| narrative aspects | interpretation | theoretical aspects |
| e.g., Vanessa sees the new Piquette with bright lipstick; suggests V. knew what she really was during the summer at the cottage; V. notices changes but aims to treat her the same way | parallel of loons and Piquette; inability to change themselves and their environment; loons unable to adapt to modern human invasion; Piquette unable to escape the lifestyle imposed on her |
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narrator tells story in hindsight which reduces the
sentimentality and strengthens the ideas the narrator communicates; |
loons are losing their home, and there is nowhere that Piquette truly fits in | stereotypes: town sees Piquette as typical native, including Vanessa; this is why P. is shunned; only at the end does V. see who she really was |
| Piquette limited by the setting, set up
for disaster, expectations that can't be met; only father and daughter listen to the loons; Piquette symbolized by loons, cries out for help; but only father and daughter come close to hearing her |
story illustrates futility of Piquette's life; begins stereotypically, and stereotyped by those around her; attempts to break free by marrying, but ends back where she started and dies | stereotypes: Piquette, her family: outcasts, outsiders, "half-breeds"; drunk, get into brawls; P's change, chooses another stereotype by marrying; mother's motivation for P. coming that summer is false; grandmother: stubborn, close-minded, opposite of father |
| narrative technique, first person, reflects
exploration of time; story starts with narration of present and discussion of upcoming summer, then moves to present tense of that summer; then past tense memory, reflection on that summer; parallelisms in description of lake/cottage setting; repetition of 'half-breed', etc. |
theme of growing up, passage of time; understanding of others and their views grows over time |
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| stereotypes: Piquette's speech, mannerisms,
where she lives, how she dies; changing of name of lake -- ethnic other/loss
of identity; narrator: limited omniscient |
story is ultimately about death/loss, things coming to an end | epiphany: Vanessa comes to realize Piquette
the only one who really heard the cry of the loons; at the end the loons,
father, and Piquette are gone; present moment: loss of innocence, childhood naivety, sentimental ideals (i.e., times on dock with father) |
| Vanessa's point of view: did not see who Piquette really is, her emotions; V. at times unsure how she felt towards Piquette | Piquette like the loons: you have to listen closely to their cries; loss: the loons, the old town, and Piquette all disappear by end | inner world of Vanessa when she returns to lake at end of story; epiphany: V. realizes that P. the only one to understand the cry of the loons |
| issues of belonging: neither Cree nor French
(197); V's discomfort with P. show how P. cannot belong in the world; symbolism: Piquette/loon metaphor |
explores issues of marginalization in communities; it takes the move from childhood to adulthood before Vanessa realizes the loss of Piquette in the world | individual isolation (O'Connor); spiritual vs. absurd: V's loss of loons a tragic spiritual moment |
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stereotypes: Vanessa imposes her own on
Piquette, a 'noble savage' in touch with nature; but Piquette "a
dead loss" as an Indian (200); town sees Piquette and family as half breeds; satisfies expectations when she dies |
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Document prepared March 18th 2001