House Made of Dawn

by

N. Scott Momaday

Martinez Character Analysis

Martinez is a violent Los Angeles policeman who targets the city’s Native American population. He extorts money from Ben and physically attacks Abel when he has no funds to give him. When Abel later tries to confront Martinez, the policeman beats Abel even more brutally, and Abel ends up in the hospital.
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Martinez Character Timeline in House Made of Dawn

The timeline below shows where the character Martinez appears in House Made of Dawn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
10. The Night Chanter, February 20
Home, Belonging, and Identity Theme Icon
Connection vs. Isolation Theme Icon
...to a bar popular with Indigenous people in the city. Sometimes a corrupt cop named Martinez visits the bar, and the owner bribes him to be amenable. Ben sees a friend... (full context)
Home, Belonging, and Identity Theme Icon
Connection vs. Isolation Theme Icon
...memory shifts to a night when he and Abel are returning from their usual bar. Martinez, the police officer, holds Ben and Abel up in an alley, taunting the two men... (full context)
11. The Dawn Runner, February 27
Home, Belonging, and Identity Theme Icon
Religion, Ceremony, and Tradition Theme Icon
...but a combination of the cold, his lack of funds, and the lingering pain from Martinez’s beating dissuaded Abel from continuing this habit. In between periods of unconsciousness, Francisco speaks and... (full context)