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Journey In Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road

1265 Words6 Pages

The concept of journey is a thematic element often used in literature. In Three Day Road the author, Joseph Boyden, uses the motif of journey to show transformation in the three main characters. As a part of this motif a character must go on a journey and face hardships in an attempt to reach their goal. This novel follows the main character, Xavier and his time at the front line in World War 1. The point of view switches between Xavier, who tells about his time at war with his deceased friend Elijah, and Niska, Xavier’s aunt and a windigo killer, who tells about her life and Xavier’s childhood. Xavier and Elijah were together at a residential school before Niska broke the two of them out and raised them on her own before they went off to serve in the war. The historical drama Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden explores both metaphorical and literal journeys and reveals how they heal and change people. The author uses these physical and metaphorical journeys to show the healing of Xavier’s addiction, the changes in Elijah’s character, Xavier’s psychological healing and Niska’s journey to understanding. These journeys help the reader to understand the transformation and healing process the characters go through. …show more content…

When Xavier returns from the war he is addicted to morphine due to an explosion that badly injured him. Niska takes Xavier on a journey to the sweat lodge with the goal to cure his addiction. The journey to the sweat lodge takes three days, hence the title Three Day Road. This is a difficult journey because Xavier is going through withdrawal. During those three days the reader sees the pain Xavier is in and how as the journey progresses Xavier’s pain increases. The journey is also difficult for Niska because it is physically difficult for her to paddle a canoe due to her age. The challenges of this physical journey mirror the challenges of the psychological and emotional journey of the

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