Biographical Information
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Critical Lenses
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Critical Lenses
"Karen Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, (born June 7, 1954) is a Native American author of novels, poetry, and children's books. She is an enrolled member of the Anishinaabe nation (also known as Ojibwa and Chippewa) and also has German, French and American ancestry. She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant Native writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance. The eldest of seven children, Erdrich was born to Ralph and Rita Erdrich in Little Falls, Minnesota. Her father was German-American while her mother was French and Anishinaabe (Ojibwa). Her grandfather Patrick Gourneau served as a tribal chairman for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Erdrich grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota where her parents taught at the Bureau of Indian Affairs school." Wikipedia.
I believe that Erdrich grew up in a time where it was not okay to know culture. There was alot of things going on at the time of her younger years such as the Vietnam war. I believe that growing up in the time of war has shaped her bias of those individuals that went and fought for their country. It was a scary time for those old enough for the draft and voluntary sign up. I think this is why her character Lipsha Morrisey ran away from signing up for the army. Her involvment growing up on the rez has helped her gain information on being in "outside world" or the cities.
There are many lenses that one can apply to this novel, and there is an endless amount of information that Erdrich reveals. You can apply the feminist lens through Erdrich being a Native American woman, writing this novel. She portrays most of the women in this book as strong individuals that are 'trash' or 'useless' in the "outside world" but play key roles on the reservation. In Native American culture the women are the stronger individuals who hold the powers to heal, love and bear life. They are the drum keepers, bringers of the sacred pipe, and are too strong during their 'moon' or menstrual cycle. (Sorry if this is too much info) In Love Medicine, Lulu Nanapush is seen as a woman of the night, a lover of all sorts. The town sees her as a threat, when she speaks at the Council meeting people make remarks about how there is not one father of all her children but then she says she can nzme all the fathers and paternity suits all around and that shuts the town up. She has the power in this situation and morphs the town into her beliefs.
Another lens that can be Cultural/Post-Colonial lens, Erdrich supplies evidence of 'othering' throughout her entire text. She talks about the cities and the "outside world" as if they were an entirely different country. Such as in Smoke Signals when Victor and Thomas were leaving to pick up Victor's dad in Arizona, the two girls in the car said, "Hope you got your vaccinations... you might as well be leaving to another country." In a way the movie Smoke Signals and Love Medicine play an equal part in showing the differences between reservation life and city life. Love Medicine shares an insight to what it is like to live the traditional indian way, through the man on the island, Moses Pillager. He lives by himself and the cats until Lulu decides that she is going to live with him. The portrayal of his everday life is an example how Erdrich articulates and celebrates her own cultural identity. During the novel there was alot of involvement of alcohol, after the introduction of alcohol to Native American tribes is when most indians shyed away from their own cultural beliefs. It made men into crazed individuals and broke families apart. Erdrich makes this apparent when Marie found Gordie drunk sleeping and dirty, she locked him in the room to sober up.
I believe that Erdrich grew up in a time where it was not okay to know culture. There was alot of things going on at the time of her younger years such as the Vietnam war. I believe that growing up in the time of war has shaped her bias of those individuals that went and fought for their country. It was a scary time for those old enough for the draft and voluntary sign up. I think this is why her character Lipsha Morrisey ran away from signing up for the army. Her involvment growing up on the rez has helped her gain information on being in "outside world" or the cities.
There are many lenses that one can apply to this novel, and there is an endless amount of information that Erdrich reveals. You can apply the feminist lens through Erdrich being a Native American woman, writing this novel. She portrays most of the women in this book as strong individuals that are 'trash' or 'useless' in the "outside world" but play key roles on the reservation. In Native American culture the women are the stronger individuals who hold the powers to heal, love and bear life. They are the drum keepers, bringers of the sacred pipe, and are too strong during their 'moon' or menstrual cycle. (Sorry if this is too much info) In Love Medicine, Lulu Nanapush is seen as a woman of the night, a lover of all sorts. The town sees her as a threat, when she speaks at the Council meeting people make remarks about how there is not one father of all her children but then she says she can nzme all the fathers and paternity suits all around and that shuts the town up. She has the power in this situation and morphs the town into her beliefs.
Another lens that can be Cultural/Post-Colonial lens, Erdrich supplies evidence of 'othering' throughout her entire text. She talks about the cities and the "outside world" as if they were an entirely different country. Such as in Smoke Signals when Victor and Thomas were leaving to pick up Victor's dad in Arizona, the two girls in the car said, "Hope you got your vaccinations... you might as well be leaving to another country." In a way the movie Smoke Signals and Love Medicine play an equal part in showing the differences between reservation life and city life. Love Medicine shares an insight to what it is like to live the traditional indian way, through the man on the island, Moses Pillager. He lives by himself and the cats until Lulu decides that she is going to live with him. The portrayal of his everday life is an example how Erdrich articulates and celebrates her own cultural identity. During the novel there was alot of involvement of alcohol, after the introduction of alcohol to Native American tribes is when most indians shyed away from their own cultural beliefs. It made men into crazed individuals and broke families apart. Erdrich makes this apparent when Marie found Gordie drunk sleeping and dirty, she locked him in the room to sober up.
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