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Name : Widya Saraswati Nim : C0311045 HP : 085725422545

LULU NANAPUSH LAMARTINE

She is one of major character in the novel love medicine. There are several chapters in the novel that describe about Lulu Nanapush Lamartine, as follows: Wild Geese, Lulus Boys, The Plunge of the Brave, The good tears, and Crossing the water. She is described as attractive woman ,as we can see from Wild Geeses chapter Nector Kaspaw still loving Lulu .Nector stated that She is the only one of them I want(Edrich,page: 58). Furthermore ,Lulu physical appearance shows how hard her life and how struggle she keep her children ,it stated by nector that Lulu has a bad looks hand, cut and swollen and it is not washed(Edrich,page:62). Lulu also the do all aspects of reservation, with her family-life together through good and bad times and take the responsibility of many mouths to feed. At the same time she is a reflection of good housewife Indian, because she always keeps everything neatly. Moreover,she still can raise her children in a good way. Beverlys thought that Lulus boys had grown into a kind of pack, which is very complete as warriors for Lulu (Edrich, page: 85). According to Tanrisal statement, Native American women have played an important role in the continuity of tribal tradition, both through childbearing and through transmission of cultural values in stories. Besides, Native American tribes are matrilineal which the duties of women cannot be underestimated. She is known as a flirt because she has eight children that have different physical appearance. It was proved by this paragraph below:

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For instance, besides the fact Lulu Lamartines first husband, why did each of the boys currently shooting milk jugs out front of Henrys house look so different ?there were eight of them. (Edrich, 1984:76)

Lulu got attention from Beverly Lamartine (Henrys brother) during the Henrys funeral, they have affairs and then Lulu has a child named Henry Jr., which actually Beverlys child. She has many affairs with some men because she has two motives, first to fulfill her physical needs. In addition, she married also with some men because her second motive is wanted to make a great pretense to ignore Nector Kashpaw (Edrich, page: 216). Lulu is the third piece to the main love triangle in this novel, and has a lifelong love for Nector Kashpaw. As stated before, Lulu married wirh some men to ignore or at least to forget Nector temporary. Thus the relations between Nector and Lulu flourised well again in the chapter The Plunge of the Brave and the Good tears. Those many example of affairs in the Lulus life represent the weakness of marriage system in the Indian tribes. According to Zin ,He mentioned Indian didnt have wtiting traditions ,they only have oral traditions. So ,because there are no legal documents or laws,the indian woman always treated unfairly. Altough Lulu and Nector wanted to be together ,their relationship never happy ending . Lulu stated in Edrich novel that It is a sad world,though,when you cant get love right even after trying it as many times as I have(Page 218). Lulu has unusual behaviour,she doesnt like the animal-death smell or anything related to the death.(Edrich,page:218). The story about Lulu in her childhood that found a dead man in the woods also become the additional information of how hard is Indian life ,they were forced by the U.S Goverment to live in the reservation and being trapped by U.S goverment-laws. So,many indians die because they could not defend the Whites-domination in the U.S at that time. The next is about how strong Lulu ,she never let the United States cencus count her and hers family because she doesnt belive in numbering Gods

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creatures( Edrich,page:221). Then,she knew that the measurement always ended with the losing of indian lands. She told that goverment want to build a modern factory in her land,it is a factory that made equipment of false value or dreamstuff ,as she tough (Edrich, page:223). She is brave enough to give a speech in front of the tribal council ,she yelled the tribal councils because they are being fooled by the dollars(money) from The United States goverment . In the end Lulu still can have her land ,but her house was burn. The willful characteristic of Lulu shows in her statement that she didnt want to move from his burned down house, she refuses the offerings of other place to live altough her family lived like a pack of wild animal (Edrich,page 226-227). Lulu lost her sight in arround sixty-five years old ,it become the beginning of Mary and Lulu friendship. After Lulu had a surgery ,Marie volunteered to take care of her(Edrich,page: 235). Lulu surprised why Mary wanted to help her, because in the past Lulu has took Nectors attention from Marie. Lulu can feel the sincerity of Mary ,because she gets her eyesight after Mary had put the tears into her eyes. She realized that Mary is like her, both of them are loving the same man named Nector Kashpaw. She felt togetherness and deep comfort with Mary. Their life stories connect with contemporary women's movement findings, which have focused on the role of women in society. Both Lulu and Marie become emancipated women in later life, when their children are adults and Nector has died. Lulu representing the role of minority women, too. In the end chapter of Love Medicine, Lulu become the one who told King Kashpaw about June. Lulu tells in a good way ,as stated in the novel She made an effort. She told me about June in a simple way that let me know that grown-up business was meant(Edrich,page 240). Lulu that she would lose anything because of her action telling King Kashpaw ,she might have a grandson or just lose a men that dislikes her . Lulu always be the honest one. In this chapter also represent the assimilation that did by Lulu. Through the February 1887, emerged Dawes Act that forced the Native Indian to be assimilated with the whites dominant cultures .

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The native indian children also have educated in the schools like the whites .As seen as in this paragraf:
So go on with the story ,I was walking in the half of the Senior Citizenship one day when Lulu openened her door and leaned out beckoning. She had red lacquer on her hooks,bangle jewwlry all up her arms,and her head wa like a closet of crows. A ragging wig.( Edrich: 1984:240)

As a conclusion , Lulu is an attractive native indian woman who likes to flirt .She is also a wonderful mother who can raise all her children ,and keep everything in her house neatly . She also representing the struggle of Native Indian Woman as the minority group in the United States.

References : Edrich ,Louise (1984) .Love Medicine. New York : Holt,Rinehart and Winston Faragher, John Mack,et all (1999). Out Of Many a History of the American People. London: Prentice Hall International Inc. Tanrisal, Meldan. Mother and Child Relationships in the Novels of Louise Erdrich. American Studies International. 35.3 (1997):67-80. Zin ,Howard (1942) . A Peoples history of United States 1942 to Present. New York :HarperCollins Publiser Inc. http://www.courtinnovation.org/research/tribal-courts-and-families-three-judgesdiscuss-native-american-sovereignty-and-indian-chil http://www.academia.edu/People/Love_Medicine

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