1. There There is a polyphonic novel, written from the perspective of a dozen different narrators.

Why do you think Tommy Orange made this structural choice? How does it relate to Dene
Oxendene’s storytelling project, and what is Orange saying about the importance of
storytelling to the survival of a culture?
1. Polyphonic novel: simply means “many voices”; more complex – “a variety of
conflicting ideological positions are given a voice and set in play both between and
within individual speaking subjects, without being placed and judged by an
authoritative authorial voice” (Lodge 1990: 86).

Tommy Orange made this literary choice to represent the many unique perspectives and lives of Native
Americans, challenging the stereotype of the lonely, struggling native. All of the characters have their
own identity and personality, providing the reader with a wide array of lenses through which to view
the issue of the mistreatment of native american people. This relates to Dene Oxendene’s storytelling
project, as he collects many different stories from people he interviews or films. Much like the novel,
each person’s perspective and story is captured in chapters, documenting how native people have had
to adjust or die out. “We haven't seen the Urban Indian story. What we've seen is full of the kinds of
stereotypes that are the reason no one is interested in the Native story in general, it's too sad, so sad it
can't even be entertaining, but more importantly because of the way it's been portrayed, it looks
pathetic, and we perpetuate that, but no, fuck that, excuse my language, but it makes me mad, because
the whole picture is not pathetic, and the individual people and stories that you come across are not
pathetic or weak or in need of pity…” (orange, 40). Orange portrays this in his writing of each
character, even though they are often struggling financially, all of them come across to the reader as
strong. This also shows the importance of storytelling to a culture, Dene stating how the perception of
an entire culture can be shifted just through media like movies and books. However, the stories Dene is
collecting is a way to change that mindset, to keep the Indian culture alive and strong.

2. Not unrelated to the first question: consider the use of first- and third-person perspective in
the novel. Are there one or more central, dominant perspectives that we are meant to
privilege/prioritize over others? Why or why not?

The use of third person is most common in the novel, which gives the reader perspective of how the
many different characters interact. First person is also used, but not as common. First person offers
firsthand insights into the character’s thoughts and feelings, and allows the reader to view life from that
character's perspective more efficiently than third person. The introduction of characters, or their first
appearance in the novel, is often written in first person. This is the case with Tony Loneman, Edwin
Black, Opal Victoria Bear Shield, Calvin Johnson, Octavio Gomez, Daniel Gonzales, and Blue. These
are all characters that have a significant impact on the story, especially at the powwow.

3. What is the predominant narrative tone of the novel? How is it established differently by
different narrators’ use of diction, imagery, and other literary devices?
The predominant tone in the novel is a bit heavy, many of the characters facing either financial or social
problems in their chapters. This can be seen with the author's use of imagery, symbolism, and
metaphor like on Alcatraz. “A cold wind laid into our faces, made us close our eyes to it. With my eyes
closed, I asked my mom what we were gonna do.” (58, Orange). This use of kinaesthetic and organic
imagery furthers the damp and cold mood, seeming like there is no hope as the family leaves Alcatraz.
The wind here is also a symbol, being used to describe the feeling of dread and hopelessness. “She told
me we could only do what we could do, and that the monster that was the machine that was the
government had no intention of slowing itself down for long enough to truly look back to see what
happened. To make it right.” (58, Orange). The use of metaphors here likens the government to a
machine, cold and calculating., with no emotion or empathy for Jacquie, Opal, or their mom, or the
entire native population.

4. What does it mean that, speaking of Oakland, “there is no there there,” and how does the
setting play a role in the story and in these characters’ lives? (38)

According to Dene, Gertrude Stein referred to the Oakland of her childhood as the “there of her
childhood”, and because of the development and change to the city, the there there of her childhood
was gone. This is idea of a changed city is important to the story and charters, as it symbolizes the
change of the original land and native history, and the destruction of the past and culture. The story
describes Native Americans in an urban setting and their forced adaptation, which happened as a result
of the change described by Stein.

5. How would the novel be different if Orange didn’t include the “Prologue” and the “Interlude”
sections? With reference to the novel, how do these sections enhance the reader’s
understanding of the story and its themes?

The prologue and interlude both offer thoughts from the author, but more importantly a lot of crucial
information about the past that is often buried and left untouched. This forgotten history of Native
Americans gives the reader insights as to the truth about the past and massacres that occurred when the
colonists arrived. A shocking fact that I learned about in the prologue was the truth about
thanksgiving. “That meal is why we still eat a meal together in November. Celebrate it as a nation. But
that one wasn't a thanksgiving meal. It was a land-deal meal. Two years later there was another, similar
meal meant to symbolize eternal friendship. Two hundred Indians dropped dead that night from an
unknown poison.” (4, orange). With information like this, the reader gets a brand new perspective
before reading the book, allowing them to view the whole scope of the past. Without it, the message of
the book might not have been taken as seriously or left a lasting impression on the reader.

