Leo, my sincere apologies for my extended 'absence'--we took a 10-day family vacation, unplanned and impromptu, and all the more refreshing for it.
I really appreciate the levels on which you compared Three Day Road and its treatment of history and minority with Chinese-Canadian history, especially the 'head tax' and the granting of citizenship post-WWII. When I teach Three Day Road, I teach it alongside another Canadian historical novel (which you might have read--if not, I highly recommend it), Sky Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe, set in Vancouver, and which deals in part with the repercussions of the head tax, Chinese-Canadian work on the CPR, and federal immigration policies that had a marked impact on everyday family life.
You are right, that Boyden's treatment of characters' responses to 'ostracism', as you put it so well, is very interesting. In Three Day Road, we've got the range of responses you've identified: Elijah attempts to 'pass' as mainstream, and does an admirable, even enviable, job of mimicking the English speakers in their dialect and mannerisms, without their truly picking up on the fact that he is mimicking them. Niska, in turn, remains grounded in her aboriginal customs, and invokes them in the sweat-lodge passage, as well as in others, as not only a means of regaining solid ground beneath her feet, but as a means of gaining agency in a largely white world. I love the way that Boyden portrays the Native culture as, literally, occupying the peripheries of mainstream, white culture, and both the marginalization and agency that derive from this. I think that what I appreciate most about the many wonderful things in his novel is how Boyden ends up sustaining aboriginal myth-systems, customs, and ways of being in the world in the very fabric of everyday life that he portrays. In other words, the Native myths and 'magic' (you might call it) never disappear, they're never 'explained away' as somehow unreal or part of a merely discursive myth system, they continue, up to the very end, to remain active in the threadwork of the very world the characters inhabit, and even enable the two key characters, Niska and her nephew, to start over again in the world.
On that note, it is very poignant that Boyden also allows the Windigo/cannibalism theme to become a substantial part of the WWI scenes that take place on the front. In this way, WWI ceases to remain the 'Euro-Canadian' narrative it has largely been historically, and itself becomes subsumed within a larger aboriginal discursive and cultural aesthetic/epistemology. This is a remarkable and precedent-setting novel in these ways, as no other historical novel does this in quite the same way.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Boyden on Aboriginal Quality of Life in Canada
I'm still in the process of preparing a response to Leo's thoughtful and sensitive reaction to Three Day Road. Leo's comments about cultural politics and history (aboriginal and, by extension, Chinese-Canadian) make me think of Boyden's response to an interview question, when he was asked what life is like for Cree people in Canada today. (For the remainder of the interview, please visit www.josephboyden.com; look for the Book Club guide...) In the meantime, here is Boyden's response:
Many Native languages are faced with extinction or are already
extinct, but Ojibwe and Cree remain two of the healthiest surviving
Native languages in North America. I think this is due, in
part, to many of these peoples’ living in more remote geographical
areas, places where the English language doesn’t necessarily
dominate every aspect of life. These remote areas are often
completely out of the spotlight and off most people’s radar
screens.
Often, a lot of poverty and violence and drug and alcohol
abuse exist here. And these are the stories that trickle down to
the rest of us. But there is a lot more to these communities that
we don’t hear about. Many of them are actively dealing with and
slowly excising the ghosts created by contact with what was
often the worst of Western culture. Most often, it seems to me,
the source of a lot of Cree and Ojibwe pain comes in the form of
residential schools. We must remember that residential schools
forcefully removed children from their families and communities
and tried to integrate these children into the dominant
culture by any means necessary. Abuse in all its forms became
rampant. These schools remained until the 1970s, leaving many
generations of Cree and Ojibwe to try to pick up the pieces of
their culture and to try to learn for themselves once again who
they are. The shock waves of the residential school system are
still clearly visible today, but the Cree and Ojibwe are resilient
people. They’re survivors.
Many Native languages are faced with extinction or are already
extinct, but Ojibwe and Cree remain two of the healthiest surviving
Native languages in North America. I think this is due, in
part, to many of these peoples’ living in more remote geographical
areas, places where the English language doesn’t necessarily
dominate every aspect of life. These remote areas are often
completely out of the spotlight and off most people’s radar
screens.
Often, a lot of poverty and violence and drug and alcohol
abuse exist here. And these are the stories that trickle down to
the rest of us. But there is a lot more to these communities that
we don’t hear about. Many of them are actively dealing with and
slowly excising the ghosts created by contact with what was
often the worst of Western culture. Most often, it seems to me,
the source of a lot of Cree and Ojibwe pain comes in the form of
residential schools. We must remember that residential schools
forcefully removed children from their families and communities
and tried to integrate these children into the dominant
culture by any means necessary. Abuse in all its forms became
rampant. These schools remained until the 1970s, leaving many
generations of Cree and Ojibwe to try to pick up the pieces of
their culture and to try to learn for themselves once again who
they are. The shock waves of the residential school system are
still clearly visible today, but the Cree and Ojibwe are resilient
people. They’re survivors.
