Dimensions of Homing and Displacement in Louise Erdrich's "Tracks"

Autor/in	Jepson, Jill
Titel	Dimensions of Homing and Displacement in Louise Erdrich's "Tracks"
Quelle	In: American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 31 (2007) 2, S.25-40 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0161-6463
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Novels; Literature; American Indian Literature; Community; American Indian Culture; Family Environment; Human Body; Relocation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Novel; Roman; Literatur; Familienmilieu; Menschlicher Körper; Umsetzung
Abstract	William Bevis has argued that, whereas the classic American novel tells a story of "leaving," in which characters find growth and fulfillment away from the homes they grew up in, the typical Native American novel is based around "homing." In homing stories, the characters do not "find themselves" through independence but rather discover value and meaning by returning to their homes, pasts, and people. Although Bevis's notion provides insight into many Native American works, one novel calling for a somewhat different approach is Louise Erdrich's "Tracks." Although notions of "leaving" and "homing" are central to "Tracks," they operate in ways far more complex than Bevis's view suggests. In this article, the author explores the complex interactions between homing and displacement in "Tracks," focusing on the tensions that arise between those opposing forces as the characters navigate tricky routes toward and away from homes. He argues that the tension between home and homing, on the one hand, and marginality and displacement, on the other hand, is revealed along three dimensions: (1) community; (2) landscape; and (3) the body. These dimensions of homing and displacement emerge in the overarching story of the Anishinaabe told in "Tracks," as well as the depictions of the three main characters. Those characters--Nanapush, Pauline Puyat, and Fleur Pillager--differ in the ways they define home, the strategies they use for keeping and creating home, and the ways homing and displacement forces play out in their lives. (Contains 33 notes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	American Indian Studies Center at UCLA. 3220 Campbell Hall, Box 951548, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1548. Tel: 310-825-7315; Fax: 310-206-7060; e-mail: sales@aisc.ucla.edu; Web site: http://www.books.aisc.ucla.edu/aicrj.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10