The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse - Research Paper Example

Task “Use of repetition of Religious symbols by Louise Erdrich to fit specific syncretism view" “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” is the fourth novel of Louise Erdrich after Love Medicine, The Beet Queen and Tracks. The thesis examines the manner in which Louise Erdrich utilizes the catholic symbols advances over the path of her novel “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” Throughout her work Erdrich frequently rephrases Catholic symbols, specifically those for baptism and the Virgin Mary. Every point of repeating the use of these symbols Erdrich regulates the narrative by rephrasing the Catholic symbolism to suit a specific syncretism perceptive. This gradually obliterates the preceding tensions, which existed between the Catholic customs and the Ojibwe customary religion. Erdric brings the symbols to an ultimate synergetic declaration in the character of Father Damien. Moreover, Erdrich applies recurrence of Catholic symbolism to explore questions of gender and cultural distinctiveness, which are entrenched within the religious history of Catholicism and Ojibwe customary religion. Introduction This is one of the remarkable novels of Louise Erdrich, where he takes her readers through the saintly realm and on an astounding expedition of soul searching. The novel presents a challenge and adjusts our ideas about issues such as the deep meaning of gender and purpose for religion. This essay seeks to answer the question “does Louise Erdrich succeed in using repetition of religious symbols to fit specific syncretism view?” As a point of departure, Louise Erdrich argues her association with the faith of her custom, the Catholicism of her father and her mothers’ Ojibwe traditional religion. Erdrich accepts that, religion is a profound power, which people magnetize around the central faith system (Louise, 106). However, Erdrich notes that, individual loyalty to both is difficult. In an interview, with Katie Bacon, Erdrich confirms that, there is no existence of worry in his life concerning the two structures of belief (Katie, 11). This change in response presumes that Erdrich has undergone a complete metamorphosis on reconciliation. Looking directly at Erdrich’s application of religious symbolism over the course of her novel “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse”, she seems to have created a relationship between the two structures of belief. This allows her to move from a conflict point of complementary synergic acceptance to a point of balance (Louise, 107). It is imperative to note that, this change of mind to a reconciliatory tone is not by theological synthesis of the beliefs upheld by the two religions, but it comes from Erdrich’s aptitude to find a way to budge past the agonizing chronological association, which existed amid the two systems of beliefs. The change in perspective is mirrored in Erdrich’s application of religious symbolism in her novel. In the novel “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” numerous of Aldrich’s religious arguments arrive at a sort of culmination. Use of Baptism Within this Baptismal prospect, Erdrich presents a substitute but practicable understanding of baptismal symbolism. Erdrich achieves this by describing the baptism of Lulu Nanapush. Nonetheless, in her second adjustment of the prospect, Erdrich decides to portray the events from the viewpoint of Father Damien. It is notable that, Father Damien‘s recitation completes a trajectory of narrators that begun in The Beet Queen, with Wallace Pfef. At first Erdrich perceives the Christian baptism from A German-American view then explores the Ojibwe view through the eyes of Nanapush and reaches that a point of religious syncretism through the recitation of Father Damien who embraces both Catholic and Ojibwe customs (Louise, 113). The three viewpoints explored belong to men or a masquerading male such as for the case of Father Damien. These men are not able to sire children. Following this predicament, the power of baptism is specifically prevailing to them since it invites them into a community, which could not penetrate on their own. When considering the second recitation of Lulu’s baptism Erdrich initiates the baptism by first recounting Father Damien’s encounter when he was going to the birth house. This bear is assumed the one discussed in Erdrich’s Tracks (Louise, 113). The bear is said to be a spirit bear because it did not leave a mark even after Pauline shot it. As Micelle Hessler recounts in her article “Catholic Nuns and Ojibwe Shamans: Pauline and Fleur in Louise Erdrich’s Tracks” in Ojibwe religion “each individual possesses two spirits, which they can metamorphose into other animate objects as they travel (Louise, 41)” On equal measure, at the birth of Lulu, Fleur metamorphosed into the bear as a bear walker (Louise, 42), which indicates to us of her considerable spiritual power. It is imperative to note that, the bear at the baptism in both Tracks and the Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse represents not only a wild animal in the forest, but also serves as a prevailing symbol of Fleuer’s Obijwe religion. In father Damien’s narration of baptism, he comes ahead of the bear after it has left the birth house. Father Damien does not run from the bear, as it was the case with Nanapush and Margaret or as Pauline