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By Joseph Bruchac
Story Murphy
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Joseph-Cornell
The Save by Joseph Bruchac
● In this short story, Oren, a young Native American boy who struggles with his
ethnicity partakes in a lacrosse game that changes his perspectives on
everything. He makes a game winning play that he thought was pure luck and
belittles himself.
● His grandfather tries to talk to him about it to motivate him, but what truly
motivated him was when he saved his grandfather from getting hit in the head
by something, proving that his reflexes aren’t just luck.
Theme Throughout The Save
● In the short story “The Save”, Joseph Bruchac expresses the idea of how
someone's thoughts can make it difficult to connect with one's culture, but
how with the help of experiences, that connection can be made. The author
expresses this through conflicts, symbolism, and characterization.
● As the theme develops, a better understanding of the relationships Native
Americans have with their culture forms. The development of the theme also
allows readers to become more aware of the adversities Native Americans
face, have faced, and will continue to face.
Cultural Background + Author Background
● There are many uses of symbolism in this short story but the ones that stick out the
most are the buffalo and the lacrosse stick.
● In the story, the buffalo represents Native American culture and the interactions
between the other boys and the buffalo show how others interact with the culture.
Another example of symbolism is the lacrosse stick and ball. The stick represents
his relationship with his culture while hime catching/saving the ball represents a
spark in the connection with his culture.
● This contributes to the overall theme and message of the story because it allows for
a deeper understanding of how many Native Americans feel about their culture by
using symbols that are significant to their culture, such as the buffalo.
Final Thoughts
● This short story covers many aspects of Native American culture that are
significant to understanding Native American people as well as their struggles,
their values, and how they overcome adversities.
● The significance of nature and spirituality was highlighted in this assignment
which created a broader understanding of the symbolisms shown in both this
story and those prior to it.
Nature-Connections
Works Cited!
Asher, Hugh. “Nature-Connection and Native Americans or First Nation People.” An Darach Forest Therapy, 25 Nov. 2022,
silvotherapy.co.uk/articles/nature-connection-native-americans.
Assmann, Cody. “How Native Americans Used the Buffalo.” Frontier Life, 4 June 2019,
www.frontierlife.net/blog/2019/5/25/how-native-americans-used-the-buffalo-jemmey-fletcher-extension.
Saulnier, Beth. “Joseph Bruchac ’64, BA ’65, Explores the Native American Experience.” Cornellians | Cornell University, 6 Jan. 2022,
alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/author-joseph-bruchac/.
Spars, Brandon. “Perspectives on Cultural Appropriation, Part 3: Joseph Bruchac.” Brandon Spars, 11 Nov. 2021,