Quotes

In the end, he had become what he had always been. An Indian. Not a particularly successful one at that. The cabin was hardly bigger than his office at the university. No electricity. No running water. A wood stove.

p. 262

This quote reflects Eli thinking about his life and identity after having returned to the reservation. Even though he went through a long period of being out of contact with his family, and tried to distance himself from his cultural identity, he has now come back to where he started from. This reflects the theme of circularity in the novel, and returning to the beginning over and over again.

The quote also suggests that even though Eli has tried to create a new identity for himself through his professional success, what is ultimately most important to him is his connection to his history. The quote makes it clear that the cabin is not very comfortable, and that it is a far cry from living in a large city, but Eli chooses to live there because it connects him to his past and his sense of who he truly is.