1. Addiction is a prominent theme in the novel, although it manifests in many different ways. Is
there evidence to suggest that Orange thinks there is a common origin to characters’
experiences with addiction?
In a way, many of the character’s addiction comes from a pain in their past, something that they want
to mask the pain of. With the case of Jacquie and Thomas Frank, they both have or had a drinking
problem. As Thomas said, drinking was cover the pain of his eczema. “If you drank enough you didn't
scratch at night. You could deaden your body that way. You found your way in and out made of left
over of a bottle. Found your limits. Lost track of them. Along the way you figured out there was a
certain amount of alcohol you could drink that could -the next day- produce a certain state of mind,
which you over time began to refer to privately as the State. The State was a place you could get to
where everything felt exactly, precisely in place, where and when it belonged, you belonged, completely
okay in it” (218, Orange). This is also the case with Jacquie Red Feather, only her pain is emotional
instead of physical. After losing her daughter, she started to drink as a way to mask the pain and sadness
she felt. With the case of Edwin Black, however, his addiction to the internet does not stem from an
urge to hide what he felt. In this way, it is difficult to tell whether every addiction in the book is rooted
in a common cause.

2. What do the spiders and spider legs symbolize?

Spiders carry a special meaning in the book, according to Jacquie and Opal’s mom, who said that they
should “never kill a spider if they find one in the house, or anywhere near for that matter. Her mom
said that spiders carry miles of web in their bodies, miles of story, miles of potential home and trap.”
(163, Orange). They symbolize the cultural past of Opals family, and of native people in general. Even
though it may be easier to handle to just kill the spider, the amount of “story” and potential . Spider
legs symbolize a kind of growing up, but also of the bond that Orvil and Opal have. They may also
represent a cycle of sorts, or generational trauma, where both Opal and ORvil are trapped in their
history.

3. Throughout this story, all of the characters wrestle in one way or another with what it means
to be Native American. What conclusions do they come to by the end of the novel? Do these
characters reach similar conclusions, or do they all seem to have very different conceptions of
their identities as Native Americans in the end?

Many of the characters have a different detention of what it means to be Native American from the
beginning. By the time of the powwow, however, their perception changes. Some have very strong
personal identities, like Orvil. “He opens his eyes and sees everyone around him. They’re all feathers
and movement. They’re all one dance” (233, Orange). He struggles with his native identity at the
beginning, but now, after dancing he feels like he is more of a part of his heritage. However, not all of
the character’s perception is similar to this. For example, Charles and Carlos come across a different
conclusion, deciding to take the prize money for themselves and turning on Octavio.
Notes:
Orvil - 234,
Edwin similar to Orivil
 4. In what ways is violence an important theme in this story, and what is Tommy Orange trying
to say about violence? How did you feel about the violence at the end of the story when
characters converge at the pow wow? What was the purpose of having everyone’s story
culminate in this way?

Violence shapes a lot of what happens in the story, especially at the end, after the robbery of the
powwow. Both psychological and physical violence is present through the book, seen clearly in
multiple characters like Tony, Opal, Jacquie, and Octavio. Characters like Octavio have experienced
much violence in their past, both physical and mental, which impacts actions they take later in the
book. “They rolled up on our house and emptied their guns into it, into the life we'd known, the life
our mom and dad spent years making from scratch. My dad was the only one to get hit. My mom was
in the bathroom, and Junior was in his room at the back of the house. My dad put himself in front of
me, blocked the bullets with his body.” (174, Orange). Physical violence here represents the conditions
that Octavio and his family live in, the violence impacting his life, which later is a driving point for him
to rob the powwow. A point Orange is trying to make is the impact that violence has on the Native
American community. The violence at the end of the book at the powwow has the neat effect of tying
the novel together, causing the book to seem like a web or system of interacting parts.
Notes
Opal an example,
Physical/ psychological
Perpetual in the community

5. James Baldwin once wrote, “People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.”
How does Tommy Orange’s novel, especially at the beginning and the end, embody this idea?
In other words, why do you think he chose to begin and end the novel with the perspective of
Tony Loneman?

Tony is an embodiment of this thought, which he himself states at the beginning of the book. “It’s the
way history lands on a face”. For this reason, starting and ending the novel with this character gives the
impression of how history and the past influences the present. Tony in the very beginning hides the
bullets for Octavio, but then at the end sacrifices his life to stop Octavio, killing both of them.