Sammy Tigertail deeply valued the Mark Knopfler guitar, but owning it also reminded him of its origins in a flashy casino, symbolizing greed and excess. The contrast between his appreciation for the instrument and its commercial backstory highlights his internal conflict with materialism and morality.
"As much as Sammy Tigertail cherished the Mark Knopfler guitar, embracing it made him think of the casino from whose garish walls it had been lifted. The great Osceola would not have allowed his people to put their name on such a monstrous palace of white greed; more likely he would have set a torch to it."