Love of Family

In "The Red Convertible" Marty is always talking about what he notices about his brother before and after war. When reading this work I obviously understood the love between the brothers of Marty and Stephan. At one point in the work Marty even says that it was always "Marty and Stephan." When both of them had lost their work/jobs is when they bonded the most which is what I feel makes them so close. When a person loses their job a lot of stress is obviously put on them and need to reach out to someone. The fact they both lost their work at the same time pretty much made it easier for them to bond with one another. The brothers not having jobs and still being yound made it so having the red convertible and driving around was nothing to worry about.
When the trip around the country was over with the Army took Stephan away. So Marty still believing that everything will almost be the same when Stephan comes back works on the car for Stephan to enjoy when he comes home seeing as how this is what the brothers enjoyed most with each other. While Stephan was gone Marty bought everyone a color tv to enjoy, but he realizes the problem that will arise when Stephan comes home. With everything weird or different Stephan does nobody says anything like you would expect in a normal family out of love. When Marty realizes how different Stephan is he goes to th extreme of destroying the convertible to get his attention. This is what finally brings back for the most part the brother Marty was used to. Through the love Marty had for his brother Stephan he even changed the tv to make it have a not so good picture so it didn't shock him as much as it first did. All in all Marty did what a good brother would do in my mind to protect/show his unchanged love of his brother Stephan who did change due to war.

Women's rights

I believe the story "Fleur" shows an example of how women's rights had evolved over time. The character Pauline is introduced when Fleur moves to the new town, at first she isn't even really noticed by any of the men while they are playing cards. Then when Fleur begins playing cards with the guys Pauline begins to follow in her shadow. As the story progresses and gets towards the end Pauline gets out of the shadow of Fleur and makes herself known to all of the men.

I feel like this is Louise Erdrich's way of showing the evolution of women's rights over time. To me it seems like the character Pauline is like your average woman in society and Fleur represents the one stand out woman who inspired everyone else to stand up for women's rights. It seems like Fleur really inspired Pauline to come out of the shadows and make herself known whereas before she wasn't even really known in the shop. This is one of the messages that i got out of the story "Fleur."

Anthony DiChristopher
blog 2

Built Strong with Two Question

Today I will be comparing the two stories, the “red convertible” and “Fleur.” The first things I will be comparing are the two characters of Fleur and Stephen. The character of Fleur is described as someone who is strong and described by people as a myth like creature. As one who “laid the heart of an owl on her tongue to see at night so she could hunt”. She is also in the story seen as a free spirited person. Stephen described “red convertible: is seen also a strong person and also in a mythical way as a mighty Indian Warrior, “build like a brick house” the writer says.

But in both these stories a question put in the reader’s mind is, what happened to them? With Fleur wonder if she was beaten or raped by the men or both. And Stephen makes us wonder what happened to him while he was in service. Did military service frighten him so much that he changed? Or did he see a comrade die? Was the image of war too much for him? We do not know, but both characters are changed by the unclear events. One thing I noticed was that the author liked to show that people who are put on a high pedestal in a larger than life image, while contrasting the vulnerabilities like you and me.

The Pig Pen Battle

In the story “Fleur” the men stalk Fleur in the shadows waiting for the moment of attack. We have some unanswered questions in exactly what happened that night. What did Lily and the others do to Fleur? Was she rape? Or just beaten and battered around? The author gives some hint to in the pig verse Lily Battle.

The author tells us one of the jobs associated with Fleur duties was in the pig pen area. The pig here, in Battle with Lily seems to symbolically represent Fleur. Fleur and here battle with the men, in which we have no direct knowledge of. Fleur was a strong woman as strong as the sow but in the end couldn’t make it. But not long after a tornado that only seem to have damage the farm takes its revenge on those poor souls with swift retribution for Fleur.

War trauma

The Red Convertible is a short story that develops in three periods: a description of the narrator's relationship with his brother, using the red convertible as a "catalyst", a description of how the war changed his brother, and the last trip Marty takes with Stephan. This arrangement allows more emphasis on details of the three parts. Before he left, Stephan was outgoing and in a great relationship with his younger brother, they had a close complicity and were doing everything together. The red convertible was the symbol of that as they worked on this car together, and had a beautiful road trip.

After he returned from the war, Stephan was traumatized by the war. he was detached, hypnotized (the TV episode shows it well). Out of spite, Marty destroys the symbol of their complicity. This triggers a reaction in Stephan who repairs the car, showing that he wants to reestablish his old relationship. I think at that point that Staphan understands he will never be able to return to his former self, he wants a last piece of fun with his brother and end it.

