Who is Little Elk and what was his life like? Why is he interested in keeping watch over Two Feathers? Why does he believe that he has been sent back to this area? What makes him decide that he should kill Pale Jump?

Who is Little Elk and what was his life like? Why is he interested in keeping watch over Two Feathers? Why does he believe that he has been sent back to this area? What makes him decide that he should kill Pale Jump?

Little Elk was from the Cherokee who fought the settlers taking the land for their own. He watched over Two Feathers at first because he had nothing better to do between visits to the animals. It seems that he fell in love with her as time went on and he realized Pale Jump was up to no good. When he realized that with tobacco he had the strength to both avenge himself and rid Two Feathers of Pale Jump, he did it. It was a full circle moment for both him and the others whose graves had been violated by white men.

Little Elk was one of the most interesting characters. The time and manner of his death left him without the achievements that he dreamed of. In killing Pale Jump, he not only rid the world of a bad person, but he was then able to leave the limbo in which he had been existing.

He was in between, left unsettled until he was able to somewhat resolve his lost life potential by acting to protect Two Feathers.

He was in limbo because he hadn't proved himself and was unfulfilled. He was sent there to protect Two and earn his manhood. When he had done both, he was free to join his family. He was my favorite character.

I think he was a member of the tribe that lived on the land where the park was later built. I think he watches over her because she is also an Indian and then he falls in love with her. He decides he has to kill Jack because of how he acted toward Two Feathers. He thinks he came back to kill whoever killed him at first.

He is the spirit of a Cherokee man who was killed in that area. He was there to protect Two Feathers and fell in love with her. He gets his energy from cigarette smoke. He sets out to kill Pale Jump( Jack) because of how Jack treated Two Feathers and the bear.

Little Elk was injured in a battle at the time he was becoming a man. He was injured and left under an oak tree. His people did not return for him and he died. He had a good afterlife except occasionally he was transported back to his death tree to linger. The first time he was transported back he was in the middle of a war. Soon Little Elk discovered he was able to smoke the tobacco left by the dead. Then he was able to lift a spoon. For some reason the tobacco was giving him powers. He decided he had been returned to the place he died as his murder had not been avenged. He was transported often and once saw the desecration of the Indian graves. He thought this was the reason he was sent back. The next time he came back there was the park and zoo. He did not like the noise so went to live in a cave with the bears who were in cages. He wanted to free the bears. One day he saw Two. He immediately started following her. He recognizes that she is a Cherokee and he wants to keep watch over her, especially since he sees an odd man watching her. Much later after her accident and watching the man stock her and knowing he killed the animals he kills Pale Jump.

Little Elk was a young Indian killed in a battle before he could make get a scalp or make a kill. He thought he was given a 2nd chance to avenge his death. He "fell in love" with Two Feathers and wanted to protect her. He knew that she was offended by Pale Jump and when Little Elk hunted the killer of the animals he was able to complete his mission and become a man.

Little Elk was an earthbound spirit who was trying to find his way back to his tribe and family. While earthbound he began watching Two, and realized that perhaps his spirit job was to watch over her and protect her from evil. He realized that Pale Jump was evil and would hurt Two so he was determined to rid the zoo of him. Once he completed this job, he would be able to return to his family. He was a wonderfully developed character.

Little Elk was essentially in what some religions consider limbo after he was left behind by his war party and died. No one ever came back for him. Quite by error, he discovers that he becomes less ethereal and gains strength through tobacco. Quite appropriate since white colonials were introduced to tobacco by Native Americans. Little Elk becomes spirit protector of Two and knows Jack Elder for the evil he was. To me, his manner of death was poetic justice. By gaining his strength through the tobacco and getting Elder’s scalp he can leave his place between two planes and go to all of his people in the afterlife.

Little Elk was an awesome character who really added depth to the novel. I definitely believe in spirits and that perhaps spirits can get "stuck" in a transitional space until they are truly ready for the after-life. I would've liked to learn what happened to Little Elk after the killing/scalping. Did he find peace? Transfer to another realm? Continue to watch over Two Feathers?