Strength In Louise Erdrich's 'Love Medicine'

Strength is in the Eye of the Beholder
A Tale of Two Grandmas It is often said that perception is reality. In Louise Erdrich’s novel, “Love Medicine,” this is not entirely accurate. Lipsha Morrissey is a young man adopted by whom he refers to as his “Grandma” Marie Kapshaw. Marie in all appearances is what some would call “super-mom.” While tending to the necessities of everyone around her, the perception of her as a domestic goddess most women aspire to be, openly displays her strength. Lipsha’s real grandmother, Lulu, on the other hand, appeared to be unconventional in her attitudes and considered by many not to have self-discipline, her strength is inside and not directly observed. Although both women have strength, Lulu’s is an inner

You would never know that this birth was hard enough for her to die”(Erdrich 101). Marie's strength began at a young age attending Catholic school. Marie then joined the convent, and according to the nuns, “they never thought they’d have a girl from this reservation as a saint they’d have to kneel to” (43). The inclination for Marie was to convince the nuns, and gain the outward appearance of strength by exhibiting that someone from the reservation could be as pure and strong as them. Marie primarily wanted to demonstrate her power to Sister Leopolda, her former teacher, and earn her respect. Marie buried her real feelings, or possibly nonexistent feelings as she thought, “I felt I had no inside voice, nothing to direct me” (54). Calling upon her outside strength, Marie deals with Sister Leopolda’s abuse and attempts to shove her in the oven. After the oven incident, and a “holy piercing” with a fork Marie regained consciousness amongst the nuns and said: “Come forward, Sister Leopolda ... “Kneel beside me” (59). Undoubtedly, Marie had used her new found exterior strength to win over Sister Leopolda and escape the convent, leaving the other nuns with the perception that she was a

She restrains her children with her inner strength. Furthermore, Beverly observed when he visited that “Lulu managed to make the younger boys obey perfectly, while the older ones adored her to the point that they did not tolerate anything less from anyone else” (114). In fact, this scenario shows Lulu’s real inner strength; she was able to make most, well men nevertheless, adore her. Until late in life, no women adored or even befriended her. Although Lulu ruled her roost with her inner strength, it did not mean that she did not have the domestication skills of Marie. Beverly likewise observed, “Even with eight boys her house was neat as a pin. The candy bowl on the table sat precisely on its doily. All the furniture was brushed and straightened” (110). It is like a slap in the face to the women on the reservation, who thought of her as inferior, besides being adored by their men, her house was neat as a