Green Grass Running Water Sparknotes

In Green Grass, Running Water, a postcolonial magic realist novel by Thomas King, various characters' narratives are combined to show the effects of colonialism in North America's past and the harm done to native populations by white supremacy. The novel alternates between chapters that detail native creation tales, a dam project on native land, and other characters' lives while continually following the native main character Lionel, who struggles to advance in life. King's novel examines the negative impact of colonial history in North America and enforced social norms and relationships by focusing on the lives of multiple Indian characters or the individuals involved in them. In fact, Green Grass, Running Water proposes that members of marginalized

King illustrates this through the personas of George Morningstar, Eli Stand Alone, and a satire of the Western film genre.
To begin, George's evident disregard for Latisha's cultural background highlights how privileged communities treat marginalized groups unfairly and how effectively a society can combat prejudice when it works collectively. In his attempts to persuade Latisha that "Canadians [are] traditionalists, stuck in the past and unwilling to take chances" and that "if fifty Canadians [are put] in a room with one American, the American will be in charge in no time," George, a non-Indian American, appears to have little regard for Latisha's origins throughout their marriage (King 156,157). He eventually abuses her verbally and physically, given that he feels entitled to it and assumes he is more worthy than her, including when he "[beat] her until she fell" for not giving him the attention he desired while she was working (192). George leaves his family and does not for years, however, he returns at the sacred Sundance festival to take photographs despite being told he can not and mocks the culture by remarking, "it's not exactly sacred [...]. More

The way Lionel and Eli stand up for their community's beliefs finally gets rid of George and his disrespectful actions for good, demonstrating how people can battle harsh judgment when they band together. The four elderly Indians' demonstration of the Western genre's repair reflects the effectiveness of cooperation and unity in overcoming prejudice. Eli's internalization of stereotypes due to not receiving assistance from his community also illustrates how much more powerful marginalized individuals become when they work together. Overall, the novel highlights an even more terrifying reality: colonialism in North America has done more harm than good for native communities. Despite abundant evidence of this long-term harm, society still supports politicians and initiatives that further degrade the people whose land was appropriated and whose culture was denigrated. Maybe it is time to reconsider why native communities are neglected and mocked rather than respected for their rich culture and