Notes

Louse Erdrich’s novel Tracks, published in 1988, is the third in a tetralogy of novels that explores the interrelated lives of families who live in and around an Indian reservation in North Dakota. The narrative of Tracks is the earliest chronologically, delving into the back story of several characters from the other books. Erdrich has commented on the importance of titles in her work. In the book Conversations with Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris , Erdrich says a book title is like a “magnet” drawing experiences, memories, and conversations to it until those pieces coalesce as a book. The book’s title may be drawn partly from themes surrounding the past. Like tracks or footprints left behind, the narratives of Nanapush and Pauline often look back at those “tracks” of the past. Tracks may also refer to the historical context of the novel. For example, Lulu’s mother wants to prevent her from marrying a Morrissey, a reference to the Morrissey/ Pillager land rights following the 1887 ...

Ben Price is Jimmy's equal. Jimmy is an expert at cracking safes; Ben Price, an expert at catching safecrackers. Ben shows his expertise in part of his dialogue: "Look at that combination knob—jerked out as easy as pulling up a radish in wet weather. He's got the only clamps that can do it. And look how clean those tumblers were punched out! Jimmy never has to drill but one hole." These were the days before the federal government took over most of the work of protecting banks. Ben Price likely works for one of the big private detective agencies which banks employed for protection. Ben is obviously a specialist in banks and knows a lot about Jimmy Valentine's methods and criminal exploits. He has already arrested Jimmy Valentine once and sent him to prison for four years for a bank job in Springfield. There on the floor was still Ben Price's collar-button that had been torn from that eminent detective's shirt-band when they had overpowered Jimmy to arrest h...

José is Eddie's high school friend who comes home to Fresno on leave from the Marines. In Chapter Four, he informs Eddie that he is soon to be shipped out to a "top secret" destination. He offers to take Eddie out for breakfast at a local Mexican restaurant called Cuca's. After finishing, they meet a black man selling onions. José agrees to buy three bags and after they go to the man's car to get the onions, Eddie sees Mr. Stiles's truck across the street. The truck had been stolen while in Eddie's possession a few days earlier. José heads off to look at the truck while Eddie goes back into the restaurant to phone Mr. Stiles. When he returns to the street, José is lying on the ground, a victim of a stabbing, presumably by the guys who stole the truck. José is taken to the hospital where he has stitches placed in his stomach and shoulder. The onions are symbolic of the misfortune and grief which pervades the novel. It is fitting that José should be purchasi...

Picking a song to match the mood, tone, or images in a particular section of a story is one interesting way to help that part of the story come alive for you, or to help yourself connect to it on a personal level. So, as we're thinking about how Ms. Maudie's house burns down in Chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird , we're imagining how Scout feels. It's the middle of the night, it's very cold outside, and the chaos of the fire and all the men scrambling to put it out combine to give Scout a feeling of both terror and excitement. You can also imagine how Ms. Maudie feels--she actually says later that she hates her house and was glad when it burned down, so she can build one more to her liking. Remember, she's happier outside in her garden, anyway. Taking all that into consideration, we're looking for a song that expresses exhilaration and even joy as something is destroyed. Let me suggest Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away." It's an exciting son...

When Crooks and Lennie are talking to Candy about their dream of having land in Crooks’s room in the stable, Curley’s wife comes in.  We have already been introduced to her.  The men on the ranch avoid her because they think she is trouble.  They worry that she is a tease.  Her entrance seems to confirm this reputation. "Any you boys seen Curley?" They swung their heads toward the door. Looking in was Curley's wife. Her face was heavily made up. Her lips were slightly parted. She breathed strongly, as though she had been running. (Ch. 4)  Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks all have one thing in common—they are lonely.  They were getting along well until Curley’s wife came in.  She tells them that all men are scared, so she can get along with one man, but not a group.  Curley’s wife uses the advantage of her status to be rude to the other men. She is racist to Crooks.  He was opening up to the other men, disarmed by Lennie’s honesty and genuine nature, but she turned him int...

I also think that what Jonas could not articulate is that there is a risk of loss in love.  His life of emotional deprivation does not give him a vocabulary with which to express this idea, but the book makes clear that people are not really emotionally invested in one another in any way.  If Jonas were to die, his parents, parental units, really, would no doubt miss him, but there is nothing to suggest they would feel grief. They are on record as not loving him. Death is unknown in this community, since it is euthanasia that is tidied up, euphemized, and hidden from the people. If one's beloved grandparent were to die, it would be a painful loss, one of the risks of love.  Similarly, if people chose partners based on love, that love could be lost, another of its risks.   

The point of view in Maupassant's story "The Coward" is that of Viscount Gontran-Joseph de Signoles. In fact this man is by himself throughout most of the story after he challenges a total stranger whose name is Georges Lamil to a duel. Maupassant describes in detail what is going on in Signoles' mind while he is alone. This is presented not as stream of consciousness but as interior monologue. For example, Signoles examines the card he received in exchange for his at the restaurant where the incident began. He examined the grouped letters; they seemed to him mysterious, full of confused meaning. Georges Lamil? Who was this man? What did he do? Why had he looked at the woman in that way? Was it not revolting that a stranger, an unknown man, could thus disturb a man's life, without warning, just because he chose to fix his insolent eyes upon a woman? Signoles gradually loses his nerve as he thinks about the various aspects of the upcoming duel. Maupassant describes...