the past, a forgotten memory
of an insignificant incident.
8. The syntax remains very consistent throughout the entire short story, short
sentences, hardly any over two lines. This gives the entire situation a nostalgic
feeling to it and highlights the indifferent attitude that the author and doctor have
toward it.
14. The passage is introduced with quite a few paragraphs of narrative descriptions and
slowly fades into dialogue as the middle of the short story contains a mix of dialogue
and narration and as dialogue between the father and son wraps up the story. There

is also a theme of innocence for the son and a coming of innocence as he witnesses
the suicide. The focus on nature especially at the end of the story highlights the idea
that life will go on as usual, completely unaware of what happend in the "Indian
Camp" regardless of the man's suicide and the birth of the child.
16. The writer's style in this story, as I have said previously, is very plain but descriptive.
Ordinarily this would not be a very significant or noteworthy quality but the dull
diction and style greatly highlights the indifferent nature that is expressed through the
doctor and the theme which otherwise would have been more elusive.