Edward Nappo’s Return Journey

The Power of the Dog (Thomas Savage Edition)

This flow traces a father and son’s attempt to revisit ancestral land and the conflicting acts of exclusion and welcome they encounter.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Promise to the Boy A Promise to the Boy from "The Power of the Dog". A Promise to the Boy Stories of Home Edward Nappo tells his son about the northern land where Edward’s father was chief.

A Promise to the Boy from "The Power of the Dog". A Promise to the Boy Stories of Home Edward Nappo tells his son about the northern land where Edward’s father was chief.

A Promise to the Boy Stories of Home Edward Nappo tells his son about the northern land where Edward’s father was chief. The stories offer the boy an inheritance of place that he has never experienced himself. A Journey Conditional on Hope When the family cow survives a hard winter, Edward decides that he and the boy will travel north. The promise carries memory across the distance imposed by forced relocation.

The Road North The Road North from "The Power of the Dog". The Road North A Difficult Passage Edward and his son walk beside an old horse and cart, carrying food, gloves, and a small amount of money.

The Road North from "The Power of the Dog". The Road North A Difficult Passage Edward and his son walk beside an old horse and cart, carrying food, gloves, and a small amount of money.

The Road North A Difficult Passage Edward and his son walk beside an old horse and cart, carrying food, gloves, and a small amount of money. The boy watches the unfamiliar country and imagines seeing his grandfather’s land. Memory Against Dispossession Edward’s descriptions keep ancestral landscapes alive, but the journey also exposes how thoroughly the family has been removed from them. Their destination is now controlled by others.

The Gatekeeper The Gatekeeper from "The Power of the Dog". The Gatekeeper A Closed Boundary Phil Burbank blocks Edward and the boy at the government gate.

The Gatekeeper from "The Power of the Dog". The Gatekeeper A Closed Boundary Phil Burbank blocks Edward and the boy at the government gate.

The Gatekeeper A Closed Boundary Phil Burbank blocks Edward and the boy at the government gate. Edward explains who his father was and asks to camp briefly, but Phil insists that they turn back. A Failed Bargain Edward offers beaded gloves, hoping to secure a short stay. Phil rejects the offer and refuses to recognize the family’s claim to the place they have traveled so far to see.

The Return with No Visit The Return with No Visit from "The Power of the Dog". The Return with No Visit A Defeated Journey Edward and his son turn the cart toward the reservation without reaching the ancestral grave.

The Return with No Visit from "The Power of the Dog". The Return with No Visit A Defeated Journey Edward and his son turn the cart toward the reservation without reaching the ancestral grave.

The Return with No Visit A Defeated Journey Edward and his son turn the cart toward the reservation without reaching the ancestral grave. Edward tries to console the boy by saying that they at least saw the mountains. A Lasting Injury The boy has watched a white rancher deny his father’s request. The episode adds a fresh personal wound to the history of dispossession that Edward’s stories had tried to soften.

Rose’s Invitation Rose’s Invitation from "The Power of the Dog". Rose’s Invitation A Different Welcome Rose sees the pair returning and runs after them.

Rose’s Invitation from "The Power of the Dog". Rose’s Invitation A Different Welcome Rose sees the pair returning and runs after them.

Rose’s Invitation A Different Welcome Rose sees the pair returning and runs after them. Learning that Edward is the son of the chief, she invites father and son to camp at the ranch. A Qualified Reversal George supports Rose’s invitation, giving them hospitality Phil had denied. Their welcome cannot undo the rejection, but it allows the boy to leave with an experience of recognition as well as humiliation.

Winter on the reservation

Early summer, before Peter arrives

The morning Phil meets the cart

Later that morning

That afternoon