Momaday varies the sentences in structure and length to distinguish between his own narrative, which includes childhood memories and historical details, and his grandmother’s story. He uses long sentences with several phrases when he provides historical details about the Kiowa tribe. Momaday seems to use long, winding sentences that mirror the extensive and unraveling history of his people: “They acquired Tai-me, the sacred Sun Dance doll, from that moment the object and symbol of their worship, and so shared in the divinity of the sun.”
Note how he uses short, to-the-point sentences when relating his grandmother’s story:
Eight children were there at play, seven sisters and their brother. Suddenly the boy was struck dumb; he trembled and began to run upon his hands and feet. His fingers became claws, and his body was covered with fur. Directly there was a bear where the boy had been. The sisters were terrified; they ran, and the bear after them.
The short sentences reflect how a storyteller would speak, which reinforces how the Kiowa shared their stories. Without the varying structure and length of the sentences, the reader would find it difficult to differentiate between Momaday's grandmother’s story and his own memories as well as historical facts.