Romain Dahan Post 2

The Red Convertible

The short story "Red Convertible," by Louise Erdrich is a story about an Indian family who resides on a reservation. The narrator and his brother bought a red convertible and were able to travel around during the summer before having to return home to wish his brother off to fight in Vietnam. Before the war the brothers both shared a unique relationship, and what brought them closer was the red convertible. The Vietnam war had a profound effect on him when he returned home.

When the narrators brother returned home, he was a completely changed man, as if the world around him had changed so drastically and somehow he was left out. As he was trapped in a place that time had left untouched, and the world he once knew was ripped right out from underneath him. There was no turning back, everything had changed and the ability to get a grip on reality was far from reach. Which is the case for many veterans now.

Fleur Pillage was only a girl

The short story "Fleur", by Louise Erdrich describes the life of a young girl. The beginning of the story jumps right into the scene of fleurs' first drowning, and begins to unravel the mystery behind this young girl. How death is caused to those that save her from her own peril. The two men in the beginning of the story that saved her had in return lost themselves. The story continues by telling of fleurs' incidences with drowning and how those who saved her are internally doomed to their own fate.
I believe in this short story that fleur is understood, that the tragedy of the two men that originally saved her was internally blown to the extreme by accusing her of being some sort of mystical being, or being involved in "dark magic." It's funny how people have the tendency to domino effect anything into something it's not, making the story bigger and bigger than it really is. I believe that that is indeed the case to this story, that sometimes things are indeed coincidences and not supernatural. That sometimes things do happen for a reason, an some people are just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, isn't that how most urban legends being anyways?

Cali Simmons, Post 1

A Change of Events

In the short story, "The Red Convertible," by Louise Erdrich, two brothers were close at heart and then war separated them. Stephan and Marty bought a red convertible together, which bonded them after going on a road trip. Stephan later then left for war. I feel as if Marty lost a part of him when his brother left for about two years. The red convertible was a direct symbol of close brotherhood. They experienced many memories and events within the car.

When Stephan came back from war, Marty was disappointed on how much he changed. Stephan was not the same. Marty was so irritated one night he went and trashed the car. I feel as if he did this to get even with Stephan for leaving, and the emptiness that he was feeling. Stephan did not notice the car right away, and that upset Marty. The red convertible made the two brothers close and then separated them. Marty was very alone, and knew Stephan was a different person, and the car could not change that.

Not Accepted

In the short story, "Fleur" by Louise Erdrich, Fleur Pillager was not accepted for who she was. As a child she drowned in Lake Turcot, and was saved by two men. One man disappeared after her saving and the other died. When she was twenty, she drowned in the lake again, only this time no one found her. She washed ashore and George Many Women came upon her. Fleur hissed that he would take her place. Many Women was so scared he would not leave his house. From the way the story was told I believe that he died when he slipped in the tub. The men stayed away from Fleur, after people found out what was happening. I believe that it was a tale, this was in the Native American time period and many tales were told.

Fleur was driven off the reservation, after her second drowning. The other people suspected she changed into a different person/animal at night. They even found tracks that were human and then changed into a print with claws. They called her "evil." I think many people were jealous of her due to her looks, and they wanted to drive her away. It was told she was living on the lake she drowned in with a husband, and many thought she killed him also. The tale will be told from generation to generation, to send the message to young children to ensure them that the lake can be a dangerous place.

For the Love of a Brother

“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich is a very interesting story, where the red convertible plays a more important role that one might think. It starts out with the brothers buying the car pretty much on a whim. They see this awesome car with a for sale sign in the window, and they just happen to have all of their money on them. So they go in together to buy this car.

The car basically becomes a symbol of the brother’s relationship. They buy this car together, showing both of their efforts to keep their relationship strong. They take the car and go on a road trip that might be considered the best time of their lives, and both of them will remember that trip forever. When they come back, Stephan is sent off to war. Marty doesn’t drive the red convertible when his brother is away. Instead, he puts it up on cinder blocks, and works to fix it up. This shows Marty’s efforts to keep his relationship with his brother alive, even though they are so far apart.

By the time that Stephan comes home, the car is perfect, and waiting to be driven. But Stephan is a changed man. I think because Marty worked so hard to get the car in perfect running order that Marty might have been thinking that he and his brother would just pick up where they left off, because he worked so hard to keep the relationship alive, never mind the time, distance, and experiences that have separated them. But Stephan is a changed man. He will never be quite the same. War has the power to do that to people.

