Read the following excerpt from Leslie Marmon Silko's story "The Man to Send Rain Clouds." The priest stared down at his scuffed brown loafers and the worn hem of his cassock. "For a Christian
burial it was necessary."
His voice was distant, and Leon thought that his blue eyes looked tired.
"It's O. K., Father, we just want him to have plenty of water."
The priest sank down into the green chair and picked up a glossy missionary magazine. He turned the
colored pages full of lepers and pagans without looking at them.
"You know I can't do that, Leon. There should have been the Last Rites and a funeral Mass at the very
least."
Leon put on his green cap and pulled the flaps down over his ears. "It's getting late, Father. I've got to go."
Which of the following statements best describes the thematic significance of this dialogue?