tried to kill it by shooting. However, Damien is seen to get out her holy water and consecrates the bear (Louise, 183). This incident tells the audience of something meaning of the bear to Father Damien. Following our understanding that, the bear represents Fleur’s spirit animal, then conclusively, Father Damien’s move is noteworthy. At first, Father Damien instantaneously recognizes the religious fundamentalism of the animal. In addition, the act of sanctifying the bear as Fleur’s representative, Father Damien come to the baptismal service having predetermined his honor for Fleur’s substantial powers and, by addition, her Ojibwe religion. The repetition of use of symbols is vivid in this instance and Erdrich succeeds to use baptism to indicate the powers of Ojibwe bestowed on the bear. Father Damien’s baptism of the animal provides a counter image to Fleur’s denunciation of Father Damien in the Tracks. It is observable that, whilst Fleur aggressively, denies Father Damien ‘spiritual practices, Father Damien shows respect to Fleur’s religion by coming to her birth house (Louise, 112). Damien’s move and actions towards Fleur do not intend to indicate Damien’s open mindedness on religion but serving as a procedure appropriate enough, with which strangers or outsiders approach and acknowledge the Ojibwe religion. Conversely, the portrayal of Damien’s respectful advancement gives a counteract image to a chronological account of the Catholic priests violating the sacrament of baptism amid the Native American people. Erdrich continues to distinguish between the baptisms in the novel “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” and portrayed in Tracks through Father Damien’s conclusion of the baptismal service. Whereas Nanapush recounts that Fleur blocked the ceremony in Tracks, Father Damien tells that, in spite of his reservations about baptizing in surreptitious, “the tender damage was done” (Louise, 183). This indicates that the baptism ceremony was concluded without any intermission from Fleur. On the other hand, Father Damien’s act of honor for Fleur before the ceremony appears to be the primary reason, which Fleur allows the ceremony to continue. In addition, Father Damien is permitted to take the child in is arms after the service emphasizing that Fleur did not draw the child back into the birth house. Even though Fleur does not dissent Father Damien’s edition of baptism tale, Erdrich still applies the panorama to allude to baptisms’ historical knot to cultural conversion. Erdrich succeeds to use Baptism is repeatedly in this instance, to indicate the relationship between Fleur and Father Damien. Fleur and Damien respect each other. The Virgin Mary Statue The presentation of the Virgin Mary is similar to the one portrayed in the Tracks. It continues to portray the virgin in terms of her relationship with Pauline. The Feast represents the setting of the virgin. The feast is explained as “a feast of commemorating the happy exit of Mary from this life and the supposition of her remains into paradise” (The Catholic Encyclopedia). The manner, in which Erdrich sets this scene, indicates to readers that, tension exists between Pauline and the Statue of the Virgin Mary. The recitation moves back to the third person and this gives us an indication of an outsider’s view. Erdrich depicts Pauline’s stare as holding a “withering power” (Louise, 108). As Pauline passes by Damien, feels “a protest of the heart fashioned by those great, dead awful eyes” (Louise, 109). This portrayal presents Pauline as a character progressively isolated from those around her and does not reflect the picture of a saint that she needs to venture. As Pauline progressively becomes desperate to hold on onto her power, the virgin is portrayed in terms her wish to distance herself from Pauline as recited by Erdrich “the underprivileged, disfigured Virgin wore an appearance of revulsion” (Louise, 109). By using the omniscient narrator, Erdrich dismantles the relationship between Pauline and the Statue of Virgin Mary. On equal measure, reinforcing the lack of power linked with Pauline, Erdrich takes the picture and illustrates the events of the feast producing a reverse conversion character of Kashpaw. The Ojibwe elder who comes to the feast “newly baptized and morose” (Katie, 23), driving a cart from which the Virgin is thrust. The tumult causes the cart to overturn and a tree branch pierces Kashpaw. Kashpaw’s catholic conversion is gradually reversed as he retreats to his customary religion characterized by his smoking of the pipe. The reverse conversion indicates a complete sever Pauline’s spiritual power. This means that Pauline will no longer manipulate the symbols of Christianity. In conclusion, Erdrich come out strong in his novel “The last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” to distinguish between the two systems of belief: Catholicism and Ojibwe. The two are associated but also differ on the possession of powers. Erdrich evidences that, it is difficult for an individual to embrace two the beliefs at the same time. However, he notes that conversion from one belief to another is not likely to last since the converts at one time in future retreats to their old belief willingly or unwillingly. Work cited Bacon Katie. “An Emissary of the Between –World.” Atlantic Unbound. (17 Jan 2001) Erdrich, Louise. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. Print. Read More