Engl 100: King, Medicine River.
Students' notes on chapters (abbreviated!)
Ch. 6. (Jessica, Sheena, Cristen, Stacey)
Intercuts stories of Will pretending over his father, taking pictures for calendar; and Ray the oilman planning to make money for the friendship centre. Will's behaviour contrasted with Ray's, although both are guilty of making up stories to brag. But Ray lies to make his peers feel inferior. Both enter occupations not typical for native people.
Other points:
- Ray's preoccupation with material possessions
- Will happy with practical things
- Ray impulsive; Will thinks rationally before he acts
Comments on relation to novel; techniques; style.
Ch.8.
Intercuts stories Harlan and Will driving back from Utah, and Will's meeting with Susan and doing photographic work for her. Will and Harlan too late at Custer monument, refused admission. Will and Susan become lovers; but his disillusion; the "busy" signal as he tries to phone Susan (comparison with refusal of admission). Theme: anticipation, let down.
Other points:
- Tension between races; pursued through rest of novel
- Style is choppy,jarring, like the busy signal
- Intercutting builds tension
Ch. 14. (Chantal, Adelle, Taggart)
Intercuts stories of Dave's photos of Wounded Knee standoff and Will and James as children, and Maydean Joe who is retared but who wants to fit in. Practical joke over James in dryer. Both stories deal with wanting to be accepted, a part of things. But both Dave and children are 'bullshitting'. Chapter represents a level of honesty in the novel, how stories can get 'twisted.' Will refuses to go with Dave to protest over native education at Ottawa. He doesn't have to protest to know he belongs.
Ch. 15. (Jillian, Waverly, Laura)
Intercuts stories of 'family' photo special for Joyce and her extended family, relocated to riverside; and Will and family photo when a child.Will's old photo stiff and formal; Joyce photo chaotic and out by river. But grandma and mother had same flat dead look.
Points:
- two types of families are contrasted, as well as what makes a family
- shows differences of two worlds
- Will forced into picture by Harlan, i.e., into community
- as child Will doesn't pick up on mother's problems
Ch. 15. (Kristina, Kari, Jocelyn, Jessie, Jeff)
Points:
- photography symbolizes time travel in novel; moments in time that are relived
- novel is all about family, Will gaining extended family, something he never had
- going to socials as child, hiding from unknown, but coaxing calls of mothers -- like implied invitations of people of Medicine River for Will to join the family, overcomes his isolation
Ch 15. (Sukhi, Kate, Jeremy)
Points:
- Will acts like he now has a family with Louise and South Wing, yet throughout the story is unwilling to commit
- grandparents in particular stay in place, represent tradition, what keeps things together
- Will will never have a family as strong as the Bluehorns; his own when younger -- lost its sense of culture
- extended Bluehorn family chaotic inside but flows appropriately like the river when outside
- hence sympathy of this culture with nature
Document prepared April 9th 2001