ipl-logo

How Does Louise Erdrich Use Imagery In The Round House

1083 Words5 Pages

The Round House is a novel written by Louise Erdrich. The main characters are Joe Coutts, Gerdaline Coutts, Judge Coutts, Cappy, Linden Lark, Linda Wishkob, Sonja, Uncle Whitey, Mooshum, Mayla Wolfskin, Father Travis, and Pearl. One day, Joe’s mother, Geraldine drove to her workplace to pick up a file after receiving a call from Mayla Wolfskin. When she reached her workplace, she was raped, kidnapped, and almost got killed. Later, devastated by the attack, she refused to leave her room. Joe’s dad, Judge Coutts, tries to find the person who did this to his wife and imprison him. Joe also tries to find the person who did this to his mother along with his friends, Angus, Cappy, and Zack. Edrich uses imagery to show sexual violence against indigenous …show more content…

In the book, “That’s where it happened. He kept the sack on me. And he raped me. Somewhere” (159, Erdrich, The Round House). This demonstrates Linden Lark's perspective of hating Indians, and how he justified his hatred toward Indians by approaching Gerdaline rudely and raping her. Erdrich uses imagery here to show how Lark treated Geraldine terribly and how disrespectfully he approached her. Additionally, it indicates to the audience Lark's hostile behavior toward Gerdaline. This is important because it reveals Lark's perspective on his hatred towards Indians and how he used that hatred to approach Gerdaline, an indigenous woman disrespectfully and raped her. Geraldine is dragged into the Round House by Lark, who then pulls the sack off her and unties her there. In the book, “Afterward, after. He dragged me up to the roundhouse. It took a while to get three. Was he marching me around? I was sick. I don’t remember. At the roundhouse, he untied me and pulled off the sack and it was . . . it was a pillowcase, a plain pink one” (160, Erdrich, The Round House). This depicts Linden Lark's perspective of hating Indians and how he justified his hatred toward Indians by treating Geraldine cruelly and dragging her inside the roundhouse, untying her, and pulling the sack off her. Erdrich uses imagery here to emphasize how Lark handled Geraldine poorly and how crudely he approached her. In addition, it indicates to the audience Lark's hostile behavior toward Geraldine. Furthermore, this is important because it shows Lark’s perspective of hating Indians and using his identity of rudely approaching Indians and treating them badly because he dragged Geraldine into the roundhouse untied her, and pulled the sack off her. Now I would like to conclude my

Show More
Related

  • Douglas Coupland's Player One

    750 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The carpet near Bertis’s foot resembles a run-over squirrel, but Karen’s seen worse.” (Coupland 138) The imagery in this novel keeps the reader engaged by prompting their own imagination to visual the setting. Without the author’s skillful choice of words the imagery in this novel would have greatly

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Green Grass Running Water

    1087 Words  | 5 Pages

    For any lover of classic Western films, it is only natural that the Indians are the bad guys of the story every single time. However, the characters of the novel, especially the young and innocent ones, felt the after effects of the negative stigma surrounding their culture due to cowboy versus Indian culture. Thomas King knows the power of this

    Read More

  • The Trauma Of Residential School In Five Little Indians By Michelle Good

    571 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel “Five Little Indians”, Michelle Good uses characterization to show the effects of residential school by showing the trauma that residential schools hold and the difficulties it gives to the indigenous people during and after the events of these schools. Good uses various literary techniques in her novel such as direct and indirect characterization. Good also shows the difficulties of fitting into society with these trauma that each character holds. Firstly, Even though some indigenous people did not go to residential schools they were still affected by it.

    Read More

  • Indian Horse Sparknotes

    690 Words  | 3 Pages

    By portraying indigenous characters in a nuanced and realistic manner, he challenges preconceived notions, enabling readers to recognize the inherent humanity we all share. Through his storytelling, he hopes to break down barriers and facilitate a better understanding of indigenous experiences, histories, and perspectives, thereby contributing to Canada's ongoing discussion of reconciliation and healing between indigenous and non-indigenous

    Read More

  • Coming Of Age In Louise Erdrich's The Round House

    2338 Words  | 10 Pages

    The coming of age of a person could be at the age of twelve, or twenty, or forty – it all depends on each person’s ability to reach a certain level of maturity – not necessarily meaning when one is independent, but rather when one seems sensible and reliable. In terms of maturity, humans have different levels of development some mature faster, while others develop quite gradually. Most of the time, the experiences that one goes through determines the speed of the rate of the maturity of that person because past experiences affect the way that we make decisions that benefit ourselves, and the people around us. Louise Erdrich’s The Round House is a coming-of-age story about Joe Coutts, a thirteen-year-old Native American, who is thrust into adulthood

