Love medicine novel - Essay Example

Along with myriad themes interplaying subtly within the plot of the novel, lays the theme of existential crisis which is one of the potent motifs of the texts evolved during the post-modern periods. The identity crisis and the quest of the self or the ‘cogito ergo sum’ concept which means I think and therefore I exists develops as a very important thematic aspect of the novel, “Love Medicine” as the story of the novel proceeds. THESIS STATEMENT The characters of the story are the symbols manifesting multiple themes of the novel.

The character of Marie Kashpaw builds the theme of existential crisis or the quest for identity within the text. This essay intends to brew up and discuss the theme of identity crisis inherent within the novel, “Love Medicine” through an analytical and exploratory analysis of its character Marie Kashpaw. MARIE: A STUDY OF THE CHARACTER FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EXISTENTIALISM The Chippewa tribe of North Dakota originally and as showed in the novel too are a patriarchal tribe. However, the presence of the two feminine characters Marie and Lulu only does not support that the text is feministic in nature.

The novel, “Love Medicine” also projects the character of two matriarchs who through their immense strength and indelible courage are able to unite the family members together. Marie Kashpaw is married to the chairman of the tribe. Nevertheless, her esteemed position in her small community does not end up by being only the ornamental head matriarch of the community. At the outset of the novel itself, as pointed out by Louise Erdrich, one can find Marie proudly asserting, “He is what he is because I made him” (154).

This is a statement Marie passes indicating her husband who is the chief of the tribal council and her statement is admitted by almost everyone surrounding her including her children. From the character analysis of Marie Kashpaw, her prideful nature and her immense capacity to unite not only the members of her family but also the members of her community finds a profound expression. The sense of identity or to be precise self-created identity is found so stark in Marie that when her parents come to drop off June she comments, “the two drunk ones”.

She desperately passes comment about her mother, “the old drunk woman who I didn’t claim as my mother anymore” (85). Marie is aware of her identity which she has made for herself and which she places above all the other entities in her life. Her quest for creating her own identity was successful and was above the limitations of a Lazzare. Marie is strong willed and a very much revered matriarch in her community. Marie comments when she goes to meet dieing num “by now I was a solid class.

Nector was tribal chairman. My children were well behaved, and they were educated too" (148). She was very happy and confident to meet an old acquaintance because she was aware of the fact that she had been the strong pivot of her family which enabled them to gain prosperity and respect in the society. She is happy to make Nector worthy of his position and train her children with good behavior and education as well. The socio-political