Character Analysis
Tayo's drinking buddies are a lot like him in many ways. They're all from the same place—Laguna, New Mexico—and they all went through a similar traumatic experience fighting in WWII. They all know what it's like to feel depressed, confused, and dismayed by their lack of status as Indian veterans after the war ends.
That's why they make the perfect foils to Tayo (see our discussion of this in the section on "Character Roles"). These guys have had pretty much the same experiences he has, and yet they react differently. They spend pretty much all their time drinking and rehashing the good old days when they were soldiers and could get attention from white women. Seems harmless enough, right? They don't get why Tayo feels so bitter and angry when they're at the bars together. Why can't he just lighten up and drink?
Problem is, we get the feeling that these men aren't just drinking to have fun. They're drinking to forget the pain and trauma of the war. Alcohol has become a kind of "medicine," and drinking has become a replacement for the more traditional rituals of Laguna storytelling. It causes them to become disconnected from their families and community, who try in vain to keep the young men out of trouble. Bar fights, abandoned sheep, and reckless drunk driving are only the beginning. Eventually their drinking habits have deadly consequences.