Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 13, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

In her novel Tracks, Louise Erdrich tells the story of a band of Anishinaabe early in the twentieth century. Through the two narrators, one a tribal elder and the other a mixedblood who eventually abandons the traditions of the tribe, the novel offers two divergent perspectives of the events that take place as the government divests the tribe of its land. The conflicting perceptions of these occurrences, which are magical realist in nature, underscore the conflict within the tribe to maintain tradition in the face of the ever-increasing influence of European settlers. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the perceptions at odds with one another in order to shed new light on the significance of Erdrich’s use of magical realism in the text. Highlighting Erdrich’s engagement with magical realism, a largely postcolonial literary device, will hopefully expand notions of identity and authenticity within the Native American literary tradition.

This thesis paper illuminates nature and its relationship to the characters in LouiseErdrich’s novel Love Medicine. Now more than ever, there is a need for literatureanalyses that explores nature with a critical lens; it is a need brought forth by thecontemporary world, namely, the global environmental crisis. Nature is both preciousand omnipresent, and some cultures have a deep respect for this simple truth. Such isthe case with some of the Ojibwe people in Love Medicine. This thesis explores theclose relationship with nature evinced by some of the Native American characters inLove Medicine. Moreover, it illustrates the construed idea and portrayal of westernsocieties as destructive and exploitative.

<p>The essay studies the character Marie's search for empowerment in Louise Erdrich's <em>Love Medicine</em>. As a mixed-blood she has difficulty to find respect within the white community because she is considered Native American Indian. However, the Native American Indian community sees her as ´dirty and lowlife´due to her whiteness. She tries different strattegies to form an identity and to find love, power and respect. In the convent she wants to be the best Catholic and find respect within the white community whilst later in life she returns to her Native American Indian tribe where she searches for respect throught marriage and motherhood. The theory used is sociology of religion.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on April 27, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Ronald L. Strickland (chair), Susan Kalter, Kristin Dykstra, Elizabeth K. Stone. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 209-221) and abstract. Also available in print.

The Native American characters in Love Medicine and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian experience prejudice from other Native Americans and suffer from internalized norms and values. This study examines whether or not the prejudice the fictional characters in Love Medicine and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indianexperience and express as Native Americans unite them as a community or not. It also investigateshow they view white society andif the Native American characters have prejudice against the members of their own tribal community. The analysis is partially based on postcolonial theory and focuses on terms such as internalisation, acculturation and prejudice. The thesis found that the communitiesare united on the premises that they conform to the Native American norms but any deviation from these norms has the potential to divide them.

The essay studies the character Marie's search for empowerment in Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine. As a mixed-blood she has difficulty to find respect within the white community because she is considered Native American Indian. However, the Native American Indian community sees her as ´dirty and lowlife´due to her whiteness. She tries different strattegies to form an identity and to find love, power and respect. In the convent she wants to be the best Catholic and find respect within the white community whilst later in life she returns to her Native American Indian tribe where she searches for respect throught marriage and motherhood. The theory used is sociology of religion.

Since Native American Literature has been established, Native American authors have discussed the influence of the western world on Native traditions and Native identity within their work. Christianity is one of those elements of western cultural influences that shaped remarkably the change of Native traditions under the influence of colonialism. In this dissertation it will be discussed how the influence of Christianity is being written into the novels by Native American writers and which functions are attributed to Christianity in respect to the enforcement of colonial interests and in respect to changes within Native traditions. For this dissertation four authors (D'Arcy McNickle, Paula Gunn Allen, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich) were chosen whose pieces of work mark a difference in approach. Their novels testify to the contradictory fusion of colonial and missionary goals on the one side and to the possible enrichment of Native customs on the other side. The novels can, therefore, be characterized as an assemble that reaches from total rejection of anything that is assumed to be Christian to an affirmative way of incorporating selective aspects of Christianity to the final denial that there is an evaluation of this historical issue possible. In respect to the method applied, all pieces of literary work are discussed in their usage of Christian literary elements and intertextual references to the Bible and other Christian literary sources. An afterword refers to novels and short stories by further 17 Native American authors who are concerned with the Christian influence on Native traditions in their work as well. The results of the research in the dissertation will then be extended by discussing those pieces of fictional work. / Seit der Etablierung des indianischen Romans im Kanon der amerikanischen Gegenwartsliteratur suchen indianische Schriftsteller nach Wegen, die doppelte Prägung der modernen indianischen Identität durch traditionelle Werte einerseits und westlichen Einfluss andererseits fiktional aufzuarbeiten. Ein Element der westlichen Welt, das die Veränderungen der indianischen Kulturen unter der Einwirkung der Kolonisation maßgeblich mitbestimmt hat, ist die christliche Religion. In der Dissertation wird untersucht, wie das Wirken des Christentums auf das indigene Selbstbild in der US-amerikanischen indianischen Romanliteratur thematisiert wird und welche Funktionen ihm für die Durchsetzung kolonialer Interessen und für den Wandel der indianischen Traditionen im Verlauf der letzten 500 Jahre zuerkannt werden. Für die Fragestellung wurden vier Autorinnen und Autoren ausgewählt (D'Arcy McNickle, Paula Gunn Allen, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich), deren Romanwerke die Gegensätzlichkeit zwischen der Verquickung kolonialer Interessen mit religiösen Motiven einerseits und der Bereicherung der indianischen Kulturen durch christliche Traditionen andererseits widerspiegeln. Die Romane bilden einen Spannungsbogen von strikter Ablehnung alles Christlichen, über die affirmative Aufnahme christlicher Elemente bis hin zur Pluralisierung der Bewertungsmöglichkeiten bei gleichzeitiger Aufgabe der Bewertungsgewissheit hinsichtlich des christlichen Einflusses. Methodisch wird hierbei folgendermaßen vorgegangen. Die Romane werden auf intertextuelle Verweise zu christlichen literarischen Quellen und insbesondere der Bibel untersucht, um daran die Gestaltung des Untersuchungsgegenstandes zu erörtern. Ein ausführlicher Ausblick verweist auf Romane und Erzählungen weiterer 17 indianischer Autorinnen und Autoren der Gegenwart, um hieran die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zu präzisieren und zu ergänzen.

