Allusions In Love Medicine

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Allusion Throughout Love Medicine Louise Erdrich used allusions to refer to different events that effected Native American culture and their life on the reservation. Vietnam, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and differrent laws surrounding the relocation of Natives were referenced in this piece. Erdrich used allusions to refer to childrens programs like Road Runner and Tarzan. She used Tarzan beating his chest to to convey the emotional prayer he was giving in the church and Howard Kashpaw’s evening televisions show to lead Lishpaw MOrrissey to some deep thoughts about life. However, the more prominate allusions were those that refered to the government deal to give the Native Americans back their land although their land wasnt the same as the one they got back. This helps the reader understand why the Natives have a general anamosity towards the government such as the time when Gerry Nanapush needed his friends to testify in court and they all fell through. Characterization Direct Louise Erdrich used direct characterization to describe almost every character the reader comes across. The very first character met was June Kashpaw and she was …show more content…

We see this through the elders and Lishpa mostly who is encouraged to make love medicine by Grandma Kashpaw. On the other hand we see the grandchildren of the Kashpaws wanting to move off the reservations and submerge themselves in to american culture. Albertine goes to school to become a nurse, and eventually a doctor, and King moves to the city to work. And many other children come back form minneapolis and Chicago to attend the funeral of Nector Kashpaw. However, we also see major assimilation from the elders as well. They embraced a christian catholic church and forsake their traditional gods and goddesses of their Chippewa ansestors. This theme carried through the whole book across generations and