Question

Read the following excerpt from Leslie Marmon Silko’s story "The Man to Send Rain Clouds."

His fingers were stiff, and it took him a long time to twist the lid off the holy water. Drops of water fell on the red blanket and soaked into dark icy spots. He sprinkled the grave and the water disappeared almost before it touched the dim, cold sand; it reminded him of something—he tried to remember what it was, because he thought if he could remember he might understand this. He sprinkled more water; he shook the container until it was empty, and the water fell through the light from sundown like August rain that fell while the sun was still shining, almost evaporating before it touched the wilted squash flowers.

Which statement best describes the significance of the holy water in this excerpt?
The priest hopes that the holy water will provide the Pueblo people with the water they need.
The Pueblo people embrace Christianity as the holy water is sprinkled on Teofilo’s grave.
The holy water becomes a symbol of Pueblo traditions and loses its significance as a Christian symbol.
The holy water is important to both the priest and Leon, but it is important for different reasons.

Answer 1

The holy water is important to both the priest and Leon, but it is important for different reasons.

Step-by-step explanation:

In The Man to Send Rain Clouds, we follow a story of Laguna Pueblo Native Americans which is based on a true story happened in New Mexico Indian Reservation. Ken and Leon find their grandpa Teofilo dead under the cottonwood tree while he was herding sheep. They begin preparing him for the grave under following customs of Laguna Tribe. They do not want to involve Father Paul from the Christian church. Later on, Louise, Leon`s wife, says that it should be good to include Father Paul who would sprinkle holy water onto the grave, in case Teofilo gets thirsty in the afterlife. At first Leon disagrees with this, as holy water is a part of Christianity, but then he thinks that would help Teofilo to send them rainy clouds which would end the dry period. Father Paul is not delighted with the idea of only sprinkling the holy water and not having the whole ceremony, but he accepts to do it. So, these two men - Leon and Father Paul both cherish the holy water, but for different reasons. Leon - he believes that Teofilo will send the rain. Father Paul - it is a part of sacred ceremonies that he practices and Christianity on the whole.