Shelf to Blame

Now that I have finished Medicine Walk there are two literary theories I would like to discuss, readers' response and psychoanalytic literary theory.

Instead of looking at the influences of society, psychoanalytic literary theory looks at the characters as individuals. This theory is used to help us understand why characters behave the way they do. Eldon is the easiest character to dissect using this theory because we get to see a large chunk of his backstory throughout the novel. There are a few key concepts when using psychoanalytic literary theory, core fears and key behaviours. A behaviour that can be examined in Eldon that is prevalent throughout the story is the repression of his emotions.  

“It comes to fill a man,” Bunky said one night. 

“I ain’t much for poetry,” he said. “But I get what you’re sayin’.”

 “Poetry’s nothin’ but a man feelin’ what’s there anyhow.”

 “I guess. Never lent my head to it is all I meant.”

 “You should. Opens a fella up doin’ that.”

 “Ain’t exactly my strong suit.”

I can use this theory to examine Eldon's past and figure out why he's so closed off. I believe that the repression of his emotions stems from a core fear, the fear of abandonment. I believe that Eldon is scared of the ones he loves leaving him so he hides his past away from them. This would explain why he has never told anyone about what he did to his friend jimmy, except for when he was on his deathbed. Since he feels so badly about the mistakes he's made in the past he believes that people will leave him if they know what he's done.

 To understand why he has this fear we would have to look back into his past. I believe a key event in the development of this fear was losing his father at such a young age. That terrible feeling of loss really affected him as a child, which Is why I believe he's so scared of feeling it again. I can also relate this to him giving his child to the old man to raise. Frank would never have had the chance to leave him if he was never with him in the first place. Overall, this theory has helped me to better understand Eldon's actions and I think it is a very effective way to analyse character traits. 

Reader's response is another theory that I have found interest in. This theory believes that text does not have one individual meaning but the meaning is interpreted by the reader. This means that there's no wrong answer when interrupting a piece of text.  I believe that my interruption is affected by my age and life experiences. I think that if I was older I would feel different about this story. Since I'm young I find myself connecting to the younger people in this story like frank, but if I was older I may understand and connect to the old man or Eldon more. I also have never experienced a major death before (parent, partner, child etc) but if I did, I believe I would have completely different reactions to the deaths in this story. For example, someone who has lost their father may feel sadder watching frank lose his dad than I was. My understandings of loss are very different from that of someone who has gone through it. This is what makes literary reviews so interesting, everyone is going to see the book differently, it doesn't mean some people's opinions are wrong, it just means that they have had different life experiences. 

While Medicine walk covers a wide range of topics and themes such as childhood trauma, alcoholism and war, the theme of death and grief are consistent throughout the novel.

The main plot of the book is Frank assisting his dying father in being buried in a special way, in the warrior position facing the west. Throughout the stories and backstories of the characters we learn about many other deaths, Eldon's friend Jimmy, Eldon's dad, His mother's abuse and the list goes on. The topic of death takes many forms in the novel, we see the consequences of death and even murder and we see death from many different perspectives including indigenous ones. 

Indignity and mention of indigenous cultures and tradition are consistent thought out the entire story, they give us new perspectives and allows us to think deeper about the topic of death. We can see in characters like Jimmy and Angie who are more connected to their Indigeneity handle death differently compared to Eldon who knows very little of his native heritage. 

These different ideas make the book very interesting to me. Death is something that can not be avoided, it's something every person will go through and experience. Seeing how different interpretations of the afterlife and different healing processes affect each character adds dimension to their personalities. Overall, the theme of death is very fascinating and makes for a real attention-grabbing book. Richard Wagamese has used it to add depth to his characters and make them more interesting and unique. 

Eldon in particular is interesting to examine when it comes to the topic of death. When he was little his father died in the war, and then years later he killed his best friend on a similar battlefield. These two very different experiences make up a lot of who Eldon is. This trauma has made him very closed off, we see examples of this countless times throughout the story.

““You could talk to me, you know.” She stood up beside him. She was almost his height and she didn’t have to raise her head to look at him. He could feel the strength of her. He wanted to touch her and his hand trembled at his side a little. He trailed the toe of a boot in the grass.

 “Not a real good thing,” he said.

 “Why?”

 “Work. That’s what I’m here for.” 

“Everybody needs to talk.” 

“Everybody needs to work. Seems to me ya can talk yer way outta work real easy. I can’t afford it.”

 “You can’t afford a friend?””

This is a quote from Eldon's past but his attitude towards vulnerability stays consistent until his last few days spent with his son. The combination of his father dying and having to kill his best friend to stop his own death are two very scaring experiences that caused him to drink the way he does. His alcoholism shapes his character throughout the entire book and affects the way others see him, especially frank. 

In the same section, we see someone act the opposite way. Angie was able to be vulnerable and took her parent's death in a completely different way than Eldon 

““My dad was a working man,” she said.

 “Kind?”