From my friend, Leo Jung
Hi Andrea, I am in my first pass of the book, but have some thoughts I
would like to share.
I find Boyden's writing very sensual, and this quality drew me deeply
into the story. As I mentioned to you elsewhere, the book elicits
allusions to ethnicity in general to me, so this will be the focus of
this comment.
The windigo myth is interesting: the abhorrence of cannibalism is
almost universal. The few exceptions which come to mind are the
isolated native cultures of Borneo & Papua, New Guinea who viewed their
catch as species of pigs rather than people. The only other exception
is people driven to desperation by hunger in rare situations such as a
plane wreck in the Andes. Diseases such as kuru would have no
signifigance in primitive cultures with no written history and very low
life expectancy. So the windigo myth is interesting.
Depictions of a minority ostracized by a majority has persistent
overtones in modern society, and the treatment of the natives by the
white people in society has many parallels to how other minorities are
sometimes treated in North America.
The way in which a minority deals with ostracism ranges from self doubt
and hate, to the opposite extreme: 'transcending' to master the traits
which the majority considers desirable. And no matter how successful
the minority are at the latter path, bigots still persist, and exploit
the minorities. Thankfully, all forms of media and now the internet has
paradoxically transformed those people who are full of hate into a very
tiny minority..
One example of the former self doubt/hate theme is found in the scene
with Niska's betrayal in the church. Her reaction was to flee, and
invoke the manitou from the sweat lodge. Although the result was
desirable, it seems probable that the Frenchman died of untreated syphillis.
Elijah and his companion fought for their country, earning the
admiration of their comrades. There is a parallel to my own
chinese-canadian culture here: it is only after chinese canadians fought
in WW II, some of them sent to infiltrate enemy lines, that they were
given the right to vote in Canada in 1947, and in B.C. in 1949.
In contrast to 'Three Day Road,' Chinese integration has been wonderful;
but on occasion, we run into one of the new minority who are blinded by
hubris and greed. Instead of being on the same side of the war, they
knowingly endanger the lives of Canadians and our allies.
I look forward to reading other reactions to the book.
https://www.facebook.com/leo.jung
would like to share.
I find Boyden's writing very sensual, and this quality drew me deeply
into the story. As I mentioned to you elsewhere, the book elicits
allusions to ethnicity in general to me, so this will be the focus of
this comment.
The windigo myth is interesting: the abhorrence of cannibalism is
almost universal. The few exceptions which come to mind are the
isolated native cultures of Borneo & Papua, New Guinea who viewed their
catch as species of pigs rather than people. The only other exception
is people driven to desperation by hunger in rare situations such as a
plane wreck in the Andes. Diseases such as kuru would have no
signifigance in primitive cultures with no written history and very low
life expectancy. So the windigo myth is interesting.
Depictions of a minority ostracized by a majority has persistent
overtones in modern society, and the treatment of the natives by the
white people in society has many parallels to how other minorities are
sometimes treated in North America.
The way in which a minority deals with ostracism ranges from self doubt
and hate, to the opposite extreme: 'transcending' to master the traits
which the majority considers desirable. And no matter how successful
the minority are at the latter path, bigots still persist, and exploit
the minorities. Thankfully, all forms of media and now the internet has
paradoxically transformed those people who are full of hate into a very
tiny minority..
One example of the former self doubt/hate theme is found in the scene
with Niska's betrayal in the church. Her reaction was to flee, and
invoke the manitou from the sweat lodge. Although the result was
desirable, it seems probable that the Frenchman died of untreated syphillis.
Elijah and his companion fought for their country, earning the
admiration of their comrades. There is a parallel to my own
chinese-canadian culture here: it is only after chinese canadians fought
in WW II, some of them sent to infiltrate enemy lines, that they were
given the right to vote in Canada in 1947, and in B.C. in 1949.
In contrast to 'Three Day Road,' Chinese integration has been wonderful;
but on occasion, we run into one of the new minority who are blinded by
hubris and greed. Instead of being on the same side of the war, they
knowingly endanger the lives of Canadians and our allies.
