lot of power in their community and makes him arrogant. This arrogance comes from his strength and fighting prowess; they're what give him pride. However, he loses all of that as soon as he's paralyzed.

The paralysis happens as he's trying to rescue Bright Morning from slavery. He's successful, though after it's clear that he won't be able to fight anymore and he's relegated to the status of a woman in the tribe, she still decides to marry him. This is because it isn't his warrior strength that she loves—it's his heart and the devotion he has to the people he cares about.

After their marriage, Tall Boy learns to value those qualities in himself. Where at first he had trouble adapting to his new role, he finds new ways to be fulfilled. It tempers his haughty pride and makes him more open to others as well. Of course, it takes some time for this to occur. Tall Boy is very depressed about his injury at first. In the end, though, he still reveres the idea of a man as a warrior—since he makes a lance for his son.

Sing Down the Moon, tells the story of Bright Morning, a young Navajo girl living in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona in the mid-1860s. Early in the novel, we meet Tall Boy, who Bright Morning hopes to one day marry.

A pivotal moment happens in a battle with Spaniards when Tall Boy is shot and ends up losing the use of one arm. This disability relegates Tall Boy to the low social status of a woman because he is no longer able to perform the duties expected of a Navajo man as a hunter and warrior.

O’Dell is known for his strong female protagonists, and this novel is no exception. Despite how he is viewed in her culture, Bright Morning sees past Tall Boy’s physical limitations, and marries him anyway. She shows that she values who he is as a person and teaches him to also value those qualities in himself, showing that strength of character is more important than physical strength.