38 pages • 1 hour read
Scott O'DellSing Down the Moon
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1970A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Sheep
Sing Down the Moon conveys the historical importance of sheepherding within Navajo culture by depicting Bright Morning’s enthusiasm for the animals. She explains that in her tribe, “sheep are owned mostly by the women,” and that possessing sheep gave a woman stature and pride (4). White Deer and Running Bird allude to this tradition early in the novel when they tease Bright Morning and suggest that Tall Boy is only interested in her “because [her] mother owned many sheep,” some of which her daughter would inherit (10). Bright Morning is excited about the prospect of receiving her own sheep, but not only because of their relevance for finding a husband; she realizes that owning her own sheep, or even the responsibility of watching over her mother’s sheep, would give her the opportunity to prove she has overcome the fear and immaturity she displayed the previous year.
As the novel’s plot progresses through Bright Morning’s temporary enslavement and then the forced captivity of the Navajo, sheep take on a new symbolic meaning. Separated from her homeland and the flocks, Bright Morning continues to think about them. Her beloved Tall Boy criticizes her for imagining that the sheep could still be alive in Canyon de Chelly. Nevertheless, Bright Morning holds fast to her belief: “some are still alive [...]. That is why I see them” (110). For her, believing the sheep are alive means believing that her culture can survive, and she is determined to prove herself right. Tall Boy ultimately agrees to escape and return with her to Canyon de Chelly, ostensibly because he is tired of her talking about the sheep. When they return to the canyon, they find that there are a few sheep surviving, including an ewe: “[h]er coat was thick and full of burrs. Beside her was a lamb, not more than a few days old” (23). The fragility of the sheep mirrors the precariousness of Bright Morning and Tall Boy’s existence as escapees. At the same time, they prove the strength of Bright Morning’s belief and their almost miraculous homecoming.
The Moon
The significance of the moon in Sing Down the Moon is referenced in the novel’s title. While the work never states what it means to sing down the moon, the moon is a frequent presence throughout the novel. There are many instances of traveling in Sing Down the Moon, including Bright Morning’s move to and from enslavement, the Long Walk, and Bright Morning and Tall Boy’s escape back home. Throughout these journeys, Bright Morning mentions the phases and light of the moon, particularly in connection to the risk of the characters’ travels. For instance, a “thin moon came up” as the Spaniards lead Bright Morning and Running Bird into enslavement; they travel at night in dim light to evade being discovered by Navajo warriors. Conversely, during her enslavement, Bright Morning vows, “When the next full moon came I would not be there to use” the clothing her señorita purchased for her because she would escape by the light of the moon (38). In instances like these, the moon symbolizes movement, both into danger and into freedom. When the moon is dim, Bright Morning is headed to danger, but the light of the full moon represents her return to freedom.
Later, the moon represents change as the Navajo march to Bosque Redondo on the Long Walk. As the landscape changes in New Mexico, “[a] new moon showed in the west and grew full and waned and still we moved on,” Bright Morning notes (97). The moon marks the passage of time on the Long Walk. When Tall Boy and Bright Morning arrive back in Canyon de Chelly after escaping the reservation, “[t]here was no moon but all the stars were out, shining on the water” (34). The lack of a moon, in this case, symbolizes how Bright Morning and Tall Boy no longer need be on the move; they are home.
Birds
Sheep are the most prominently featured animal in Sing Down the Moon, along with Bright Morning’s faithful black dog. However, references to birds appear throughout the novel, particularly in connection to ideas of freedom. For instance, early in the novel, Bright Morning tends to the flocks of sheep along with her friend Running Bird. Gazing out over the beautiful landscape of Canyon de Chelly, Bright morning takes note of an eagle “soaring overhead on a wind that did not blow here on the mesa” (18). Moments later, she hears a gunshot, which signals that the white soldiers arrived in the Navajo village to threaten the villagers. The eagle soars freely, belonging to a space that is above the land of the Navajo and untouched by the threat of the soldiers. In Bright Morning’s mind, it is an ideal of freedom,
Similarly, on another day watching over the sheep on the mesa, Bright Morning notes that “[j]ays were chattering in the aspen trees and two little red-tailed hawks came and hovered over the meadow” (24). These birds peacefully exist within nature, free to go about their lives undisturbed in their home. Immediately afterward, the Spaniards sneak up on Bright Morning and Running Bird, capturing the girls and selling them into slavery. The freedom of the birds stands in contrast to the loss of Bright Morning’s freedom through enslavement. Later, on her first night in the señorita’s home, an owl appears in a tree outside Bright Morning’s window with “the same sounds that the owls made at home. It was a good omen” (37). The owl is a sign that she will regain her freedom. The birds of Bright Morning’s homeland symbolize a life of independence and cultural dignity, suggesting that it is possible to forge such a life despite the challenges she and the other Navajo face.
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By Scott O'Dell
