Catherine Seng

Auge

October 18, 2020

Reading Response 3

Erdrich’s Push Towards Essentialism

Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine is a complex novel whose value is not fully realized

when simply read at face value. It is through close reading, and careful attention to detail that

readers begin to discover the powerful message behind the characters in these stories. Erdrich

exposes the oppressive effects of colonial culture through the flawed United States justices

system and its negative impact on the Ojibwe and other Native Americans. She additionally

works to recover certain aspects of traditional Ojibwe culture through her presentation of family

and gender roles. It becomes evident that the novel is particularly conflicted when identifying

whether it ultimately advocates for nativism or hybridity. However, through the comparison of

Marie Kashpaw and Lulu Lamartine, as well as King Kashpaw and Lipsha Morrissey, it is

evident that the novel advocates for an essentialist notion of cultural identity.

One of the most successful aspects of Love Medicine is the way in which Erdrich evokes

a sense of Ojibwe nationalism as an act of resistance against the Euro-American oppression of

indigenous people. This is achieved through careful examination of subjects such as education,

religion, and arts as a means through which Erdrich highlights this oppression. The oppressive

effects of colonial culture can be seen most overtly through the use of American law as a weapon

to disenfranchise and incriminate the Ojibwe and other Native Americans. The United States law

is an element of oppression that invades nearly every aspect of the character’s lives. It is
inescapable in that the law itself is what creates the boundaries of the reservation that they live

on. Additionally, the laws enforced by the American justice system are the means through which

racist tendencies against Native Americans are perpetuated. Erdrich draws the reader’s attention

to this systemic issue by creating a sense of confinement that her characters experience due to the

oppressive justice system. This is seen most clearly through Gerry Nanapush’s ongoing

resistance against imprisonment. Nearly all of Gerry’s adult life is spent in hiding from the law

or within the confines of prison walls. Furthermore, Gerry’s harsh sentence for a minor crime

demonstrates the way that American law is subjective in that it only provides justice to those in

positions of power. When Gerry states “Society? Society is like this card game here. We got

dealt our hand before we were even born, and as we grow we have to play as best we can” (323)

he is suggests that the American justice system was designed to oppress Native American groups

such as the Ojibwe.

While Erdrich strategically exposes the oppressive effects of colonial culture, she

additionally takes time to recover particular aspects of traditional Ojibwe culture that have been

suppressed by these colonizers. This is shown through the characters attitude towards nature, the

way in which they view time, and through their understanding of family and gender roles.

Eleanor Leacock points out the way in which the families in the Ojibwe and other Native

American groups were “loosely-based and flexible family bands and kinship groups.” The

characters in this novel demonstrate this through their marriages as well as the way in which

families are willing to take in children from other individuals and treat them as their own. This

understanding of family is in direct contrast to the typical American nuclear family, which

consists of two parents and their children. Erdrich creates characters with relationships that

oftentimes violate what American culture deems as acceptable, however, these relationships are
authentic to the traditional Ojibwe culture. Additionally, these family bands are egalitarian in

nature, meaning that they view each individual as equal and therefore present a much different

understanding of gender roles than that of American culture. Erdrich emphasizes this particular

aspect of the Ojibwe culture by presenting both female and male characters that are strong,

impactful and crucial to the family unit. The women in this novel challenge the typical American

female role in that they are often in positions of control or viewed as equal to their male

counterparts. This type of strong female is exemplified through Lulu Lamartine. It is evident that

Lulu is aware of the way she challenges these gender roles when she says “What aggravates

them is I’ve never shed one solitary tear. I’m not sorry. That’s unnatural. As we all know, a

woman is supposed to cry” (273). By presenting strong female characters such as Lulu, Erdrich

works to recover aspects of traditional Ojibwe culture that have been suppressed by Euro-

American colonialism.

When working to identify the true meaning behind Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine, it

becomes clear that the work is particularly conflicted in regard to what stance it is taking. On one

hand it appears that the novel advocates for a fluid, hybrid sense of cultural identity in which it is

possible to be both indigenous and modern. However, one can conversely argue that the work

reverts to a kind of nativism by advocating for an essentialist notion of cultural identity. Through

careful character analysis, and close attention to minor details that Erdrich so meaningfully

includes, it becomes clear that this novel promotes a version of nativism by providing positive

characters that advocate for an essentialist notion of cultural identity. This novel ultimately

suggests that an individual is only indigenous to the extent that one is not modern. This

understanding can be reached through the close examination and comparison of Lulu Lamartine

and Marie Kashpaw as well as Lipsha Morrissey and King Kashpaw. Establishing what these
characters stand for, and whether they are cast in a positive or negative light reveals the intent of

this work to advocate for essentialism. More specifically, the comparison of characters highlights

the notion that one is only Ojibwe to the extent that one is not contaminated by Euro-American

culture.

