Symbolism In Motorcycles And Sweetgrass

A few prudent people have an ideology that magic exists in our lives. They believe that magic clenches our lives, and it is the wild horse that carries the chariot of our lives.. Everyone, however ordinary they may be, experiences the bliss of magic at least once in their life. When you find a stronghold in pure chaos. That’s magic! Magic is unrealistic to most people, but it is magic that guides us through all the dilemmas. The book “ Motorcycles and sweetgrass” by Drew Haydon Taylor explores this ideology. The magic in the writer’s story is expressed through various mediums. But the center of this idea in the story is John. A mystical indigenous creature (Nanabush), disguised as a white blonde man. He is by nature a trickster, and a shapeshifter.

He is a shapeshifter, and a trickster. Nanabush sometimes create life and make things better. But mostly due to their nature they are associated with mischief, and raising a ruckus. The mysterious character of John in the novel is a Nanabush. He comes to visit a dying Lilian. Now this mere act of love from a trickster is magic. Because love is magical, and although Nanabush are just troublemakers he comes to say farewell to Lilian. He defies his nature. We could ponder over the reason as to why he does this. He defied his instinct as he and Lilian loved each other but had to be separated in their childhood. The affection and love between John and Lilian is quite clear. Quite unbelievable but a trickster that comes to make a dying woman happy. Although the literal existence of John is magical, yet his actions of love tend to outweigh his magical presence. “Coincidences Don't exist. That’s exactly the kind of thing he would do. I think it’s called irony.”(201 Taylor). Wayne says this when he finds out that John is the Nanabush. He says that everything happens for a reason. It's not a coincidence that John is here, and it's not a coincidence that he has developed an infatuation with their tribal chief. Wayne and Virgil are both frightened after this revelation that John may not be human. They weren't afraid of a white blond man riding a motorcycle. But they are afraid of a magical creature. Magic to most people is incomprehensible.

But it does not always tend to create positive effects in our lives. Magic is wild and funny. It does enlighten your life, but it may also go the other way around. John was there to help the community. He didn't want a war with the racoons. His intentions were right but one can only be ironic up until a point. Your instincts do always get the better of you. Us humans have this flaw and we fall prey to our instincts, and lean towards gratifications. Nanabush is a half human mythical creature that is a trickster by nature. John tries his best to fulfill his promise but he falls prey to his nature. “I will do what my nature will tell me to do.that’s all any of us can do.” (52). John says this to a dying Lilian. She asks him what he’ll do when she dies. He says what he can do, he’ll do whatever is in his nature. A bit of underlying melancholy can be seen in his tone. Expressing his love for Lilian. John in these lines tends to justify all his actions later on in the books. He tries to defy his nature due to the promises he made to Lilian. But in the end does what his instincts tell him to do. He eats an elder raccoon to start a war with them. He buries a bone from the museum in the problematic piece of land. So a panic arose as people would not want to use a burial place for their own purpose. He started a ruckus in the community. In the beginning he tried his best not to stir any trouble and grew close to Maggie. John in the story