Chavez is the individual most out of place at the Olivares party. He inherited money, built a magnificent home, supported Padre Martinez, hates Americans because they fail to see the beauty of New Mexico, is jealous of Carson's fame as an Indian fighter, and has come to the party only out of honor for Dona Isabella. He prides himself on his Castilian heritage, which extends back to the year 1160. He is an expert with a pistol and bow and arrow. He is proud of his European heritage but is a representation of the evils incurred by the Spanish conquistadors during their occupation of the Southwest. He was not so much an Indian fighter as he was an Indian hunter, and he never failed to take what he wanted from Indians. The reader gets the impression that Chavez is a representation of European and white arrogance toward the Indian tribes.
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