Critical and Resisting Attitudes to the Assimilation Project and the Church in Erdrich's Love Medicine and Alexie's Reservation Blues
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Critical and Resisting Attitudes to the Assimilation Project and the Church
In Erdrich’s Love Medicine and Alexie’s Reservation Blues
Written By Wahyu Seno Aji
Senoaji2002@yahoo.com
abstract
In this paper, I talk about two Native American Novels. (written by Native American and about native American life in the reservation). My paper will show how white’s religion or the church is seen differently by the Native American characters in Erdrich’s Love Medicine and Alexie’s Reservation Blues . This kind of seeing reflects the critical and resisting attitude toward white culture, especially toward the implementation of white religion in Indian community as part of assimilation project. I read the two novels with a historical background to show the attitude or the tone.
Keywords: Native American novel. History. Critical attitude/tone. Assimilation project. Church institution.
Introduction According to VanSpanckeren (111), in the history of American Literature, Love Medicine belongs to the New Regionalism. This is a kind of literary work that portrays a specific community, a literary tradition that long has been appeared in the history of American Literature. Kate Chopin, Mark Twain, and Faulkner are some examples from this tradition. Reservation Blues too, is easily recognized as portraying a specific community. Both Love Medicine and Reservation Blues portray the live of Native American or Indian community in their own reservation. The techniques in both novels have also already appeared in the previous American literature, for example the non-linear plot development can also be found in Faulkner’s work. The technique of using different point of view/ different speakers too, has been a common practice.
The interesting part from the two novels that can probably be said as giving a new contribution to the previous regionalism, and therefore becomes a distinctive feature, is in their technique of mixing the mythical / non realistic/
Critical and Resisting Attitudes to the Assimilation Project and the Church
In Erdrich’s Love Medicine and Alexie’s Reservation Blues
Written By Wahyu Seno Aji
Senoaji2002@yahoo.com
abstract
In this paper, I talk about two Native American Novels. (written by Native American and about native American life in the reservation). My paper will show how white’s religion or the church is seen differently by the Native American characters in Erdrich’s Love Medicine and Alexie’s Reservation Blues . This kind of seeing reflects the critical and resisting attitude toward white culture, especially toward the implementation of white religion in Indian community as part of assimilation project. I read the two novels with a historical background to show the attitude or the tone.
Keywords: Native American novel. History. Critical attitude/tone. Assimilation project. Church institution.
Introduction According to VanSpanckeren (111), in the history of American Literature, Love Medicine belongs to the New Regionalism. This is a kind of literary work that portrays a specific community, a literary tradition that long has been appeared in the history of American Literature. Kate Chopin, Mark Twain, and Faulkner are some examples from this tradition. Reservation Blues too, is easily recognized as portraying a specific community. Both Love Medicine and Reservation Blues portray the live of Native American or Indian community in their own reservation. The techniques in both novels have also already appeared in the previous American literature, for example the non-linear plot development can also be found in Faulkner’s work. The technique of using different point of view/ different speakers too, has been a common practice.
The interesting part from the two novels that can probably be said as giving a new contribution to the previous regionalism, and therefore becomes a distinctive feature, is in their technique of mixing the mythical / non realistic/
References: Alexie, Sherman. 1996. Reservation Blues. New York: Warner Books. Bertens, Hans Bressler, Charles E. 1994. Literary Criticism... New jersey Prentice hall. Current, N. Richard. 1965.American History, a Survey. New York: Alfred. A. Knopf,. Erdrich, Louise Kennedy, X.J. 1979. Literature. An Introduction To fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Kenney, William. 1966. How To Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press. Kirszner, L.G., & Mandell, S.R. 2000. Literature. Reading ,Reacting, Writing. New York: Harcourt college Publishers. Potter, James L. 1967. Element of Literature. New York: The Odyssey Press. Inc. Roberts, E.V.,& Henry E. J. 1989. Literature: An Introduction To Reading and Writing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.