After a while, Marty cannot take this new brother he now has. Stephan doesn’t know how to act in regular situations anymore. He is grouchy, jumpy, and he can’t sit still anytime except when he is staring at the new color television. Marty expresses his frustration with the lack of a relationship with his brother by going outside and trashing the red convertible, maybe thinking that his relationship with his brother will never be the same. I also think that Marty might have been trying to get his brother to act, and not just prowl around like a caged lion all the time.

Marty’s bait worked. Stephan sees the car in such a destroyed state, his relationship with his brother in tatters, and he starts working on fixing the car, and at the same time, his relationship with his brother. He shows the initiative that he wants to still have a relationship with his brother, and he knows that they have always been happiest when they were out together in this car.

Once the car is again in working order, Stephan starts to make an actual effort with his brother. He suggests a trip out in the car. They head out to the river. I think that this trip gives the brothers relief from the tension that was hindering their relationship since Stephan got home. When Stephan jumped in the river, I think Marty knew exactly what Stephan was doing, but he does try to rescue Stephan, perhaps for more selfish reasons than for his brother. After he knows that Stephan is gone, Marty drives the car into the river. This shows that Stephan is taking their relationship with him, leaving Marty with only memories of the good times that they shared.

(Sarah Jaworowicz, Post 2)

Taking it with you.

Louise Erdrich's, "The Red Convertible" is an interesting story of two brothers relationship. It shows how something so simple, yet so complex such as war can change a man and how that change can affect those around him. Erdrich uses foreshadowing at the beginning of the piece by using Marty as the narrator and stating that Stephan took the car with him after he left. I felt that this was a good technique used by the author and a creative line to lead into the rest of the story. As a reader I was very unaware of what was going to happen in the story after Stephan left for war, but the one line had me thinking a million different possibilities, whether he was going to be killed in the line of duty and the memories that he had with his brother and the car would be taken too or even the possibility that he returned home and just took the car.

As I continued to read I started to pick up on the authors hints on how mentally unstable Stephan was after returning from war. I thought back to the line and I started to wonder if there was a possibility that Stephan may go out and drive very recklessly and die in an accident. However, when I got towards the end of the story I was very shocked, Stephan had started to come around and appear to be more relaxed and finally settling in so I figured the line at the begging had to be that Stephan got back on his feet and took the car and went off to find work and a new home. Then I got to the last paragraph and it all made sense. Stephan had committed suicide and although he didn't use the car directly I think that his brother felt that those memories and times he had with his brother and the car should not just stay with him, but go with his brother to a better place were he will one day meet up with the "old" Stephan and "The Red Convertible." (Shawn Parkhurst, 2)

The war never really ends

Having done two combat tours over seas this story hit close to home. The world is never quite the same once you've gone to war. Close relationships such as the one between Stephan and Marty are even changed by war. The story starts out telling stories of the brothers past seemingly happy stories then Stephan goes off to war. When he comes back it seems the war hasn't quite ended inside his mind. He battles with new technology and the closeness with his brother. Nothings the same to him his war hasn't really ended he seems to still be fighting in his mind. Which is very similar to what I think many vets go through. Today we call it PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. It took a fight with his brother and a car to bring him back to the real world back home. However I think it also brought the on sought of an unbelievable realization of what he has been through and possibly the guilt of what he has done. I wonder maybe the guilt was to much maybe he knew what would happen when he went into the lake. Did Stephan commit suicide? Maybe the happiness at the end was because he knew what he had to do to get rid of the guilt.

My experiences I think gave me some what of an understanding of what Stephan must have been going through. Even though he left the battle doesn't mean it was over for him maybe death was the only way for him to end his war. I feel a connection to this story, but I wasn't quite a fan of the writing. I felt the author was over descriptive and at some points it took me out of the moment. I felt sometimes it was to much like when Marty describes what the car looked like after he trashed it. I felt it just was over the top and to descriptive it didn't give me the chance to use my imagination.

Thomas Moss post 2

Fleur's Magical Powers

In the story “Fleur”, by Louise Erdrich, the main character, Fleur, is believed to have some sort of magical powers by her tribe members. They become suspicious of her when she survives drowning twice, and by the fact that the men who helped her both times die. The tribe members began to speculate as to why she has survived drowning twice, when, because she is Chippewa, she shouldn’t have survived the first.

