Mia Margulis Mrs. Odiotti AP Lang 25 April 2024 Beyond Stereotypes: Empowering Narratives of Native American Women Louise Erdrich, a native American woman and writer of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, explores themes of identity, culture, and resilience in her novels, shedding light on the complexity of Native American experiences to contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of indigenous literature. “Fleur” by Louise Erdrich is a story told from the perspective of young Native American girl Pauline, who lives in a small town when a familiar face shows up looking for employment. Fleur, the unconventional Native American woman who became infamous after men mysteriously went missing after saving her from drowning, becomes …show more content…
Like novelist Scott Russel Sanders put into words, “Stories create community. They link tellers to listeners, and listeners to one another” (1). “Fleur” exhibits this ability by creating many characters to which readers can relate to and reflect on their own experiences in similar situations, which allows for personal interpretation of the story while also spreading Erdrich’s message. Moreover, famous novelist and essayist Flannery O'Connor's “The Nature and Aim of Fiction” shares qualities of good writers, “They are conscious of problems, not of people, of questions and issues, not of the texture of existence, of case histories and of everything that has a sociological smack, instead of with all those concrete details of life that make actual the mystery of our position on earth” (68). Erdrich follows this by incorporating the message of female power and the fact that Native Americans are consistently taken out of the spotlight. To continue, there is a strong symbolism of the overarching theme of feminism sprinkled throughout the story. The lake is seen as calm and peaceful and innocent until Fleur 'drowns' and suddenly the men who save her
Sonneborn, Liz. A to Z of Native American Women. New York: Facts on File, 1998.
The biographic features of a writer usually have an influence on the development of his or her literary creation. The biographic influence is especially strong on the literary work of Flannery O'Connor. Her life and experiences are reflected through her work in themes, characters, descriptions and style. There are two important features of her life, which had marked the short stories and novels of Flannery O'Connor: The South of the United States and her religion, Catholicism. These two aspects are reflected in her vision of life, society and above all in the vision of the human race.
As Mother’s Day approaches, writer Penny Rudge salutes “Matriarchs [who] come in different guises but are instantly recognizable: forceful women, some well-intentioned, others less so, but all exerting an unstoppable authority over their clan” (Penny Rudge), thereby revealing the immense presence of women in the American family unit. A powerful example of a mother’s influence is illustrated in Native American society whereby women are called upon to confront daily problems associated with reservation life. The instinct for survival occurs almost at birth resulting in the development of women who transcend a culture predicated on gender bias. In Love Medicine, a twentieth century novel about two families who reside on the Indian reservation, Louise Erdrich tells the story of Marie Lazarre and Lulu Lamartine, two female characters quite different in nature, who are connected by their love and lust for Nector Kashpaw, head of the Chippewa tribe. Marie is a member of a family shunned by the residents of the reservation, and copes with the problems that arise as a result of a “childhood, / the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell-style Anglo-American idyll”(Susan Castillo), prompting her to search for stability and adopt a life of piety. Marie marries Nector Kashpaw, a one-time love interest of Lulu Lamartine, who relies on her sexual prowess to persevere, resulting in many liaisons with tribal council members that lead to the birth of her sons. Although each female character possibly hates and resents the other, Erdrich avoids the inevitable storyline by focusing on the different attributes of these characters, who unite and form a force that evidences the significance of survival, and the power of the feminine bond in Native Americ...
Perhaps the most important influence on the story is religion. O'Connor was not only influenced by her own Catholic heritage but by others as well. Like the other writers from France and England, she is curious about the actuality of sin and the effect that it has on the presence of mankind. Her stories and every characteristic about them was Flannery O'Connor's way of showing reality and qualities that are determiners of fate and destiny. No matter which path her stories took her readers, they mostly ended up finding social truth. This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables Flannery O'Connor in “Revelation” to develop the theme that sometimes people must look farther than the surface in order to understand the actions of others.
Flannery O’Connor teaches a lot of lessons in Good Country People that can be applied to anyone’s everyday life. O’Connor gives perfect examples and reasoning on why people should have faith and believe in some type of religion. She also teaches the lessons that people should have an open heart and see beyond themselves and their beliefs, instead of being so arrogant and thinking they know it all. Identity, symbolism, and reality was communicate in this story’s theme, which revolves around man’s arrogance in thinking that he knows it
"A Good Man is Hard to Find presents a masterful portrait of a woman who creates a self and a world through language." At least that is what Mary Jane Shenck thinks of the Flannery O'Connor story. Several different people have several different views of this controversial and climatic work of O'Connor's. In this paper I will take a look at these different views of different situations and characters in this book.
