Devil Deer By Rudolfo Anaya
Summary, Exercise (Questions & Answers)
Major English Class 12
Devil Deer By Rudolfo Anaya
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Name: Rudolfo Anaya
Birth: October 30, 1937, Pastura, New Mexico, U.S.
Nationality: American
Died: June 28, 2020 (aged 82) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation: Novelist, poet, playwright, educator
He worked as a high school English teacher in the Albuquerque public school for five years (1963 -1968). He started his first novel "Bless Me" ultima in 1979 as a trilogy that included Heart of Aztlan and Tortuga. In 1992, he received the "PEN" West Center Fiction Award for his novel Albuquerque. In Addition, he wrote short stories, children's books, plays and poems in his life. He received many notable awards, such as the El Fuego Nuevo award, Excellence in Humanities award, etc.
ABOUT THE STORY
The devil deer by Rudolfo Anaya
The story "Devil Deer" by Rudolfo Anaya is a powerful short story about nature, tradition and the effects of modern life on nature. It was a 1992 story first published in Arellano Journal.
"Devil Deer" is about a hunter named Cruz and his experiences in a rural location. The story highlights the concept that changes in the environment and human actions can lead to extreme problems. It also highlights the major conflict between old traditions and new ways.
Once, Cruz killed a huge deer known to be the devil. After killing it, he got the idea that the deer had been poisoned and deformed by a sort of black magic, the radiation of the Los Alamos labs. The beautiful as well natural landscape had been poisoned as well. Due to this, he became fearful about the lives of the people of his village.
SETTING AND BACKGROUND
The devil deer by Rudolfo Anaya
The story "Devil Deer" takes place in the countryside of New Mexico. The people living there were quite close to nature and followed their old traditions. Most of the people of this village were farmers and hunters. They lived in harmony with the land and respected its cycles. This peaceful way of life was disturbed by a nearby uranium mine, which destroyed the environment and interrupted the natural balance.
MAIN CHARACTER
Cruz:
Cruz is the main character of the story. He was a seasoned hunter who respected old traditions. He struggled with the new modern world. Cruz was deeply connected to his heritage and the land. However, he had a hard time dealing with the changes that were caused by industrial growth and environmental damage in his place.
MAIN THEME
The devil deer by Rudolfo Anaya
The story "Devil Deer" by Rudolfo Anaya highlights the major themes of tradition, environmental degradation and also the consequences of human interference in ecology.
MAIN SUMMARY
The devil deer by Rudolfo Anaya
The story "Devil Deer" begins at the end of the winter season. It was the time when winter was ending and the hunting season was starting. Farmers had harvested their crops in the autumn. People were talking about hunting deer because it was deer hunting season.
Men started getting all their rifles ready for hunting. In the place, hunting deer was a long-standing tradition. For the people, it was a time to get good food for their families. Many women expected their men would come home with big, strong deer. The main character, Cruz, was also very excited about deer hunting season because he liked hearing various stories regarding deer from his neighbours.
Every young hunter in the village was worried because there were fewer deer. The population of deer was decreasing every year. Both Cruz and his friend Joe decided to go to "Black Ridge" where there were thick pine trees. The dark part of the Black Ridge was fenced in by the Los Alamos Laboratory.
There were rumours among people that it was very dangerous to hunt near Los Alamos Laboratory. It was because the area had electric fences and lab guards might arrest them.
Cruz planned to move to Black Ridge by himself when the season started because his friend Joe broke his leg a few days before the hunting. Joe suggested to Cruz that he should go with his cousin instead of going alone there. Cruz wanted to hunt a big deer for his family, so he started his hunting trip alone. He drove his truck to the Los Alamos Fence. He slept inside his truck without a fire and camped there for the night.
He woke up early in the morning. He began his trip with his leather bag, a lucky stone and a black bear. Then he remembered the dream that he had during the night: the bear was strangely deformed and warned him to go back, saying, "Not even the medicine of your grandfathers can help you here".
Cruz thought a lot about that dream. When he got out of the truck, he saw the forest glowing in the dark. He felt something strange there. The place seemed quite magical. He felt like something was dying in the forest, breathing in pain. It seemed like the mountain was losing its life. He felt uneasy and thought that he shouldn't have come there alone. But finally, he decided to continue his trip.
He ate breakfast (a beef sandwich and coffee). Later on, he checked his rifle and followed the road along the fence. Soon, he saw a deer standing inside the fence. When he looked at that dear, he felt the ground vibrating as if the whole ridge was moving.
He quietly approached the deer. He wanted to get a good shot. He became quite surprised to notice that the deer was following him. Things didn't look good for Cruz. He checked his leather bag and found his stone bear in a cracked state. Despite this, he shot that strange-looking deer. He led the deer near his truck and finally killed it. When he tried to cut its throat to drain the blood, he stopped because the deer was deformed.
He felt sick and started vomiting. He saw the deer's legs were twisted. Its tail was long like a donkey's tail. He wasn't happy about what he did but felt he didn't have any choice but to take it.
He started cursing himself for killing the deformed deer. He put the strange-looking deer in his truck and drove back to the village to show it to the elders. He got home at night. His friend Joe was the first person to see that deer. He and the other neighbours of his village were horrified by the sight of the deer. Soon, Cruz was taken inside. All the village elders took the deformed deer to burn it instead of eating it. They wanted to perform a ritual especially to cleanse the sin that Cruz committed by killing the deer near Los Alamos Laboratory.