I don’t believe that Fleur actually has any magical powers. I think that Fleur made the other tribe members nervous, and they started to tell of her “powers” and possible relationship with the water man, Misshepeshu, to warn others, possibly the younger members, of how “dangerous” she is. Fleur doesn’t act like the other members at all. She is “strong and daring”, just the type Misshepeshu is attracted to. Fleur also disrespected her elders by laughing at their at their advice, she dressed like a man, dabbled in half-forgotten medicine, and “studied ways we shouldn’t talk about”, which is not at all how a young woman should be acting. The other tribe members wanted to make a kind of example out of this girl, encouraging others to stay away and never to act like her.

I believe the way that Erdrich wrote this section of the story lends itself to the theory that the tribe members are making up stories of Fleur having powers. The section involving Misshepeshu reads like a compilation of warning tales mothers would tell their daughters. The fact that Erdrich lists all of the different things that he is, what he is made of, and what he will do to seduce a young girl suggests several different versions of the same story to me. These mothers are warning their daughters to not be like Fleur in order to not attract the attentions of the water man.

The same is true of the section that describes Fleur. Erdrich lists all of Fleur’s negative qualities and actions quickly, with several different examples in one sentence, which makes it read like it was several different versions being exaggerated with each telling. She starts off with the unsavory things that Fleur has done, like laughing at the elders’ advice, and then goes on to say that she carries a child’s finger around in her pocket, wears powdered unborn rabbits around her neck, and goes hunting at night, but in a non-human body. The stories get more and more far-fetched as it goes on, much like a “big fish” story does with each telling.

(Sarah Jaworowicz, Post 1)

The Effects of War...

When I started reading about the trips that Marty and Stephen were taking together it showed me how strong their relationship was and the fun they had together. The fact that they could go to so many places together and not get sick of each other. You really got to know the real Stephen. The Stephen that Marty loved and loved spending time with. They had so much fun together, especially when Susy let down her hair and Stephen was pretending he had long, beautiful hair. After reading this, its hard to understand what had changed Stephen so drastically. The war definitely changed Stephen and the boys' relationship.

You never really get to understand exactly what happened in Vietnam that had changed Stephen so much. Whether it was a fellow marine who was killed or even if it was a innocent civilian that was killed. Unfortuneatly, whatever it may have been it was what had really ruined a lot in Stephen's life. He not only became very anxious and nervous but also his comical side was killed. They no longer had fun. Even when they took that last trip to the river, Marty mentions how they didn't laugh or even joke on the war there but Stephen did look more peaceful. This story was really sad in the essence of how Stephen really did actually "die" after the war. He was alive but dead inside. At the river, even though, he felt peaceful on the ride he never really felt alive. Although, before he jumped into the river, he became "alive." His brother kind of woke him up from where he was and he turned back into himself.

The Red Convertable

One thing that i really took out of this story is that the red convertible was much more than just a car to these two brothers. I feel like the car brought a strong bond between the two brothers in the beginning of the story. They both pitch in and buy the car and go on a road trip to various states throughout the whole summer. When Stephan leaves for the Army he gives the car to Marty. When Stephan comes back from war about two years later he is a very changed person. Marty sees this change as a bad thing as well as the rest of the family. I believe that the car being destroyed by Marty really is what brought the two brothers back to being so close.
Stephan begins vigorously trying to fix the car and in the end he is successful and makes the car look as good as new. When this happens I think Stephan's mood really changed and it helped him go back to his past and go back to being his normal self and the great friendship between him and his brother is restored. Stephan is now a much more calm person than he had been since he came home from the war. Once again the two brothers go on a road trip to a river. They get into a fight here over the car, I feel they got into a fight because Marty still wanted Stephan to have the car because that was the reason he went back to his normal self but Stephan wanted Marty to have the car at the same time. After this Stephan jumps into the river and drowns. Marty then puts the car in gear and lets it fall into the river. I believe that this has a very strong sentimental meaning. I think that it meant that Marty seen how happy the car made Stephan and he wanted him to be happy where he rested in his afterlife so he was sort of giving the car to Stephan. The reason i believe he did this was so that he could feel that him and his brother still had the very strong bond that this car both brought to them and was restored between them after the car was fixed even after Stephan had passed away.