In order to identify the intent of this novel, it is essential to look at the way in which these

characters are presented. Erdrich’s push for an essentialist notion of cultural identity is seen

through the comparison of Marie Kashpaw and Lulu Lamartine. Marie is described as having

“mixed blood” and serves as an example of the negative outcome that is produced when the

influence of assimilation outweighs one’s native identity. Throughout her life, Marie displays a

deep desire to achieve approval from the white world. This denial of her own cultural identity

began at a young age when she went up the hill to Sacred Heart Convent to gain the respect of

the nuns. She expresses a certain desire to be praised and worshiped by the women at the

convent, saying “they never thought they’d have a girl from this reservation as a saint they’d

have kneel to. But they’d have me” (43). The depth of this desire for approval from the white

world is fully realized when she returns to the convent as an adult. When she enters the convent,

she presents the side of herself that she believes will be the most acceptable. She wears her best

dress, brings her daughter Zelda, and flaunts her husband’s position tribal chairman. This false

presentation of self suggests that Marie values the ideals of American culture far more than those

of her own native Ojibwe culture. Erdrich provides far more evidence that suggests Marie’s

preference for American culture over her native culture, ultimately casting her in a more negative

light. Marie’s assimilated qualities outweigh those of her native culture, a character trait that

ultimately harms her as she often times appears to struggle to understand her true identity. Marie

does not appear to represent Said’s suggestion of a fluid hybrid sense of cultural identity, but
rather she is a notoriously conflicted character who is unable successfully balance her indigenous

and modern traits.

Unlike Marie, Lulu Lamartine faces little to no confusion in regard to her own identity.

Lulu serves as an example of when the value of an individual’s traditional culture outweighs that

of assimilation. It is important to recognize the language that is used when describing Lulu. She

is often said to have a certain wildness about her and she is additionally compared to animals on

several occasions. This connection between nature and Lulu is significant because it points to her

deep connection to her traditional native culture; one that is deeply values nature and its

elements. Lulu is often shamed for her numerous marriages and sexual affairs, however, this is

an aspect of her identity that she fully embraces and does not apologize for. She embodies the

traditional style of family that is tightly bound. Her boys “had grown into a kind of pack…they

were bound in total loyalty, not by oath but by simple, unquestioning belongingness of part of

one organism” (114). This closeness between siblings who do not share the same parents is not

commonly seen in American culture. There is additionally significance is Beverly recognizing

Lulu most clearly in her son Gerry, a character who struggles his whole life against the

oppressive forces of American colonialism. Gerry possesses the same wildness and strong sense

of identity that Lulu is so notorious for. While Lulu married several different times and had

children by numerous men, it appears that she thrives in this egalitarian traditional family

dynamic. She is a strong, self-aware character, who is firm in her beliefs. She explicitly rejects

common symbols of modernity like time, numbers, inches and feet, viewing them as “ploys for

cutting nature down to size” (278). Furthermore, she expresses a distrust in common practices in

the United States like the census, suggesting that these are merely weapons to be used against

Indians. The work casts Lulu in a positive light, and by doing so, advocates for an essentialist
notion of cultural identity in which one is only Ojibwe to the extent that one is not contaminated

by Euro-American culture.

While this work as a whole advocates for an essentialist notion of cultural identity, it

appears that there are brief instances in which the novel seems to be taking steps towards the

notion of hybridity. Both Marie and Lulu experience specific moments where they quite literally

do the opposite of what one would expect. For example, Marie refuses to give birth to her last

child in a hospital, an institution that is representative of Euro-American colonization, but rather

requests the assistance of Fleur Pillager, a notoriously traditional native character. Additionally,

while giving birth, Marie speaks in the native Ojibwe language, moving her away from the role

of a character consumed by assimilation to one that could potentially represent a certain degree

of hybridity. Lulu displays a similar behavior when she departs from the island, a location

uninfected by white modernity, and returns to the reservation, a place that is to a certain extent

