Three Day Road Character Analysis
In the novel, “Three Day Road”, by Joseph Boyden, the loss and regaining of identity is manifested in Xavier. Throughout the novel, as Xavier goes through the war, he feels as if he is losing his own identity as an aboriginal but begins to gain it back while with Niska. Within the beginning of the novel, Xavier starts off staying true to his aboriginal background, has a strong sense of morality, and understands his own identity. Xavier is a man who respects life, but as he goes through the war he loses that part of his identity a little. An example of when Xavier respects life is when he snares a marten. In the prologue of the novel, Xavier and Elijah are walking through a forest to see what they have snared, but when they find that the marten
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Throughout the novel, Xavier always mentions how Elijah keeps taking morphine and later begins taking it himself. The two are first introduced to it by Grey Eyes, who is addicted to it and constantly uses it. At first, Xavier is against the idea of using morphine and in the novel he says, “I know that it is much more than medicine. Much more” (p. 153). Within this part of the novel, Xavier just had a flashback to when he was in the residential school and was getting punished by Sister Magdalene, but gets pulled out of the flashback when he remembers Elijah. Elijah is now constantly using morphine and Xavier understands that it is much more than just medicine for him. Xavier knows this and refuses to become addicted to it as he does not want to lose his identity and go insane like Elijah. Although Xavier believes this, he still ends up becoming addicted to morphine like Elijah. While traveling in the canoe, Xavier says, “The relief of taking a syringe from my kit and readying my arm washes over me almost as sweetly as the medicine itself” (p. 25). When Xavier comes back from the war, he is already a morphine addict. Xavier started to take morphine in order to deal with the pain of all he has done in seen during the war. Xavier tries his best to still have his identity while using morphine by listening to Niska’s stories to remind him of the bush. Therefore, Xavier the loss and regaining of
Throughout the novel, Xavier always mentions how Elijah keeps taking morphine and later begins taking it himself. The two are first introduced to it by Grey Eyes, who is addicted to it and constantly uses it. At first, Xavier is against the idea of using morphine and in the novel he says, “I know that it is much more than medicine. Much more” (p. 153). Within this part of the novel, Xavier just had a flashback to when he was in the residential school and was getting punished by Sister Magdalene, but gets pulled out of the flashback when he remembers Elijah. Elijah is now constantly using morphine and Xavier understands that it is much more than just medicine for him. Xavier knows this and refuses to become addicted to it as he does not want to lose his identity and go insane like Elijah. Although Xavier believes this, he still ends up becoming addicted to morphine like Elijah. While traveling in the canoe, Xavier says, “The relief of taking a syringe from my kit and readying my arm washes over me almost as sweetly as the medicine itself” (p. 25). When Xavier comes back from the war, he is already a morphine addict. Xavier started to take morphine in order to deal with the pain of all he has done in seen during the war. Xavier tries his best to still have his identity while using morphine by listening to Niska’s stories to remind him of the bush. Therefore, Xavier the loss and regaining of