The Man to Send Rain Clouds: Contemporary Stories by American Indians

Louise is one of two women characters in the short story and the only one that has spoken lines of dialogue. Her devotion to her family is clear, however, as she cleans and dresses Teofilo for his burial. Though Louise plays only a small role in the short story, it is she who bridges the gap between Pueblo tradition and Christianity. She suggests that Leon go to the priest so that they can quench Teofilo’s thirst in the afterlife with holy water. That Louise may believe in both Christianity and Pueblo customs is not explicitly stated, however.

Teofilo is the family patriarch who dies unexpectedly. Though he is dead, Teofilo’s presence pervades the entire text. Found under the cottonwood tree, Teofilo is the only character who has a detailed physical description. Dressed in his “Levi jacket and pants [that] were faded light blue,” Teofilo embodies the contradictions of modern Pueblo life (1). Dedicated to traditional customs, “the new moccasins that Teofilo had made for the ceremonial dances in the summer” is put on his body for his burial (3). In this short text, Silko depicts Teofilo as wearing Levi jeans and jackets as well as traditional ceremonial moccasins. This bridging of the seeming past and present embodies the multiplicity of Indigeneity, the linking of tradition and modernity.

Father Paul is the town priest. He holds strong beliefs about his faith and treats everyone in town as a parishioner. Though Teofilo and Leon do not share his faith, Father Paul attempts to get them to come to church every Sunday. Father Paul is initially frustrated at Leon’s refusal to tell him about Teofilo’s death. He harbors some frustration and even distrust towards Leon for his different beliefs. Though he originally refuses, Father Paul eventually acquiesces and sprinkles holy water on Teofilo’s grave and learns to reconcile his faith with Pueblo customs.