Brinkmeyer, Robert H. The Art and Vision of Flannery O’Connor. Louisiana State University Press : Baton Rouge, Louisiana , 1989.
The central theme of Flannery O’Connor’s three short stories is irony. Her stories are parables, that is, short stories with a lesson to be learned.
In Louise Erdrich’s “Tracks';, the readers discovers by the second chapter that there are two narrators, Nanapush and Pauline Puyat. This method of having two narrators telling their stories alternately could be at first confusing, especially if the readers hasn’t been briefed about it or hasn’t read a synopsis of it. Traditionally, there is one narrator in the story, but Erdrich does an effective and spectacular job in combining Nanapush and Pauline’s stories. It is so well written that one might question as he or she reads who is the principal character in this story? Being that there are two narrators, is it Nanapush, the first narrator, him being a participant in the story, who tells his story in the “I'; form? Or is it Pauline, the second narrator, who also narrates in the “I'; form? Upon further reading, the motive for both narrators’ stories become more evident, and by the end of the book, it becomes clear that one character is the driving force for both of the narrators’ stories. This central character is Fleur Pillager. She in fact is the protagonist of “Tracks';. Even though she is limited in dialogues, her actions speak more than words itself.
“There she stands, to me, a phoenix risen from her own words: calm, slow, funny, courteous, both modest and very sure of herself, intense, sharply penetrating, devout but never pietistic, downright, occasionally fierce, and honest in a way that restore to honor to the word”, this is how Sally Fitzgerald described her dear friend Mary Flannery O’Connor. (xii) Not to long ago, I read my first Mary Flannery O’Connor story and I came to view Mary Flannery O’Connor as an artist whose key subject was grace, but what are these stories, these works of art truly about, what is Flannery O’ Connor trying to tell the readers. In order to interpret a story though the eyes of an author like Flannery O’Connor you must first look through the eyes of the author. You must see what he/she sees. It would be arrogant to believe that a person can truly understand another by studying them, but I have learned a great deal in trying to do so. Mary Flannery O’Connor wrote about grace and salvation, and has taught me about finding truth; I attribute the lessons she has taught me to, the way she viewed herself, the way others viewed her, her writings, and many other effects.
To the uninitiated, the writing of Flannery O'Connor can seem at once cold and dispassionate, as well as almost absurdly stark and violent. Her short stories routinely end in horrendous, freak fatalities or, at the very least, a character's emotional devastation. Working his way through "Greenleaf," "Everything that Rises Must Converge," or "A Good Man is Hard to Find," the new reader feels an existential hollowness reminiscent of Camus' The Stranger; O'Connor's imagination appears a barren, godless plane of meaninglessness, punctuated by pockets of random, mindless cruelty.
Born and raised in a family of storytellers, it’s no wonder that this author, Louise Erdrich became a prolific writer. Louise was born in Little Falls, Minnesota. She grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota, near the Chippewa Reservation with her mom, who had Native American roots and her dad who was of German descent. Her parents encouraged and challenged her at an early age to read, also to write stories and even paid her a nickel for each one that she wrote. Lorena Stookey states that Louise Erdrich’s style of writing is “like William Faulkner, she creates a fictional world and peoples it with multiple narrators whose voices commingle to shape her readers’ experience of that world” (Stookey 14). Louise writes this moving story “The Shawl” as she is haunted by the sorrows of the generations of her people, the Anishinaabeg. I initially saw this tale as a very complex reading, but after careful reading and consideration, saw it as a sad and compelling story.
Flannery O’Connor’s Catholic faith is shown heavily in her writing’s, but yet most of her characters are Protestant. Protestants fall under Western churches, and follow the principle of Reformation. Flannery wants her characters to suffer, to feel anguish and find redemption. While Flannery O’Connor has written many complex texts with different themes, her faith is always the fueling force behind her creativity. Contrary to popular belief, O’Connor’s notions have only widened her points of view in her writings. O’Connor uses faith in her work to show the readers spirituality and grace.
Kirk, Connie Ann. Critical Companion to Flannery O'Connor. New York: Facts on File, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 8 Feb. 2014.< http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.library.acaweb.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzIyOTQ4MV9fQU41?sid=1836ce9e-26f4-4cc4-af65-eb5e046a6668@sessionmgr110&vid=2&format=EB&rid=1>.
Streight, Irwin H., and Charles E. May. “Flannery O’Connor: Critical Reception.” Critical Insights: Flannery O’Connor (2011): 77-109. Literary Reference Center. Fri. 18 Apr. 2014.