Chapter Twenty-three: The Cut People – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
On Loother’s birthday, Orvil mumbles a greeting and shuts himself in his room. Lony and Loother watch Donnie Darko when Loother accidentally nudges Lony’s arm, exposing the cuts Lony has been hiding. Lony has been cutting himself not for attention but as a spiritual practice: he learned that Cheyenne people were historically called “cut people” because they cut their arms in sacrifice. He buries the blood in the backyard, believing it can generate protective power. Opal discovers the cuts; Lony explains his reasons, and Opal cries while reassuring him they can help each other without bloodshed.
The next day Lony digs in the hole where he buried the blood, trying to feel connected to the earth and to a “ball of light” at his center. Loother finds him; they talk about Native youth suicide rates, and Lony promises to stop cutting. Jacquie joins them and discusses how she tricks herself into believing in her sobriety. Opal and Jacquie visit the pound and adopt a calm white dog for Lony, who names him Will the Dog (later Willy). The dog becomes Lony’s emotional support animal, improving his mood and helping the family through a peaceful Christmas trip to Truckee.
Orvil briefly returns to school, but then leaves the front door open, allowing Will to escape. The family searches frantically; later Lony also disappears briefly but returns with the dog. Opal grows exhausted when Orvil stops attending school; she lies to the school, saying she and Orvil are sick.
Key Events
- Lony’s cutting is discovered by Loother and then Opal.
- Lony explains his motive: Cheyenne history of sacrificial cutting.
- Opal comforts Lony and promises they will heal together.
- Lony digs in the backyard, trying to connect with the earth and his inner “ball of light.”
- Loother and Lony discuss Native suicide rates; Lony agrees to stop cutting.
- Opal and Jacquie adopt a dog for Lony from the pound.
- Lony names the dog Will; the dog becomes his emotional support companion.
- The family takes a holiday trip to Truckee and builds a snowman.
- Orvil returns to school but then disappears, leaving the door open; Will escapes.
- Lony disappears and returns with the dog late at night.
- Orvil stops attending school; Opal lies to cover for him.
Character Development
Lony reveals a deep, private spiritual practice rooted in Cheyenne tradition. His cutting is an attempt to generate protective power for his family, showing his immense guilt and sense of responsibility after Orvil’s shooting. By the chapter’s end, he bonds with Will the Dog and begins to trust in other forms of healing, though he remains secretive and uncertain.
Opal responds to Lony’s cutting with a mix of anger and tenderness. She acknowledges her own past hiding of pain and admits they all carry “impossible weight.” Her decision to get Lony a dog demonstrates her willingness to try nontraditional healing.
Jacquie shares her insight about “tricking yourself into believing” to maintain sobriety, echoing Lony’s need to believe in something bigger. She and Opal work together, showing a tentative bond despite their history.
Loother is initially shocked and speechless but later uses dark humor to cope. He challenges Lony about the cutting and the family’s dysfunction, yet he also participates in the snow-day magic, reflecting his desire for normalcy.
Orvil remains mostly absent, his relapse underscoring the family’s fragile progress. His disappearance and the dog’s escape symbolize the recurring chaos.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Cutting as Sacrifice – Lony’s self-harm is explicitly linked to Cheyenne history: the name “cut people” comes from ceremonial cutting. For Lony, it is a personal, secret ritual meant to exchange his blood for the earth’s help.
Blood and Earth – Lony buries his blood in a hole, hoping to plant power and belief. The act connects bodily sacrifice to the land, reflecting Indigenous relationships with the natural world.
The Therapy Dog – Will the Dog represents a safer, more sustainable form of support. Unlike cutting, which isolates Lony, the dog draws him out and helps the family share positive moments. Yet the dog’s escape mirrors the family’s instability.
Fire and Smoky Sky – A wildfire fills the sky with smoke, making the sun appear “doomed-looking pink.” This environmental destruction parallels the trauma-laden atmosphere of the household and the larger historical losses faced by Native communities.
The “Ball of Light” – Lony visualizes a spinning ball of light at his center, a source of potential power. This inner image contrasts with the external damage he inflicts on his body and symbolizes hope for internal transformation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Lony’s character, revealing a hidden spiritual life that reframes his cutting not as self-destruction but as misguided sacrifice. It also advances the family’s collective healing: Opal and Jacquie cooperate to get the dog, and the snow trip offers a rare respite. However, Orvil’s relapse and the dog’s escape show that recovery is nonlinear. The chapter introduces the historical concept of the “cut people,” tying personal trauma to centuries of Indigenous suffering and resilience.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Lony cut himself, and how does he justify it to Opal?
Lony cuts himself because he read that Cheyenne people were called “cut people” for cutting their arms in sacrifice to win favor with God. He believes burying the blood can generate spiritual power to protect his family from further tragedy, especially after Orvil's shooting.
2. How does the acquisition of Will the Dog reflect the family’s approach to healing?
Getting the dog is a practical, collective act of care that gives Lony a non-harmful outlet. The dog’s calm presence and Lony’s bond with it represent a shift away from secretive rituals toward open, relational healing. However, the dog’s escape later shows that this solution is not permanent.
3. What does the smoky, “doomed-looking” sky symbolize in the context of the chapter?
The wildfire smoke that turns the sun pink symbolizes the persistent threat of destruction and loss that hangs over the family. It also echoes the historical and ongoing traumas experienced by Native communities, making the chapter’s themes of sacrifice and survival resonate beyond the personal.