In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

Jimmy’s light hair and blue eyes are a motif that helps the novel explore The Journey of Personal Growth and Understanding. When the story begins, Jimmy’s physical appearance makes him self-conscious. Jimmy is three-quarters Lakota, but while the other Lakota children have dark hair and brown eyes, Jimmy has inherited the light hair and blue eyes of his white grandfather. These physical traits mark him as different and separate him from his peers. When other children like Corky and Jesse tease Jimmy for his hair and eye color, he feels like he doesn’t fit in as either a white person or a Lakota.

Jimmy’s personal growth during his time with Grandpa Nyles connects closely with his appearance. Grandpa Nyles inspires Jimmy with the fact that he shares his light hair color with the legendary hero Crazy Horse, who was even named Light Hair when he was a young man. Even though they live in different time periods, Jimmy and Crazy Horse’s similar appearance draws the two of them together, allowing the novel to focus on the parallels between their journeys from childhood into adulthood. Linked by hair color, Jimmy can take Crazy Horse as his role model and learn how to become a better person by following Crazy Horse’s example.