Fleur

While reading this story you notice the many descriptions of animals well I looked at this as coming from the cultural back round of the Narrator and also the characters. Many Native American cultures believe in "shape shifting" and also that each person has its own "totem" or spiritual guide which is a animal. I believe many of the animal type descriptions are just going off of these cultural beliefs. Having studied allot about Native American culture as a child I have a great appreciation for it and some understanding I believe. When it came to the men being so upset at Fleur for poker game I think we need to understand the role the man and woman play in this culture. Woman don't compete with men so for a woman to compete and actually win and would be a huge blow to the a mans pride. I'm not justifying just an observation. The other thing that also Caught my attention with this piece was what role the narrator played. Was she a stranger, a friend, a sibling? I don't quite know but being an older brother to me it came off as a younger sister wanting to be like her big sis but not wanting people to know that. The way she hid in her shadow and followed her just seemed like things I've seen my brothers do with me.


Having said I believe that Pauline was her little sister I pose these questions; If she was her sister how do you think seeing her big sister being hurt or worse by these men truly affected her? Was locking the door during the tornado Pauline's way of sticking up for her sister? Do we now look at Pauline as being evil like they did with Fleur she pretty much killed these men? She says "I am no longer the watcher" was this her way of being like her sister? I believe she was Fleurs little sister I think she became stronger from seeing what was happening to Fleur and I don't think she was evil but I believe she took a step that she thought would put her on the same level as her sister in every ones eyes if not higher.

Thomas Moss post 1