EXERCISE [QUESTIONS & ANSWERS]
The devil deer by Rudolfo Anaya
Short Answer Questions
1. Why were the Pueblo people happy when deer season came?
Answer:
When deer season came, the Pueblo people were happy because hunting was a long-standing tradition for them. It was a time to gather food for their families. It was an opportunity for all the hunters to bring big, strong deer to their homes. This task was a source of pride and support for their community.
2. Who were Cruz and Joe? Where were they planning to go and why?
Answer:
Both Cruz and Joe were good friends. Cruz is the main character in the story. He is a seasoned hunter who has keen respect towards his old traditions. They were planning to go to hunt deer in the Black Ridge, a place with thick pine trees. This particular area was near the Los Alamos Laboratory. Both of them had a hope that the place would increase their chances of finding a big and strong deer to bring home.
3. Why was it difficult to hunt near the fence? Explain.
Answer:
It was difficult to hunt near the fence because it was dangerous area for hunting. The area around Los Alamos Laboratory had been fenced with electric wires, and guards used to patrol there. There was a risk for hunters that they could be arrested if they were caught near the lab's fence. It was quite a hazardous place to hunt animals there.
4. What happened when Cruz fired the rifle to kill the deer?
Answer:
When Cruz fired his rifle to kill the deer, he felt quite bad. After killing the deer, he found it quite strange. It was strangely deformed with twisted legs and a long ugly tail. This horrible condition of the deer made him feel sick with the feeling of regret. The deer’s strange and unnatural appearance bothered Cruz so much.
5. Describe the situation when Cruz reached home after hunting.
Answer:
When Cruz returned home after hunting, he showed the deformed deer to his friend Joe as well as other villagers. All of them were horrified to see that deformed deer with its twisted legs and unnatural appearance. The elders of the village decided to burn the deer immediately instead of eating it. They were terrified and supposed that the body of deer polluted the whole area. They did a cleansing ritual to make up for the wrongdoing that Cruz committed by hunting near Los Alamos.
6. What does the story say about ecology and human life?
Answer:
The story mainly emphasizes the negative impacts on nature due to human acts. Human acts like releasing nuclear radiation and industrial growth, has detrorioted the natural balance. The deformed deer presents the dangers of environmental damage and nuclear pollution. It points out how it upsets nature’s balance and even hurts both animals and human life.
7. In what sense was the deer devil? Or Justify the title of the story.
Answer:
The deer was the devil deer in the sense that it was quite strange in its appearance. Its deformities were caused by the unnatural, nuclear radioactive environment near Los Alamos Laboratory. The title presents how human acts, like releasing nuclear radiation, can create fearful or "devilish" effects in nature. Human acts not only ruin natural balance but even frightens who encounter it.
8. Who is the main character of the story? Draw the character sketch of him.
Answer:
The main character of the story is Cruz. He is a seasoned hunter who gives much value to his old tradition. He has a deep respect for the natural world. He is deeply rooted in his heritage and the land. He struggles much with the adverse effects of modernity, especially environmental degradation. His experience with the deformed deer causes his inner tension. He is ultimately haunted by the ecological degradation caused by human acts.
Long Answer Questions
1. Write a summary of the story.
Answer:
The Devil Deer is the story of a person named Cruz. He was a hunter in rural New Mexico. He was keenly looking forward to deer hunting season. Hunting deer was a valued tradition in his community. Despite getting warnings regarding the dangerous area near Los Alamos Laboratory, Cruz hunted there alone. He encountered a strange-looking deer. After shooting it, he discovered its deformities. He got the idea about its deformities due to radiation from the nearby Laboratory. He brought the dead deer back to his village. When the villagers saw it, they felt horrified. The elders decided to burn it in a ritual. The story highlights the major themes of tradition, environmental degradation and also the consequences of human interference in ecology.
2. Write a critical appreciation of the story.
Answer:
Rudolfo Anaya’s story "The Devil Deer" is quite a powerful story about the conflict between old traditions and modern changes. The story mainly highlights the problems that have affected the environment. It is set in rural New Mexico, a very beautiful natural place, which contrasts with the threats from the Los Alamos Laboratory nearby. Through the main character Cruz’s experience, the writer wants to present the concept of how industrial growth can harm nature and local communities in very unexpected ways. The deformed deer in the story is a fearful reminder of pollution, causing both fear and sadness among people. The writer's usage of magical touches and folk tales makes the story quite meaningful. The story encourages readers to contemplate how people relate to nature.
3. 'The story brings the terror and threat of nuclear contamination home.' Discuss.
Answer:
The story "The Devil Deer" shows the hidden threats of nuclear pollution by presenting how radiation affects wildlife. The deformities of the deer suggest that industrial activities can cause quiet, widespread harm for all. It can bring adverse effects on both nature and human health. The writer sets the story in a traditional, rural area especially to present how people who depend on the land are at risk. The story clearly explains that nuclear pollution doesn’t remain just inside the labs but spreads into daily lives, threatening the lives, culture and health of nearby people. It brings the threat of pollution "home."
Thanks for Visiting my Blog Website: Suraj Bhatt
Post a Comment