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Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris

            What would you do if you had poor vision and to become a man had to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow accurately? Hunting was important to his tribe and because of his poor vision; Sees Behind Trees is unable to use the bow and arrow accurately. The story evolves as Sees Behind Trees develops his unique gift of using his other senses of hearing, feeling and sense of smell to help him overcome what seems like a huge handicap in his life with his limited sight. The Michael Dorris novel Sees Behind Trees uses a simple story to convey a struggle with becoming of age and acceptance of death throughout the story. .
             Death is a word to frighten any person young or old, and this book approaches death subtly. The book seems to be an explanation for the beauty of death, but I don't remember reading that word once in the novel. Death is described in metaphors such as this one, "Where does a runner run when he has arrived at the only finish line he doesn't want to cross?" (Dorris 40). Sees Behind Trees shows how accepted Gray Fire deaths "Gray Fire was no longer with me, but in some ways he was. When I became discouraged, when I lost hope his words echoed in my memory"" (90). He learns that people die and it is apart of life, just because Gray Fire is gone he still has ways to remember him. Therefore, it shows a the land of water to be be a acceptance of death.
             The land of water is a major symbol in Sees Behind Trees because of its mystical wonder, and its connection with childhood and death. The boy Sees Behind Trees also regained his eyesight while he was there and Grey Fire no longer had a limb. Gray Fire describes the land of water as being "too beautiful" (40). He tells of the sky as "like the surface of a still pond," that "reflected back everything that was below" (38). The beauty of this land of water put Gray Fire into a trance. When Grey Fire originally found the land of water he was a child.


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