Identity Culture Home Reclaiming Nativism in the Novels of Thomas King

Abstract

This dissertation comprises five chapters. They discuss how Thomas King s three newlinenovels - Medicine River; Green Grass, Running Water; Truth and Bright Water- depict the newlinepride of the Native Americans and their willingness to stand up for themselves and reinstate newlinetheir self image. A close knit native community is marked by unity and togetherness and newlinesevering of connection for a person from native community results in a state of isolation. The newlinestate of isolation leads to a sense of alienation and the effort to get back to the former state. newlineThe first chapter deals with Native American meetings with American Europeans. newlineThe second chapter highlights the Native Americans longing for and belonging to a lost newlineHome. This study has been made with reference to Medicine River. Similarly chapter three newlinedeals with the Native Americans search for roots and the origins of Native American newlinestorytelling as reflected in the novel Green Grass, Running Water. This chapter can be newlineviewed as a way of reclaiming native culture through the employment of the circular newlinenarrative and its relationship to the sun dance ceremony. Through the employment of native newlinestorytelling techniques and reoccurring water motif, this chapter shows the manner in which newlineKing reclaims his cultural heritage. The fourth chapter describes the configurations of Native newlineCultural Identity through a study of Truth and Bright Water. King, as an author of newlineassociational Literature, creates a picture of a community that is forceful of its critique of newlinenationalist politics and at the same time, less interested in overturning the foundations of newlineWhite Western Culture. The fifth chapter of this thesis analyzes how King s novels assert to newlineregain an individual s honour and certainty, and describes the struggle that is worthwhile newlinedoing. His writings attempt to show the victory of native culture over white imperial power newlinestructures. They voice protest against the mechanisms to control and the colonizing strategy. newline