 “Everything. He always said he liked the feel of the earth on his hands. So he did outside work mostly.” 

“Sounds like a good man.”

 “He died when I was twelve. Heart attack. Pretty much worked himself to death.” 

“He was Cree?”

 “White. My mom was Cree.” “She’s gone too.””

From what I know so far, Angie has handled these deaths in a much more healthy way than Eldon. I like that the author provided so many different perspectives on death, it adds depth to the story as a whole. 

Generational trauma also plays a big role in this story. The trauma felt by Eldon and his terrible coping mechanisms have also shaped Franks's personality. Now that Frank knows his father's reactions to death, I wonder how it will affect him when Eldon dies. I still haven't reached Eldon's death but the curiosity of knowing what Frank's reaction will be have not faded only grown. 

Overall, this book is dark, but with such an interesting theme I'm able to stay focused while reading, always wondering what will happen next. I've felt my stomach drop multiple times during the reading of this book and I can't wait for the end. 

Medicine Walk Cover.

As I continue to read Medicine Walk I begin to love the “old man” more and more. The old man is wise and thoughtful, he's very intelligent and is an incredibly hard worker. The more I think about him the more similarities I see between him and my grandfather. 

“The old man had taught him the value of work early and he was content to labour, finding his satisfaction in farm work and his joy in horses and the untrammelled open of the high country.”  

The old man's role as a teacher in Franks's life reminds me of the relationship between my granddad and my father. He also grew up on a farm and was taught to value hard work and farm and hunting skills. Frank reminds me a little bit of my dad as well. He was also quite knowledgeable in hunting at a young age, but I believe that their life experiences make them hard to compare. Frank is much more “tough” and closed off than my dad, while they have similarities in skills, their personalities are too different. 

“The hens were roosting and he was tacking up an extra skein of wire at the base of the hutch. There’d been a fox or a weasel taking hens. They’d lost three already and the old man was angered by it. So the kid had asked how they could fix it. It was a small task and the old man wasn’t prone to babying.”

This quote specifically reminded me of my grandfather. He loves to teach people new skills, rather it was me or my dad he is always willing to share his knowledge but, whatever it was he was teaching you, you had to do it yourself. The old man's gentle sternness is very similar to my grandfather, he's willing to kindly explain something to you and teach you well, but after that, you were on your own. 

“The old man taught him the word “guardian.” It meant protector. It meant that as long as the old man was around there was nothing for him to be afraid of.”

This quote reminds me of the relationship I have with my grandfather. He's not my legal guardian but I've always been so close to him that he might as well be. When I was little, I always felt safe and protected in his presence. I knew his knowledge could get us out of any situation. I think my grandfather is the smartest person I've ever met and think frank feels similarly about the old man

Photo of Richard Wagamese.

As I continue to read Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese, I become more and more invested in the life of Frank Starlight. At this point in the book, Frank is beginning to walk his father to the spot he wishes to be buried. So far this journey has been incredibly entertaining to watch and I cant wait to see how the trip will come to a close.

As I read through the chapters, Im hit serval times with the realization that the main character is still a kid. This isn't hidden information but the attitude and life skills that Frank has are not ones of a sixteen-year-old. Every time he's referred to as "kid" I get hit with the sudden reminder that he is in fact a child. We see in the first chapters how he was raised, he took to farm work and hunting instead of school and was taught how to live off the land. During his journey, we're able to see his skills in action. In one section he gathers berries and mushrooms for his father to help keep him strong while travelling. 

“Yeah. At first he brung me out all the time when I was small. Showed me plants and how to gather them. Everything a guy would need is here if you want it and know how to look for it, he said. You gotta spend time gatherin’ what you need. What you need to keep you strong. He called it a medicine walk.”

I love seeing him being able to showcase his skills. Earlier in the chapter, he also makes a contraption to catch fish for himself and his father. During this section, he and his father talk about the skills they learned throughout their lives. His father said that when he was young he never had the time to learn the skills Frank knows.

““Where’d ya learn all this?” his father asked.

 “What the old man didn’t teach me I taught myself.”

 “Spent a lot of time out here, I guess.” 

“Enough.”

 “Me, I never did.” He stared at the fire and took a small sip from the bottle then nestled it in the boughs at his feet. “We lived in a tent for the most part when I was a kid. Out here. Places like it. But there weren’t ever time to fish. We worked as soon as we could walk. I toted redwood around on a wagon. Had to scavenge it. Didn’t have no axe. Busted it all up by hand and sold it to the people around us.””

It's interesting to see Franks and his dad's relationship develop as I read. As my current understanding, Frank has only seen his dad on a few separate occasions. As their travels progress, more is revealed about his dad's backstory and how he was raised. We learn about Eldon's father and him going to war and his mother and her life afterwards. "He was eleven when his father went to fight it and he found that sudden absence jarring, like a tooth that falls out when you chew. It could sit in your palm and be seen as a tooth but its place was gone and there was only a hole." I believe as we learn more about him Frank will begin to bond and have more sympathy for his father, making his inventable death even more tragic and heartbreaking. 

