This creature also makes much briefer appearances in a couple of other books by Erdrich, Love Medicine and The Bingo Palace. The other central figure in the supernatural intrusions into reality is the “lake monster” called Misshepeshu. Fleur Pillager is the centerpiece of this magical aspect of the realism within the novel, a fascinating character sometimes described as a “water witch” and whom that potential of controlling the weather is situated around. These intrude into the world of reality rather than the other way around so that the book is sometimes categorized within the genre of magical realism. While the novel is a work of realistic fiction, it does contain elements of the supernatural or unexplained. Even though she was good-looking, nobody dared to court her because it was clear that Misshepeshu, the water man, the monster, wanted her for himself. Men stayed clear of Fleur Pillager after the second drowning. It also sets a precedent for a tonal theme that will recur again and again throughout the book which demonstrates an intricate and inextricable link between tribal people and weather-and the possibility of actually having control over the weather. The quote does more than merely situate the fiction of the novel within a backdrop of historicity, however.
The book opens with tribal elder Nanapush relating the history of the Anishinabe tribe (more familiarly known as Chippewa to most). Nanapush, narrationĬentral to the narrative is the historically factual account of an influenza epidemic which devastated the Chippewa tribe with pneumonia in the early decades of the 20th century. We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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