Anthony DiChristopher
Blog 1

Red Convertable

This story made more sense to me than "Fleur" various ways. Looking in depth to the story, there is different themes to the story such as friendship and loyalty that I observed. After Stephan came home from the army, Marty was there to greet him with open arms, but it was obvious that Stephan had changed. It still didn't change the way Marty felt about him. He tried to get Stephan to remember the gold old days where they use to laugh and have unforgettable times together which shows a great sense of friendship and loyalty to Stephan because he never gave up on him. Stephan eventually came around a little and became more outgoing and speaking more which was a good sign in their friendship because it wasn't completely lost. Being away from a friend for a few years is really tough, but to maintain that frienship when they are reunited shows how strong their friendship really is.

The red convertible was something that Marty and Stephan both owned. It was a part of them that they shared. I believe it was a bond that brought them closer together from the beginning of the story right to the very end. They had a great summer with it and when Stephan came home from the army it was what got them to become close again. After Marty had basically destroyed the car, Stephan liked it so much that he fixed it and wanted to take it out for a spin. It was then when they got into a fight and then laughed about it and drank beers like they use to. Soon after though Stephan decided to jump into the river where the current was strong and high and drifted away. Marty realizing this decides to drive the convertible in the river as well which symbolizes that they may not be together anymore, but they will always have the convertible that brought them together, that their friendship is still there, which is why marty drove it into the river as well. (Mason Post2)

Suggestion For Blog Post Titles

Hi everyone,

I notice that many of you have simply been using your names as the titles of your blog posts. I think it would be far more useful/interesting if you titled your posts in relation to the topics you are blogging about each week.

Remember that the blog is a place for you to be creative and to practice your reading and writing skills in a more relaxed setting, so feel free to experiment and come up with fun, creative titles for your posts.

Best,
--JI

Kevin

After reading "Fluer" I was a bit confused at the beginning with Fluer surviving both drowning accidents. This made me think that she was witch because instead of her dying the people who helped her died instead. When Pauline mentioned the water man it also brought a new idea to my mind that instead of her being a witch he could have had some kind of spell put on her that made her only his. He possible could have put some kind of spell or curse that if another man helped her or hurt her bad things would happen to them in turn and in turn would keep them away from her. This could be why she kept going to the water to drown herself because she could not swim to get away from the water man. The fact that because of the men being killed on the reservation due to her also the stories people said about her probably helped with making her move off of the reservation. Even though she moved to Argus the spell or curse did not go away or wear off in my mind atleast. When the men lost the poker game no matter what they did to her, whether it be beat her or raped her the curse came back and ruined the meat store they had with a tornado.
When it comes to dealing with Pauline and how she followed Fluer around it gave me mixed signals of Pauline seeing her as a role model, being afraid of her, and also being like everyone else and telling her own story. After our discussion on this topic on Wednesday though it made me see Pauline view Fluer as a role model and an older sister a little bit. I thought this because when Fluer needed change to play poker with the guys Fluer asked Pauline for hers and like an older sister would do she gave Pauline the money back and also gave her 5 times as much back. Another thing I noticed was that even though others in class thought that she was going back and forth telling people stories about her after everything had happened I don't think she did. The reason I believe this is because even though she started to become more of her own character as the story went along I think that at the end she went back to being what she was before Fluer, which was just being in the midst of things just nobody paid attention to her, and she was just listening to the different stories people continued to say about her. Pauline was the only one to visit Fluer after she had her baby, which I believe to be from the night she won the poker game and Lily and all the men beating her and what I believe to have happened was her being raped.
1

Of Native American legends

When reading the story Fleur, one thing that struck me is that some passages were written almost as legends or mythology: especially when dealing with Misshepeshu. It also strucks me how precise the legend is compared with what happens, the ressemblence between the water man and the child in the end. It is almost as if the legend was based on the story; however the last two paragraphs, when the narrator states "Power travels in the blood line, handed out before birth", it appears to me that this may have had a previous occurence, which was the origin of the legend.

The story never makes it clear if Fleur does have supernatural "powers" or if she just happens to be "lucky". the first page tells us of the two "drownings" and the ensuing curse, implying that it involved supernatural abilities, especially for the second one. The "voice" of the storm is more like an interpretation by Pauline; it seems to me that she wanted to take revenge on the men, and that she felt guilty for not helping Fleur, she convinced herself that Fleur was talking to her through the storm. A detail that caught my attention is that you don't know what happened to Fleur after the event in the barn. this may lead to think that she is the storm, if one was enclined to believe in her supernatural power.

Romain Dahan, Post 1

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

The story of "The Red Convertible" was a story about the strong relationship between two brothers. I found it interesting that something as 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 essentially 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 the car and having Stephan rebuild it. This was similar to the way Stephan had in a sense become broken. As he fixed the car, his image had slowly pulled together 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.

