The Role Of Environment In The Beet Queen, By Lousie Erdrich

Environment is a State of Mind

1932: an arduous time in American history, filled with hopes ripped away by the Kansas winds and dreams dropped like the rates of the stock market. The 1986 novel, The Beet Queen, perfectly encapsulates this event and its effects on American society. The author, Lousie Erdrich, does this by introducing two characters, a brother and sister, who relocate to a new town, both with different expectations for what their future will look like. Unfortunately for them, this new setting isn’t all that they had hoped and bargained for. The environment presented by Erdrich is a physical representation of the two conflicting personalities of the siblings, Mary and Karl. The environment itself impacts the characters in two

In the beginning of the excerpt, Erdrich introduces Karl as a feminine fourteen year old, as opposed to the ordinary Mary. Erdrich describes Karl by stating, “His mouth was sweetly curved, his skin fine and girlish.” (Erdrich, line 14-15) Furthermore, at the time of the setting, women were often depicted as weak and fragile, to the point where they couldn’t handle new environments well. Describing him in a more feminine fashion explains Karl’s fearful reaction to the environment, similar to that of a woman of the time period. Another connection is through the indirect comparison of Karl and a tree that bears white, delicate blossoms. The tree is portrayed in the passage as, “one tree, weak, a scratch of light against the gray of everything else, tossed in a film of blossoms… The tree drew him with its delicate perfume ” (Erdrich, line 42-46). In essence, Erdrich specifically compared the tree’s attributes to that of Karl’s as a way of signifying how he did not belong. The environment’s impact is further symbolized when the tree eventually dies due to the damage caused by Karl’s skirmish with an aggressive dog. Furthermore, the tree is a physical representation of Karl, where Karl’s nature is not fit for this inhospitable environment. This point is further emphasized by the excerpt stating, “It was such a large branch, from such a small

Why were either in a situation that caused them to have such stark and opposing reactions? The answer lies in the investigation of the historical context of this novel. The introduction of The Beet Queen takes place in 1932, two years after the Dust Bowl and three years after the start of the Great Depression. The American country, as a whole, is in a state of restfulness and panic regarding the future that is yet to come. This uneasiness caused two main reactions: one characterized by cowardice and childish ignorance, and the other of practicality and awareness of the current situation. This is seen in Karl and Mary, respectively. In reference to Karl, the majority of the evidence is seen with symbolism and word choice. The first instance of this is when Karl is described as a “sleepwalker”, transfixed by a white-flowered tree in lines 45-49. The tree is the only vibrant feature of the bleak, barren landscape. It represents the memory of the extravagance seen in the 1920’s Jazz Age. By Karl being tempted by the tree’s “delicate perfume”, it is signifying his inability to cope with his current situation and his wish to return to simpler times. However, Mary is not amused, actually far from it. According to the passage, “Mary trudged solidly forward, hardly glancing at it…” (Erdrich, lines 44-45) Instead of daydreaming about their past