Literary Techniques
Tony Hillerman's writing style shares similarities with Hemingway's, particularly in his minimal use of adjectives and adverbs, instead opting for robust nouns and verbs. Like Hemingway, Hillerman is a veteran of the European war, and his style was shaped by his 30-year career as a reporter and news editor, along with his years teaching journalism at the University of New Mexico. Consequently, his descriptions in Dance Hall of the Dead are rich and detailed, enhancing both the storyline and character development.
In keeping with his other works, Hillerman uses the breathtaking landscape of the American Southwest almost as a character in Dance Hall of the Dead. He portrays many Native American characters as being in tune with the land, such as when Joe Leaphorn uses his knowledge of deer migration to track George Bowlegs. Leaphorn anticipates that Bowlegs, like a fellow Navajo, will follow the deer as a food source. In contrast, the Golden Heece commune, made up of white individuals, lacked this connection with the land, damaging grazing areas and water sources. However, they learned from these mistakes, eventually achieving greater harmony with their environment and their Navajo neighbors. Notably, Dr. Reynolds desecrates the land by burying artifacts to "seed" an archaeological dig, driven by personal ambition.
Hillerman's detailed portrayal of Native American traditions, beliefs, and culture reflects what he described in a Writer's Digest interview (Jan. 2000) as a "priority": to "force the reader to attend a Native ceremony or get involved in the religious tradition to follow the plot." In Dance Hall of the Dead, the story centers around the Zuni people's Shalako ceremony. To solve the mystery alongside the detective, readers must grasp the legend and purpose of this Zuni ceremony to understand George Bowlegs' motivations, the Navajo youth Joe Leaphorn is pursuing. Leaphorn's comprehension of these Zuni beliefs guides him in tracking Bowlegs to a sacred lake and back to the Zuni village in time for the main ceremony.
Ideas for Group Discussions
In Dance Hall of the Dead, Hillerman explores the fundamental tension between personal aspirations and societal or cultural constraints, a theme prevalent in much of his work. He frequently depicts personal choices as flawed—or at least misguided—but generally permits cultures as varied as the Golden Fleece commune, the Navajo, the Zuni, and Anglo-American society to determine their own rules for living. Cultural differences, a constant source of friction in Hillerman's narratives, are resolved only through individual dedication and determination.
1. Hillerman often pairs his characters—two Federal officers are involved in the case, two Native American officers, two detailed commune members, two archaeologists, two murdered boys, and so on. Select any such pair and analyze the similarities and differences between the characters. What is the purpose behind Hillerman's use of character pairings?
2. Examine the overlapping law enforcement jurisdictions as depicted by Hillerman. Is this included just to enhance narrative realism, or is there a deeper message the author is conveying?
3. When Books on Tape released an audio version of this novel in 1994, they partly described it as concerning "the strange laws of the Zuni Indians." Is this a fitting description of the novel? Would Hillerman characterize the novel in this manner?
4. Hillerman blends elements from various detective fiction genres in Dance Hall of the Dead, such as ethnic fiction, hard-boiled detective fiction, and police procedural, among others. How should this novel be classified? Is classification necessary?
5. Throughout the novel, Leaphorn is searching for a Navajo boy he never truly finds. What does this suggest about the responsibilities of a Navajo policeman?
6. Describe Suzanne, a member of the Golden Fleece commune. Does Hillerman...
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depict her in a positive or negative light? What leads you to this conclusion?
7. What is Dr. Chester Reynolds' primary flaw? What commentary is Hillerman making about the human condition through this character?
8. George Bowlegs is never directly encountered by the reader, only through the perspectives of other characters. What does the reader learn about Bowlegs in this manner? Why might Hillerman choose to limit the reader's direct experience of this character?
Literary Precedents
Hillerman's novels are so intertwined with various traditional detective fiction sub-genres that categorizing them becomes nearly impossible. Ethnic detectives like Chee and Leaphorn have roots in early detective stories, such as Edgar Allan Poe's character, C. Auguste Dupin, a Frenchman residing in Paris, and Legrand, another key figure, who is a displaced Huguenot in South Carolina. As an ethnic detective author, Hillerman is akin to Australian writer Arthur Upfield, whose works featuring the half-Aborigine, half-Anglo character Napoleon Bonaparte seemingly influence some of Hillerman's writing. Bonaparte operates in relatively isolated regions, often even more sparsely populated than the "Big Reservation." Similarly, Chee and Leaphorn echo the frontier novels of James Fenimore Cooper and others, where protagonists navigate the clash between the cultures and values of civilization and the "wilderness." This theme is prevalent in much Western literature, like that of Louis L'Amour. This connection might be the strongest, as detective fiction often aligns with American Western traditions, and Hillerman’s stories are set in the American Southwest. Nevertheless, his work also incorporates elements of police procedurals, ethnography, hard-boiled detective tales, religious mysteries, and suspense novels or "thrillers."
Adaptations
In 1989, Audio Partners Publishing Corporation released a two-cassette edition of Dance Hall of the Dead, narrated by Michael Ansara. In 1994, Books on Tape, Incorporated produced a six-cassette version of Dance Hall of the Dead.
Bibliography
Bulow, Ernie. Talking Mysteries: A Conversation with Tony Hillerman. Gallup, N.Mex.: Southwestern Books, 1989.
Erisman, Fred. Tony Hillerman. Boise, Idaho: Boise State University Press, 1989.
Greenberg, Martin. The Tony Hillerman Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to His Life and Work. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
Hillerman, Tony. Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
Reilly, John M. Tony Hillerman: A Critical Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996.