The 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, which 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 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 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)

The story "Fleur", by Louise Erdrich was rather confusing upon 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 that 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."

Fleur later gives birth to a 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 assumption 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)

Shawn

After reading the short story "Fleur," by Louise Erdrich my assumptions of Native American culture were reconfirmed. I always believed that Native Americans believed in rather crazy or insane stories of people that were part human, part creature, possessed supernatural powers or even that certain things in nature displayed a certain message. In the story Erdrich showcases the young woman Fleur as possibly having supernatural powers, which is why she is able to escape the inevitable death from drowning not only once, but twice in her life. Not only does Fleur display the ability to escape the lake twice, but she has a remarkable ability to play cards against men and win consistently every night. The story also refers to a time when villagers followed her footprints at night in the snow and watched where they saw the prints turn from human to those with claws referring to either a bear or a wolf. It is my personal belief that Fleur doesn't actually possess any supernatural powers or hold the ability to transform into an animal. I feel that the statements are more of a metaphor or connection to try and explain Fleur's behavior.

I believe that the story is actually displaying more of a rebellious young woman than a monster. Fleur is avoiding Native American traditional culture and trying to break the rules. Personally I think that the others on the reservation are more in touch with traditional beliefs and are making Fleur out to be more of a wild monster because of her actions and behavior. They refer to her as being a creature or an animal yet I think that is just a way of explaining her "wild" behavior, such as, playing poker with the men and going back to the lake for a second time after almost dying the first time. Another reference is when the people on the reservation talk about her killing the men around her, I think this could be related to the fact that Fleur may be killing the men more with her beauty, actions, and rebellious attitude from traditions. Although this is a very different story from the first two that we have read I feel that there are similarities or connections between them, one being the main character is sort of an outsider from traditional norms. (Shawn Parkhurst, 1)

Mason

When I was reading this story, it almost seemed like Fleur was an animal to begin with. The author was describing different characteristics of Fleur that made it seem like she was a creature such as her having sharp hooves and a tail. Then reading more into the story I believed that the people that she was playing cards with were also creatures. I came up with the conclusion that she did have some supernatural powers because in some parts of the story it seemed like she was a real woman like the green dress she was wearing and in other parts of the story she was being decribed as an animal such as her having broad shoulders and her legs being bare, having wide and flat cheeks, and also her braids being thick like animals. This could be the fact that she was an animal. I also think that during the day they are all humans such as Lily and Dutch because of them playing cards, but as soon as nightfall hits, I think that they turn into creatures. When the author said that Lily took her foot long face and scraped her snout, it just seems like at that point that they were two animals that were getting into a fight. (Mason Roessler Post 1)


The way that Fleur plays cards bothers the men in a few ways. Since women didn't usually play cards with men in the first place, it was a bit of a surprise. The men soon found out that Fleur couldn't bluff but that was okay because she still drew in a decent load of money. When they played poker, she would always end up winning exactly a dollar each time. That wasn't what really bothered the men so much. It was the fact that she never had a really good hand like a straight or anything, but somehow she would find a way to win. She never bluffed and won with pairs and would end the game with exactly one dollar. Lily became angry with her and was mostly concerned with her winning anything but a dollar. She didn't want to raise the stakes because she knew it would disrupt her game and that was another reason why playing cards bothered the men. (Mason Roessler Post 1)

Kelcey says,

My response is to the question about if Fleur has super powers and how the villages attribute to her abilities. I believe that Fleur really didn't have "super powers." I believe that the villages definitely have different beliefs and gossip really gets around in a smaller village when something happens that is different to their beliefs. I believe the phrase "being in the wrong place and the wrong time," would work with this story. Since she escaped drowning twice it looks suspicious to the other villagers. She became the talk of the town since it is impossible to survive drowning.

Since she was the talk of the town they had to come up with a good enough story to explain the unexplainable. There is no way one girl can cause the deaths of many men and be "evil." The villagers definitely attribute to her special "evil superpowers." But then again, she did travel to a whole new town where no one knew her story and men that she became close to did happen to die. The ending definitely started to change the way I looked at the story and her abilities. I still believe that it is just the way it happened and that no one can be possessed with certain powers to kill the men around her. This story was very interesting and definitely shows the small village kind of rumors and gossip that go around and the ideas people can get you to believe. (Kelcey Summers, 1)

Blog Prompts for Louise Erdrich

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