I look forward to reading other reactions to the book.
https://www.facebook.com/leo.jung
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
The Windigo, Elijah, and Three Day Road
One of the most challenging aspect of Boyden's novel involves its representation of Elijah, who increasingly turns into a 'windigo' figure. A recurrent figure in the myth-system of various Algonquin tribes (including the Cree), the windigo is basically a human being who resorts to cannibalism, a behaviour which was deemed 'taboo' and which (as we see in Three Day Road) can be addressed by calling in a 'Windigo killer'. Traditionally, it is believed that windigo myths originated, in part for practical reasons, for periods of starvation were not unheard of, especially in the winter months. The windigo myth thus drew a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. At the same time, the windigo figure became a symbol, or symptom, of larger times of social and cultural crisis within Native communities. This kind of resort to cannibalism has a number of important implications in Boyden's novel, because here, Boyden also links it to the spiritual, psychological, and cultural devastation of the Great War. Readers can also link the windigo myth to the larger destruction of traditional Native ways of life, alluded to in the margins of the novel (especially in Niska's narrative), in which we see the establishment of the reserve system, as well as the residential school system. Students sometimes struggle with Boyden's representation of Elijah as a kind of windigo figure, but for me, it's one of the most stimulating and thought-provoking parts of this beautiful beautiful novel.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Three Day Road; Day 2
I'm off to the airport, but before I go, I wanted to leave you with a link to Joseph Boyden's website
josephboyden.com.
Here, you will find an interview with Boyden, lots of professional pics, as well as a brief description of the book. Definitely worth checking out!
I'll be in touch again soon, as I plan to take time out from conference-going to blog.
josephboyden.com.
Here, you will find an interview with Boyden, lots of professional pics, as well as a brief description of the book. Definitely worth checking out!
I'll be in touch again soon, as I plan to take time out from conference-going to blog.
Monday, 4 July 2011
Three Day Road Discussion
Well, the Canada Day long weekend is now over, and it's time to start talking about this amazing book we've just read (or are still in the process of reading)! I'd love to hear your comments about Boyden's Three Day Road. Apparently, Boyden originally wrote the entire novel using a linear chronology, but then asked his publisher to hold off on assessing it. He spent a few months revising it, and voila!, it became the novel we have now read: its narrative is more circular, and the flashback war story is framed by the Niska/return narrative.
What do you think of this book? Do you find the characters likable? (Even Elijah?) How do you react to the subtheme of cannibalism? Niska herself is a strong character--do you find her likable?
This is the first historical novel to be written from the Native perspective--a landmark in itself. What aspects of Native participation in WWI were you familiar with prior to reading this book? Did you learn anything new from it?
On a side note, when I teach this book, I find that my students generally love it. However, one student once complained that the war scenes had become monotonous by the end of the novel--what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What's the point of such graphic representations of war at the front line?
Our online book club starts with just one voice, so bring on your comments, at any time. We've got all month to talk about this book, though, so don't hesitate to just listen to others and weigh in when you're ready! We'll be here!
In the meantime, stay tuned for more postings from my end. I'll be posting links to interviews with Boyden, to his bio, and will be adding more questions as the week progresses!
What do you think of this book? Do you find the characters likable? (Even Elijah?) How do you react to the subtheme of cannibalism? Niska herself is a strong character--do you find her likable?
This is the first historical novel to be written from the Native perspective--a landmark in itself. What aspects of Native participation in WWI were you familiar with prior to reading this book? Did you learn anything new from it?
On a side note, when I teach this book, I find that my students generally love it. However, one student once complained that the war scenes had become monotonous by the end of the novel--what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What's the point of such graphic representations of war at the front line?
Our online book club starts with just one voice, so bring on your comments, at any time. We've got all month to talk about this book, though, so don't hesitate to just listen to others and weigh in when you're ready! We'll be here!
In the meantime, stay tuned for more postings from my end. I'll be posting links to interviews with Boyden, to his bio, and will be adding more questions as the week progresses!
Monday, 2 May 2011
Frye Fest Wrap-Up
Spent the afternoon on Friday showing Atwood where Northrop Frye grew up: his old house on Pine St., his old elementary school near Victoria Park and, of course, his old high school (now the beautiful Aberdeen Cultural Centre). As for Atwood's knock-out public lecture, my friend Thomas Hodd did a better job than I could in writing about it. Check out his article in the Telegraph-Journal:
Thomas Hodd
For the Telegraph-Journal
MONCTON - Nearly 600 people from around the Maritimes crowded into the Capitol Theatre on Saturday to hear Margaret Atwood deliver the 2011 Maillet-Frye Lecture.
The event was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., but by 7:30 p.m. the lineup stretched out the front doors.
Inaugurated in 2006, the lecture has become one of the Frye Festival's marquee literary events. Past lecturers include David Adams Richards, Monique LaRue and Alberto Manguel.