contaminated by colonization. Here, Lulu is frustrating the notion that she is a purely traditional

character because she expresses a need for modernity. This moves Lulu slightly closer to an

accurate representation of hybridity. It is important to note that these particular scenes were not

included in Erdrich’s initial publication of Love Medicine. Without these stories, the novel would

appear less conflicted on the issue of hybridity versus nationalism, but at the same time would

lead to a far less intriguing analysis. The addition of these stories is particularly significant when

looking at the relationship that is developed between Marie and Lulu. Throughout the work,

these women were placed in opposition of one another, solidifying the notion that traditional

culture cannot be fused with modernity. Erdrich does not provide a successful, positive character

to advocate for the notion of hybridity. However, the friendship of Marie and Lulu towards the

end of the work serves as a possible example of where the indigenous and modern successfully
unite. Lipsha notes the strangeness of this friendship, given their years of hatred for one another.

However, he also implies that the union of these two women holds a certain amount of power.

People feared these women and how they could “tell them all the secrets they tried to hide form

themselves” (300). Their friendship is something readers almost desire in that it is the result of

two women moving past the negative male character that drove a deep wedge between them.

Given that the relationship between Marie and Lulu is cast in a positive light, it appears to serve

as an almost hidden case of successful hybridity within the novel. However, when looking at the

work as a whole, this particular instance of the successful fusion of the indigenous and modern is

not significant enough to shift the overall tendency of the work from nativism to hybridity.

In order to claim that this novel as a whole advocates for an essentialist notion of cultural

identity, there must be substantial evidence to support this suggestion that outweighs the

evidence in support of the notion of hybridity. It is therefore beneficial to include the comparison

of Lipsha Morrissey and King Kashpaw. The evaluation of these two characters is similar to that

of Marie and Lulu in that one serves as an example of the traditional while the other represents

those who have assimilated. From the very beginning of the work, it is apparent that King is a

particularly negative character. We meet King very early on in a disheveled state. He arrives

back at the reservation in his brand new sports car with his white wife and newborn son, King Jr.

It is evident that King harbors disdain towards his native identity and family. There are very few

instances where King’s behavior does not negatively impact those around him. He drinks

excessively and has very aggressive tendencies. Within his first few hours of being back on the

reservation, he manages to completely destroy the pies made so carefully by his native relatives.

When trying to mend the destroyed pies, Albertine states, “once they smash there is no way to

put them right” (42). Here, King is like the pies. He is damaged beyond repair from the aspects
of modernity and unable to return to his native life. This is a message Erdrich sends early on in

the novel, supporting the notion that Love Medicine advocates for an essentialist notion of

cultural identity, rather than hybridity. There is no significant mention of King until the very end

of the work, where his behavior yet again highlights the damaging effects of assimilation. The

negative impact of King’s behavior is seen clearly though his son, King Jr. when he chooses to

disassociate himself from his father by changing his own name in school to Howard. King views

this as an act of arrogance, claiming his son thinks ‘he’s too good” (310), but Erdrich is careful

to cast Howard in a positive light, describing him as smart and allowing for him to appear wiser

than his own father, despite his young age. Additionally, King’s blatant rejection of his native

identity is seen clearly when he turns his back on his uncle Gerry and gives information to law

enforcement officials, resulting in years of prison for Gerry. Though King does not appear as

frequently throughout the work as other characters, he is one of the most overt examples of the

negative effects of modernity. We meet him in a disheveled state, and when he appears again at

the end, he has deteriorated further, rather than progressing in a positive direction. Ultimately,

King serves as a means through which Erdrich advocates for an essentialist notion of cultural

identity.

King’s role as a negative and frustrating character is highlighted when placed in direct

comparison with Lipsha Morrissey. This opposition is particularly impactful because the two are

half-brothers. While they share the same mother, June, they grew up under very different

circumstances. Although Lipsha was raised by Marie, an individual who places a certain amount

of value on white culture, he displays a deep connectedness to his native identity. His

disapproval of colonization is brought to light through his critique of the Catholic Church and the

impact it has had upon Native Americans. Lipsha looks to the troubled lives of his relatives and
begins to question God’s ability to truly listen. One of the most notable native qualities about

Lipsha is what he describes as “the touch,” which gives him the ability to heal people both

physically and mentally. Along with “the touch,” Lipsha also believes in the healing power of

the old Chippewa specialty of love medicines. When in search of a love medicine for Nector,

Lipsha takes an “evil shortcut” (241) by purchasing two frozen turkey hearts from the

supermarket, rather than hunting for the geese hearts like he initially intended. By purchasing

these hearts from a supermarket, Lipsha violates the sacredness of this type of native medicine.

