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In Scott O'Dell's Sing Down the Moon, what did the character Tall Boy learn?

Sing Down the Moon, tells the story of Bright Morning, a young Navajo girl living in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona in the mid-1860s. Early in the novel, we meet Tall Boy, who Bright Morning hopes to one day marry.


A pivotal moment happens in a battle with Spaniards when Tall Boy is shot and ends up losing the use of one arm. This disability relegates Tall Boy to the low social status of a woman because he is no longer able to perform the duties expected of a Navajo man as a hunter and warrior.


O’Dell is known for his strong female protagonists, and this novel is no exception. Despite how he is viewed in her culture, Bright Morning sees past Tall Boy’s physical limitations, and marries him anyway. She shows that she values who he is as a person and teaches him to also value those qualities in himself, showing that strength of character is more important than physical strength. 

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