Dear Students,
Don't forget that blogging begins this week! Remember that you are responsible for two blog posts every week that are a minimum of two paragraphs long (about 8-10 sentences). Each post must be on a different reading that we have covered in class that week. You should not blog about the same reading twice unless you discuss it in conjunction with a new reading.
With that said, below are some prompts to get you thinking about the Louise Erdrich short stories should you need a boost of inspiration. Do not feel obligated to respond to one of these prompts. You are welcome to blog about any aspect of the reading that you wish, as your posts should represent your personal interpretations and opinions.
Louise Erdrich Prompts:
*In the story "Fleur" does the character Fleur Pillager really have magical or supernatural powers, or are her abilities the product of reservation gossip? Why might the members of the reservation attribute such abilities to Fleur?
*If a Chippewa cannot survive death by drowning, then how is Fleur able to escape death twice?
*Fleur is compared to an animal at multiple points throughout the story. Meditate on the significance of these descriptions.
*Compare and contrast the narrator of the story (Pauline) with Fleur.
*Why does the way that Fleur plays cards bother the men?
*Who is the father of Fleur's baby? Why are the members of the reservation so invested in discovering this information? Does it ultimately matter?
*Why is the reservation so invested in telling stories about Fleur? Why do the stories come up different every time?
*Discuss the multiple ways in which the characters in "Fleur" can be viewed as "outcasts."
*"Fleur" and "The Red Convertible" are both by Native American author Louise Erdrich. Compare these two stories. Do you notice any similar themes or issues that both share?
Happy blogging!
--JI
The story "Fleur", by Louise Erdrich was rather confusing upon a first glance. Fleur Pillager was a Chippewa woman believed to possess magical powers, and was the main topic of controversy among the villagers. She was thought to be cursed after the men who had saved her from drowning went missing, as well as George Many Women who later drowned in his bathtub. So naturally, I was convinced that this story was about a girl with "supernatural" powers who would curse the likes of men. However, after finishing the story, I believe that she was actually a normal girl that was given a false attire. Since a Chippewa cannot survive death by drowning and because she had cheated death twice, the villagers began to believe that she was different from everyone else. This would be where the story of the water monster Misshepeshu comes into play. The people from her reservation back in Lake Turcot were convinced that she was connected in some way to Misshepeshu that they in turn thought she was evil. They had demonstrated the term "scotoma", which means the mind sees what it chooses to see. The villagers had been blinded by this myth that they envisioned Fleur as some sort of an "animal."
ReplyDeleteFleur later gives birth to child at the end of the story. The child was described as having green eyes and copper skin, which was the same as the water monster Misshepeshu. Again, this I believe is a coincidence in contributing to her "animal" appearance. The people had seen her as a monster so therefore, they will continue to see her as a monster until proven otherwise. Still, the father of the child is unknown making my presumption less valid. However, it is possible that the father was one of the Native Americans from Lake Turcot, and she could have traveled to Argus in order to get away because perhaps the father was a bad man.
(David Roberts, Post 1)
The story of the "The Red Convertible" was a story about the strong relationship between two brothers. I found it interesting that something so simple as a car had brought Stephan and Marty together, but the war in Vietnam had altered their relationship. The change in Stephan's attitude is not unlike many soldiers who return home after serving active duty. Their perception of the world around them has changed. Stephan had become a shell of his former self, therefore suggesting that the childhood he once knew with his brother had been torn apart through war. However, Marty tried to change his brother by breaking apart the car and having him rebuild it. This was similar to the way Stephan had, in a sense, become broken. As he fixed the car, his image had slowly changed as well. The car and him were as one, and in the end both had perished. The car had belonged to Stephan and therefore, would go away with him.
ReplyDeleteThe red convertible was more than just a car, it was the bond that held the brothers relationship together. It was a representation of a care-free life, where they were able to travel as they pleased without a single worry. It allowed Marty and Stephan to connect on a better basis, that is until Stephan sets off for Vietnam. This tore apart the bond that they had built much like how Marty destroyed the car. It had been reduced to alomost nothing, almost to the point that it wouldn't work, which is similar to Stephan's personality throughout the story. He had to rebuild the life he once knew. However, once everything seemed alright, Stephan had jumped into the river forgetting about the dangers that were in store for him. This was similar in how he entered the war without a any sense of what was in the future. The only difference was that this time he did not return, but was rather swept away in the strong current. This last part of the story actually connects to "Fleur" in that the Chippewa cannot survive death by drowning.
(David Roberts, Post 2)
Thank you for your posts, Dave. Make sure to post each as an independent entry so that they are easier for everyone to view.
ReplyDelete