He reassures himself that the “real actual power to the love medicine was not the goose heart

itself but the faith in the cure” (242). He then takes the hearts to the Catholic Church to be

blessed, but is met with rejection. This dependency on faith and the Church that he previously

rejected demonstrate a brief moment where Lipsha displays a slight dependency on modernity.

This combination of the native love medicine with aspects of modernity is met with fatal

consequences and perhaps serves as the most potent rejection of hybridity within the novel. As

Nector chokes to death on the supermarket hearts, Lipsha attempts to save him but fails,

regretfully noting “my touch had gone worthless” (246). As he mourns the loss of his

grandfather, Lipsha appears to be more connected than ever to his native identity. He begins to

dig up dandelions, just as Nector did. It is through this return to his native self that Lipsha

regains “the touch.” Unlike most, Lipsha does not see these weeds as a nescience, but rather as a

“globe of frail seeds that indestructible” (254). Lipsha is a positive character whose resilience is

what sets him apart. Though modernity creeps into his life in many aspects, he is always able to

return to his traditional, native identity. In this indestructible way, he is similar to the fragile

dandelion.
 A similar venture towards modernity is made towards the very end of the novel. After

learning who his birth mother is, Lipsha decides to leave the reservation in a cloud of confusion.

In what appears to be a crisis of identity, he signs himself up for the United States Army, but is

met almost immediately with deep regret. The mere act of signing his life away to an institution

that is notorious for its oppression of Native Americans is what pushes him to connect deeper to

his native roots. He finds himself in the Twin Cities in his brother King’s apartment, attempting

to “get down to the bottom of [his] heritage” (308). However, the life that Lipsha experiences

outside of the reservation is one of chaos and depression. It becomes evident very quickly that he

does not feel comfortable in the modernized world. After escaping from prison, Gerry finds

himself at King’s apartment, now face to face with his son. Both Gerry and Lipsha serve as

native characters whose lives are challenged by the aspects of white modernity. In this final

chapter, it is evident that the notion of nativism prevails over that of hybridity. Lipsha defeats

King in a game of cards, winning him his mother June’s car and ultimately a way for him to

depart from modernity and return to the reservation. As he leaves, Lipsha reflects on his

relationship with his brother and his upbringing. He suggests, “There was good in what she did

for me, I know now. The son that she acknowledged suffered more than Lipsha Morrissey did”

(333). Here, Erdrich makes the clear connection between the toxicity of modernity though King

and the value of preserving one’s own cultural identity though Lipsha. Furthermore, Lipsha’s

ability to return to the reservation after defeating King is another example of his resilience. He is

cast in a positive light. He is a character that readers root for, unlike King. This sharp contrast

between brothers; one that has assimilated and one that remains true to his native identity is

powerful evidence that suggests Erdrich’s intent to advocate for an essentialist notion of cultural

identity, rather than the notion of hybridity.

 Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine is a complicated work. To read the novel without careful

analysis is nearly impossible. Erdrich is intentional in her efforts to expose the oppressive effects

of colonial culture though the life of Gerry Nanapush and his ongoing struggle against the United

States justice system. While Erdrich strategically exposes the oppressive effects of colonial

culture, she additionally takes time to recover particular aspects of traditional Ojibwe culture

through her presentation of family and gender roles. This is done so through the elevation of

powerful female characters such as Lulu Lamartine. In certain aspects, the novel appears to be

particularly conflicted on the message it is sending to its readers. While there are instances of

both essentialism and hybridity throughout these stories, one must look closer and identify which

outweighs the other. Through the comparison of Marie Kashpaw and Lulu Nanapush, as well as

King Kashpaw and Lipsha Morrissey, it becomes clear that this novel advocates for an

essentialist notion of cultural identity. However, there are brief glimpses into the possibility of

hybridity that should not be overlooked. These instances demonstrate the undeniable presence of

modernity in the lives of Native Americans, but more importantly highlight its detrimental

effects. American culture is built upon the notion that modernity is synonymous with superiority

and success. However, it is through works like Love Medicine that one can begin to understand

and appreciate the value of indigenous cultural identity and view it as something to be embraced

rather than eliminated.