I Heard the Owl Call My Name

Are heroes always big muscles men who end up saving a damsel in distress? These may be what some people think of as heroes, but heroes are really those who are noted for their outstanding service to their community and their willingness to accept and help others with kindness. In the novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, by Margaret Craven, Mark is the hero who is noted for his interests in the Indians. Mark’s heroic qualities were shown through his activities to help and his understanding of the Indians and through his heroic death.

Mark tries to understand the Indians. This is significant because no one else in the past has tried to understand them. Many of his effort to try to know the Indians are through questions. When Chief Eddy, the chief of the Indian tribe, stops by to see Mark, Mark asks him about his language. “Chief Eddy,’ he said earnestly, ‘there is something I have been meaning to ask you. How do you pronounce the name of your tribe?’” (p. 40 4) Mark is curious about how they pronounce their n

ames and many others, which shows the interest of Mark. He starts understanding them by, first, learning how to pronounce their tribe name. During the ceremony, there were dancing and singing, and Mark and Jim watched. “Then came the Grouse Dance, brought to the tribe by marriage from River’s Inlet. When the elder introduced it, Jim translated his words…” (p. 69 1) Although Mark had not asked, Jim already knew that Mark was interested in what was said by the elder because of Mark’s known curiosity for the tribe. So, Jim translated to help Mark understand. Mark has also taken interest before he arrived in the tribe by reading books about the Indians. “… which in the books of anthropology is written Kwakiutl.” (p. 40 9) By studying books, he is exerting effort to understand the Indians. The Indians observed Mark’s efforts after the burial of weesa-bedó. “’Did you notice that at the graveside he left quietly and asked no questions?’ They all nodded. ‘He respected our customs.’” (p. 31 1) Mark’s studies and knowledge of the Indian’s customs taught him to know what to do in such situations so he does not disrespect the Indians. These efforts to try to understand the Indians made him a hero because he is one of very few who are willing to take interest in the Indians. His interest is an acceptance of others, which is what heroes are noted for.

Mark is not widely known as a hero, but he is a hero to the tribesmen in the village and to all those he has helped. And people like Peter and Marta will always remember his achievements and kindness in the village. In the novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, by Margaret Craven, Mark

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