Character Analysis Of Characters In Louise Erdich's Love Medicine

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Lizzy Harden October 7, 2009 A.P. Lit and Comp: Period 3 Meng June Morrissey and her Natural Connection Louise Erdich’s Love Medicine possesses a variety of characters with Native American backgrounds or a strong connection to their culture. Native Americans, being a spiritual and earthly people, have sturdy ties to nature. However, none of these characters have a greater bond with it than June Morrissey, who clearly dislikes the domestic lifestyle. This is evident in her childhood, adulthood, and even after her death. Throughout the novel, despite the fact that she has always had the opportunity to have a close familial relationship, June tends to never feel truly comfortable except when in nature. From a young age, June…show more content…
Eli was raised with traditional Native American values and spirituality; his connection with nature is prevalent. June and Eli frequently go into the woods together and “never [come] home empty handed” (92). Marie noticed that “the girl spoke more often once he started coming” (92). Her newfound contentment can be attributed to the fact that she is learning and experiencing ways to make nature her own from Eli and his Native American customs. She eventually decides to live with Eli exclusively, undoubtedly to remove herself from a family setting and spend more time in the…show more content…
June had an affair with another man, Gerry Nanapush, and after Lipsha was born, passed him off to Marie. Upon first hearing the news, Lipsha is surprised and denies it entirely. However, as the story continues, he becomes more and more at peace with it. The final scene of the book has Lipsha staring over a bridge into the water below, thinking of June. He thinks of her as “part of the great loneliness being carried up the driving current” (366), meaning that she has always been a solitary individual one with wild. Despite the fact that Lipsha hardly knew her and only recently found out he was her son, he still sees her as part of nature. He even remarks about how he is glad June had given him up, as her other son “suffered more than Lipsha Morrissey did” (367), signifying her substandard
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