Overall the progress of Medicine Walk has kept me on the edge of my seat. I can feel myself getting more attached to Eldon and I believe that frank is too. This only makes the book feel darker as I know that Eldon is becoming closer to death with every chapter. While I know it will be sad, I cant wait to see Franks's reaction when the time eventually comes, it will be captivating to see such a closed-off character feel so much emotion and loss.

Over the past week, I have begun reading Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. I've started with just the first six chapters and my first impressions have been nothing but positive.

In these first six chapters, we start to learn about the main character Frank Starlight, more commonly referred to as “kid,” and his relationship with his dad, an old man and the farming lifestyle. It didn't take long for me to become invested in his life. 

In the first chapter, we learn that Frank is no longer with his dad but lives with an old man on a farm. Through the beginning, we learn about their relationship. It mentioned that 

“When he thought of the word father he could only ever imagine the old man.” 

The old man raised him and taught him everything that frank deemed to be important, he didn't care for school he dropped out as soon as he legally could, instead, he focused on the old mans teaching and how to live as a farmer and hunter. 

After learning a small amount about the farm Frank chooses to live on, Frank brings his horse to the city to receive a message from his dad. As soon as the story starts it becomes evident that he has a strained relationship with his father. 

“Never is. Still, he’s my dad.” 

The old man shook his head and bent to retrieve the bucket and when he stood again he looked the kid square. “Call him what you like. Just be careful. He lies when he’s sick.” 

“Lies when he ain’t.”” 

Right from this point, I knew that this was not going to be a light story. To further prove this we can jump to the point where his dad finally spits out what he wants to tell him 

““I want you to take me out into that territory you come through. The one you hunted all your life. There’s a ridge back forty mile. Sits above a narrow valley with a high range behind it, facing east.”

 “I know it.”

 “I want you to take me there.”

 “Why would you want to go out there in your condition?” 

“Because I need you to bury me there.”

When dealing with such a heavy topic so early in the story, I expect the tone of the rest of the book will be quite dark. 

While this conversion is quite tragic it makes me excited for the rest of this story. My excitement only continues to grow as I read chapter six when we learn about some franks ethics and morals, taught to him by none other than the old man.

““Gotta hit what you shoot at and you gotta drop it.” The old man made him repeat that to himself over and over until it lived in his head like a nursery rhyme. “Ain’t right to let nothing suffer.” “Gotta drop it.” It became the mantra he spoke to himself at his school desk.”

I predict that this principle will become very important thought out the book. I think that this teaching is going to somehow be twisted to relate to Frank's dad. Since we're learning about it so early in the book and right after learning about his dad's request, I believe that franks ethics when it comes to life and death will be relevant not only to hunting but to his dad and his sickness. 

Overall, I'm really enjoying this book so far. In a previous English class, my teacher recommended the class to read this book after we read another book by Richard Wagamese titled Ragged Company.

I'm so happy I took his suggestion.

Throughout high school, we are taught that English is very important. It is the only class that you need to take every year and on top of that in Ontario to graduate, you must complete and pass the literacy test. But, at University will we really need the skills taught to us in grade 12 University-level English class? Absolutely. 

English language skills are the base of almost any program you can take at University. Even the most hands-on lab-based courses will require you to have strong reading, writing and comprehension skills. without these basics, you will have trouble not only completing assignments but understanding the material you'll need to learn about.

I think that without the university-level English credit requirement, students would have a harder time understanding the content that they are expected to learn due to low reading and listening comprehension skills. I also believe that students would receive lower marks on assignments for a variety of reasons

I think students would receive lower marks for poor writing skills. The University-level English class will help students with spelling, grammar and how to write clearly and concisely. Lower reading skills will cause students to not be able to read quickly and for long periods. This can cause them to have trouble completing class work.

Another essential skill that University-level English teaches is proper citing skills. Understanding how to cite information, what needs to be cited and what format to use when citing are incredibly important skills to have when going into University. Any piece of information that is not your own needs to be cited. Not following your school's academic honesty policy is incredibly serious and can even cause you to get expelled.

Because of reasons like these, I don't think this credit requirement will be disappearing anytime soon.

i think that without the unverity leval enilsh critd requrement students would have a harder time understanding the content that they are expeted to learn due to low reading and listen compersion skills. i alos bleive that students would recive lower marks on agginments for a vairty of resons

i think studetns would recive lower marks for poor writting skills. the universlty leval english class with help students with spelling, grammer and how to wrtie in a clear and concise way. lower reading skills may also cuase for students. if students arnt able to read quiclky and for long periods of time they may have troble completing class work.

another esseintal skill that unverity lebal english teaches is proper citing. understanding how to cite information, what needs to be citied and what format to use when citing are incerbly imporant skills to have when going into unverity. any peice of information that inst your own needs to be citied. not follwing your schools aciimc hosnet policy can is incrbly seroius and can even cause you to get explled.