    Read More

  • An Omniscient Narrator In Ethan Frome By Edith Wharton

    1025 Words  | 5 Pages

    This telling of a tragic story is able to influence the readers to romanticize the story of Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena, while the novel itself stays true to its naturalist roots. This is important in the development of the plot and the audiences connect to the characters as the readers begin to root on the forbidden love that Ethan and Mattie have, and then in turn, by the end of the novel have pity for all characters. Towards the end of the novel, the narrator has a conversation with Mrs. Hale about what he saw, which gives the readers yet another perspective of the story. “Mrs. Hale answered simply: ‘There was nowhere else for her to go;’ and my heart simply tightened at the thought of the hard compulsions of the poor” (pg. 179). This interaction between the narrator and Mrs. Hale further allows for irony to emerge as their descriptions of the emotions they felt towards the accident influence how the reader feels.

    Read More

  • Oppression In Indian Horse By Wagamese

    1032 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel Indian Horse, the readers see many faces of oppression occur, but marginalization occurs much more frequently than others. In the novel, marginalization operates among the other faces of oppression, each working together to amplify the alienation that Saul and the other characters experience. This demonstrates how the faces have a cumulative rather than individual effect. In Indian Horse, violence is a very common face of oppression that occurs throughout the novel, making a large impact on the characters.

    Read More

  • No Angels In America Quotes

    1120 Words  | 5 Pages

    Roy represents the unethical elitists of America while Belize represents the liberal, oppressed, “inferior” people. Belize is truly happy with his life while Roy is miserable. In this passage, Prior describes the natural instinct that humans have to survive and go on living even when things look bleak. Find the Literary devices used in the passage and explain how it helps Prior’s argument that he should be allowed more time to

    Read More

  • Louise Erdrich's The Round House

    944 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the novel “The Round House” written by Louise Erdrich depicts the story from the perspective of Joe. Joe’s point of view outlines the development of his childhood. The themes of the novel tie together to tell the story of Geraldine 's rape. The novel “The Round House” incorporated three themes which include the discrimination on native women, the Judicial System, and having to grow up too quickly.

    Read More

  • The Round House Psychology

    2379 Words  | 10 Pages

    In the novel “The Round House '' Erdrich displays a narrative that denounces how Native communities face many hardships due to lack of outside support. Erdrich expresses these ideas through innumerable characters throughout the novel. The acts of the novel are sparked by the horrific rape of Geraldine, a Chippewa woman. This event heavily implicates others around Geraldine including her family.

    Read More

  • Canadian Residential School Closed In Monkey Beach By Eden Robinson

    1145 Words  | 5 Pages

    The intergenerational trauma portrayed by Robinson introduces one of many real-world problems in the book. The author is able to incorporate in the novel the fact that “Several generations of Indigenous Peoples were denied the development of parenting skills not only through their removal from communities and families but also from the severe lack of attention paid to the issue by school officials” (The residential school system). Because Josh did not grow up around a functional and healthy family life or an adequate caregiver, he is unsure how to take care of children himself. In the novel, he sexually abuses his daughter Adelaine Jones known as ‘Karaoke.’

    Read More

  • Act 2 Scene 2 In The Crucible

    865 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is of the utmost necessity to analyze all pieces of evidence in order to reach a valid conclusion on one’s nature. If just one component is removed, then the entire decision is altered. 2.2 presents the audience with the final piece of insight on the true intentions of the characters that is needed to fully define their

    Read More

  • Hopelessness And Hope In The Fat Man By Maurice Gee

    798 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gee tells the audience that Verna and Bette are being bullied by Herbert through conversations with Collin. Verna tells Collin that Bette deals with physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from Herbert daily, therefore having a hopeless relationship. Sexual abuse happens when Bette refuses to “wash him in the bath” (p.78), which Bette does not want to do. Therefore, Gee showing context of hopelessness for Bette in the situation. Gee conveys that Bette has “got black eyes all the time” (p.109) at the housewarming party in Muskie’s home.

    Read More

  • Good Man Is Hard To Find Response

    1016 Words  | 5 Pages

    Her take on the antagonist is a complex mixture of agreement and disapproval. The reader almost wants to feel sorry for him, which is one reason why this work is controversial. In an eye opening

    Read More

  • In Search Of April Raintree Analysis

    1394 Words  | 6 Pages

    Though, this piece could not be published as it is deemed controversial. But for Cheryl, she knows it by heart, and it outlines the problem both the Metis and Indian people are going through. On the other hand, April despises her Metis culture and heritage. “‘… so anything to do with the Indians, I despised’” (40). April dreams of living similarly to a white person.

    Read More

More about How Does Louise Erdrich Use Imagery In The Round House

Open Document