Atwood's highly entertaining talk, Mythology and Me: the Late 1950s at Victoria College, included stories about her experience as a female undergraduate in Toronto in the 1950s, the importance of "myth" to a young female writer in a male-dominated society, and the difficult time Canada's writers had getting noticed on the world stage.
"The production of any sort of literature was itself a cottage industry in the Canada of those days," she said. "Back in the late '50s - which was when all of this was happening - it was disconcerting to be informed so frequently and in so many ways that Canada didn't have a mythology."
Reading from a humorous and irreverent piece she wrote under the nom de plume 'Shakesbeat Latweed' while at Victoria College, Atwood made fun of the ideas of both Northrop Frye and Marshall McLuhan. But perhaps most entertaining was when Atwood began reciting commercials from the late 1950s, and analyzing the "poetry" of advertising spots for cleaning products and air fresheners.
Atwood also revealed that Frye influenced her future. She recounted how even though she only took a half-term course in Milton from Frye, he offered her sage advice one day regarding her future aspirations as an author.
When deciding on whether to take graduate studies at Harvard or run off to Europe, Frye told her, "I would probably get more writing done at Harvard than by drudging away as a waitress in Paris or London, while drinking absinthe and smoking myself to death."
An on-stage interview with Atwood followed the lecture. The interview was scheduled to last only 20 minutes, but the audience was treated to almost 40 minutes of wonderfully rich anecdotes.
"I think everyone was surprised by how wry and witty she was. I also think they appreciated finding out Atwood's parents are from here. Maritimers are famous for wanting to know about people's connections to this region," interviewer Rhonda Whittaker said with a chuckle.
At the end of the event, the audience showed their appreciation by giving Atwood a lengthy standing ovation.
Soraya Gallant, a first-year student at the Unversité de Moncton, was thrilled to attend. She found both Atwood and her talk inspiring.
"I appreciate her as a forward-thinking writer and as a woman," Gallant said. "I also liked how she answered questions and sometimes walked away from the topic."
In a fitting tribute to Atwood's star power, Gallant, along with 200 other members of the audience, lined up afterward to have their books signed.
Thomas Hodd
For the Telegraph-Journal
MONCTON - Nearly 600 people from around the Maritimes crowded into the Capitol Theatre on Saturday to hear Margaret Atwood deliver the 2011 Maillet-Frye Lecture.
The event was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., but by 7:30 p.m. the lineup stretched out the front doors.
Inaugurated in 2006, the lecture has become one of the Frye Festival's marquee literary events. Past lecturers include David Adams Richards, Monique LaRue and Alberto Manguel.
Atwood's highly entertaining talk, Mythology and Me: the Late 1950s at Victoria College, included stories about her experience as a female undergraduate in Toronto in the 1950s, the importance of "myth" to a young female writer in a male-dominated society, and the difficult time Canada's writers had getting noticed on the world stage.
"The production of any sort of literature was itself a cottage industry in the Canada of those days," she said. "Back in the late '50s - which was when all of this was happening - it was disconcerting to be informed so frequently and in so many ways that Canada didn't have a mythology."
Reading from a humorous and irreverent piece she wrote under the nom de plume 'Shakesbeat Latweed' while at Victoria College, Atwood made fun of the ideas of both Northrop Frye and Marshall McLuhan. But perhaps most entertaining was when Atwood began reciting commercials from the late 1950s, and analyzing the "poetry" of advertising spots for cleaning products and air fresheners.
Atwood also revealed that Frye influenced her future. She recounted how even though she only took a half-term course in Milton from Frye, he offered her sage advice one day regarding her future aspirations as an author.
When deciding on whether to take graduate studies at Harvard or run off to Europe, Frye told her, "I would probably get more writing done at Harvard than by drudging away as a waitress in Paris or London, while drinking absinthe and smoking myself to death."
An on-stage interview with Atwood followed the lecture. The interview was scheduled to last only 20 minutes, but the audience was treated to almost 40 minutes of wonderfully rich anecdotes.
"I think everyone was surprised by how wry and witty she was. I also think they appreciated finding out Atwood's parents are from here. Maritimers are famous for wanting to know about people's connections to this region," interviewer Rhonda Whittaker said with a chuckle.
At the end of the event, the audience showed their appreciation by giving Atwood a lengthy standing ovation.
Soraya Gallant, a first-year student at the Unversité de Moncton, was thrilled to attend. She found both Atwood and her talk inspiring.
"I appreciate her as a forward-thinking writer and as a woman," Gallant said. "I also liked how she answered questions and sometimes walked away from the topic."
In a fitting tribute to Atwood's star power, Gallant, along with 200 other members of the audience, lined up afterward to have their books signed.
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