Project 1 revision, week 6

The relationship between the setting and character development in the story Coyote Cooks His Daughter written by Jack Hicks is very important. Without both elements developing and moving along as these concepts do in most stories, the plot would not function the way it should. The setting in the story is the reasoning and motivation behind the protagonist who is the Father Coyote’s actions which influence his inner being.  The Literature of California book written by Jack Hicks discusses the Indian customs and beliefs that reflect the story of Coyote Cooks His Daughter. According to Jack Hicks, coyote stories were often told because of the broad appeal, shock and surprise they deliver to the reader. The relationship between a character and its setting can be both a good and bad bond until things took a turn for the worse in the story Coyote Cooks His Daughter. The setting and character in the story have a cause and effect relationship, the two devices depend on each other but it is when one does not function as it should or give the other device what it expects things do not work out.

The setting the coyotes are in where they depend on food being provided, characters actions, as well as underlying motives of the father coyote, result in a negative ending. Whilst reading the text a picture is being painted in the reader's mind of the environment and setting the coyotes lived in. Author Jack Hicks describes the setting as “ their brush house stood at the foot of mountains” and “ there was a lake there” ( Hicks 52). The environment they are in seems homely and peaceful. However, despite sounding like a nice place to live the resources of items to hunt and to eat were scarce and not enough to satisfy the Father Coyotes needs. Father Coyote is the protagonist in this story with the daughter being the antagonist. Generally speaking, the protagonist is seen as the hero or the ‘good guy’ in most stories but in the story, Coyote Cooks His Daughter the protagonist who is the Father Coyote acts quite the opposite. At first glance, the first page in the story reflects a quite loving, protective and providing father who is out to get food for his daughter. In addition, he takes his daughter along the way to teach her and bring back food to her mother which is most likely an idea many of us are familiar with and in support of. Then, Father Coyote’s personality and quality traits then take a turn for the worst when he then decides to kill his daughter turning into a selfish, evil, and untrustworthy person. Setting and characters interact throughout the story, due to the fact of the poor resources in the setting and environment they lived in which then caused the Father Coyote to act in the way he did.

The underlying motivation of the father's actions are selfish and self-consumed because the setting did not meet his needs, resulting in him murdering his daughter. On the occasion of  Father Coyote seeing nothing to kill for food so “grabbing his daughter, he hit her with a stick...and killed the daughter of his” (Hicks 53). The action of the father coyote killing his daughter shows where his true priorities were, he would rather feed himself and satisfy his selfish desires than be patient while relying and trusting on his setting to provide for himself and his family. While the setting is not a person and Father Coyote and different characters do not have the ability to communicate with their environments two people or animals would, it does not diminish their importance. The two elements in the story still have a very important relationship with each other and without them playing their roles their relationship would not function properly. There is evidence of their relationship not working for the better “ And Coyote saw nothing there” (Hicks 53).  The father coyote trusted and relied on the setting to provide for him and his family what he needs including animals to hunt, resources and food to find and gather. When the setting fails to provide to the fathers' needs that is when he then takes matters into his own hands which results in him killing his daughter. The father coyote has an underlying motivation to go out and provide for his family but when the setting lacks to provide just that. The father then fights with his inner thoughts and desires, failing to protect and provide to his family and ends up ending his daughter's life.

In addition, the setting has provided and reflects the cultural and underlying meaning behind the characters actions. The scarce setting of the environment the Father Coyote and his family live in resembles and reflects onto the fathers' emptiness of compassion in his heart. Therefore, there are characteristic changes in Father Coyote based on the circumstances of the setting. Father coyote seemed to be in good spirits when him in his daughter went out to find food, having the attitude of wanting to provide for his family and emphasis is added on his actions to do so “ he was jump-jump-jumping and he kept come-come-coming” (Hicks 52). Without knowing what was to then come considering he was in survival and providing mental state at one moment and then becomes selfish and in a dark mental state the other, reflects the current situation in his setting: “ Coyote saw nothing there” (Hicks 53). As soon as the father saw no food to eat his inner selfish thoughts become the best of him- rapidly consuming him, resulting in Coyote ending his daughter's life. The relationship between the setting and main character ended up not being a good one, in fact, one that was rather tragic. The father's actions reflected that of the emotions he was feeling towards the setting which did not end well for anyone.

The two elements that play a big role in the plot of the story the setting and main character have an interesting relationship and one that could have been much more positive. The Father Coyote relies on the setting for a few different reasons and once it fails to provide to the Coyote,  he does not accept that as an answer and takes matters into his own hands. Father Coyote’s actions in the story Coyote Cooks His Daughter by Jack Hicks mimic the feelings he has towards the setting and the current state of it. This relationship the two elements have is not in a good place. The setting and characters should work well and help each other they end up doing quite the opposite. The Father Coyote set out with his daughter to fulfill the main goal of finding food to provide for his family when things did not go the way he planned and his relationship with the setting did not work well his inner selfish being got the better of him resulting in him ending his daughter's life, which he paid for- death for death.

Hicks Jack, The Literature of California, Coyote Cooks his Daughter. 1945