Since Native American Literature has been established, Native American authors have discussed the influence of the western world on Native traditions and Native identity within their work. Christianity is one of those elements of western cultural influences that shaped remarkably the change of Native traditions under the influence of colonialism. In this dissertation it will be discussed how the influence of Christianity is being written into the novels by Native American writers and which functions are attributed to Christianity in respect to the enforcement of colonial interests and in respect to changes within Native traditions. For this dissertation four authors (D'Arcy McNickle, Paula Gunn Allen, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich) were chosen whose pieces of work mark a difference in approach. Their novels testify to the contradictory fusion of colonial and missionary goals on the one side and to the possible enrichment of Native customs on the other side. The novels can, therefore, be characterized as an assemble that reaches from total rejection of anything that is assumed to be Christian to an affirmative way of incorporating selective aspects of Christianity to the final denial that there is an evaluation of this historical issue possible. In respect to the method applied, all pieces of literary work are discussed in their usage of Christian literary elements and intertextual references to the Bible and other Christian literary sources. An afterword refers to novels and short stories by further 17 Native American authors who are concerned with the Christian influence on Native traditions in their work as well. The results of the research in the dissertation will then be extended by discussing those pieces of fictional work. / Seit der Etablierung des indianischen Romans im Kanon der amerikanischen Gegenwartsliteratur suchen indianische Schriftsteller nach Wegen, die doppelte Prägung der modernen indianischen Identität durch traditionelle Werte einerseits und westlichen Einfluss andererseits fiktional aufzuarbeiten. Ein Element der westlichen Welt, das die Veränderungen der indianischen Kulturen unter der Einwirkung der Kolonisation maßgeblich mitbestimmt hat, ist die christliche Religion. In der Dissertation wird untersucht, wie das Wirken des Christentums auf das indigene Selbstbild in der US-amerikanischen indianischen Romanliteratur thematisiert wird und welche Funktionen ihm für die Durchsetzung kolonialer Interessen und für den Wandel der indianischen Traditionen im Verlauf der letzten 500 Jahre zuerkannt werden. Für die Fragestellung wurden vier Autorinnen und Autoren ausgewählt (D'Arcy McNickle, Paula Gunn Allen, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich), deren Romanwerke die Gegensätzlichkeit zwischen der Verquickung kolonialer Interessen mit religiösen Motiven einerseits und der Bereicherung der indianischen Kulturen durch christliche Traditionen andererseits widerspiegeln. Die Romane bilden einen Spannungsbogen von strikter Ablehnung alles Christlichen, über die affirmative Aufnahme christlicher Elemente bis hin zur Pluralisierung der Bewertungsmöglichkeiten bei gleichzeitiger Aufgabe der Bewertungsgewissheit hinsichtlich des christlichen Einflusses. Methodisch wird hierbei folgendermaßen vorgegangen. Die Romane werden auf intertextuelle Verweise zu christlichen literarischen Quellen und insbesondere der Bibel untersucht, um daran die Gestaltung des Untersuchungsgegenstandes zu erörtern. Ein ausführlicher Ausblick verweist auf Romane und Erzählungen weiterer 17 indianischer Autorinnen und Autoren der Gegenwart, um hieran die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zu präzisieren und zu ergänzen.

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