Turtle Meat

Short Story Analysis

By Drew Hall
Story Details
● Prominent characters:
○ Homer LaWare - The main character of the story, an old Native American man who works on a farm
and takes care of the owner of the farm, an old woman named Amalia
○ Amalia Wind - The owner of the farm, an old woman with ailing physical and mental health. She has
a somewhat unclear relationship with Homer, but it is implied that they have been intimate

● Setting:
○ The story takes place on the Wind farm, which is
owned by Amalia Wind, and tended to by Homer
LaWare. As they are both older in age, the farm in
not cared for very well
○ A significant portion of the story takes place at a
pond where Homer goes fishing
Story
■ Homer helps Amalia out in their house, and she tells him to go on the fishing outing that he’s been
wanting to do
■ After finishing his work carving an axe handle, Homer goes out to fish at a pond that he heard has plentiful
fish
■ Before he reaches the pond, he reflects on the multiple decades that he’s lived on the farm with Amalia,
how she ended up owning the farm, and his life before the farm
■ At the pond, Homer catches a dozen large fish, but spots a large snapping turtle in the water as well
■ He eventually gets the turtle on his fishing line, and has a long, difficult struggle with it before finally slicing
its neck and bringing it into his boat
■ Leaving the pond later than expected, Homer decides to abandon the fish, and goes back to the house to
find Amalia’s daughter there
■ Homer learns that while he was away, Amalia’s daughter sent Amalia to a home. The daughter then
berates Homer, but he doesn‘t pay attention, and ends up leaving to clean out the turtle
Theme Throughout the Story
“Turtle Meat” by Joseph Bruchac III conveys that the history of Native oppression
can have an impact on the self worth of Native Americans today through the main
character Homer LaWare’s struggle against a turtle, which symbolizes his internal
struggle about his heritage.

Besides the single event, the theme is also slowly developed throughout the story
by Homer’s repetition of the phrase “It’s the Indian in me” in response to not doing
what is expected of him.
Cultural Background + Author Background
The author of the story, Joseph Bruchac, is an Abenaki storyteller. A significant amount of his work is based on his Abenaki
ancestry, as well as the land that he lives on in the Adirondack mountains.
The Abenaki community is mostly from the Northeast United States, in parts of what are now New York, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, as well as some of Quebec, Canada. The native language of the Abeanki community
is also known as Abenaki, and is within the Algonquian family of languages.
Some of the major cultural practices in the Abenaki community were specific forms of hunting, fishing, and agriculture.
Much of Abenaki life was built around these practices, as they were important both for general survival as well as cultural
value. Proximity to water and qualities of the surrounding land are what defined these practices and the specifics of them,
which differed somewhat between separated Abenaki communities.
Various forms of art and storytelling are also present in Abenaki culture,
especially in the form of passing stories through oral history.
While Homer’s Native American heritage is not actually specified, the
details about his father’s background from Canada do line up with more
modern residence of much of the Abenaki community, so it is definitely
possible that he shares Abenaki heritage with Bruchac.
Essential Question
What roles do nature, spirituality, and the relationship between humans and the natural world play in Native
American literature?
In “Turtle Meat”, nature and the connection that Homer has to it are important ideas. Homer and Amalia have lived on a farm
together for decades, where they are very close to nature, making it an important part of the story’s setting and character
background for both of them. Homer’s relationship with nature is mostly demonstrated through his struggle against the turtle that
he tries to catch while fishing. Nature, in the form of the turtle, plays the role both of a literal struggle that Homer is having, as well
as a metaphor for Homer’s internal struggles.

How does the concept of identity, including individual, communal, and cultural identity, manifest in Native
American literature? How do Native American authors navigate the complexities of cultural identity in their
works?
Homer, as the only prominently featured Native American character in “Turtle Meat”, has a complex relationship to his cultural
identity. His specific ancestry is not stated, and it is unclear how much he even knows about his familial history. The main
reference to him being a Native American is in his repeated use of the phrase “It’s the Indian in me” in order to justify his actions
to other people. While it is never explicitly stated, Homer seems to be fairly disconnected from Native American culture, both in
that he does not live on Native American land and in that the main reference to his culture comes from what is effectively an
excuse. Bruchac’s lack of references to Homer’s Native American identity ends up making him a more complex character, as it
gives him a not clearly defined relationship to Native American culture, which is also something that many people with Native
American ancestry are bound to experience today.
Main Character - Homer LaWare
“Whenever there was something about him that seemed maybe different from what others
expected he would say simply, ‘It’s the Indian in me’” (Bruchac 52).
Homer is being indirectly characterized, since his behavior is being described, but the character
traits that are revealed from it are not directly stated. Homer’s use of his Native American heritage
as not much more than an excuse to justify his actions suggests that he may not associate
himself very strongly with Native American culture. Additionally, his quick reaction to blame the
Indian part of himself for things that he decides to do could reflect his lack of self worth when it
comes to being represented by his Native American heritage.

“He didn’t want to leave [Amalia] alone, but he didn’t want to tell her that” (Bruchac 50).
Homer is being indirectly characterized, as qualities of his character are demonstrated through his
thoughts without a direct description being given. Specifically, he is shown to be very caring
towards Amalia. He wants to stay with Amalia to make sure she is okay, and he also does not
want to make her feel bad by telling her that she is making him stay at home. This provides an
example of Homer looking after her both physically and emotionally, demonstrating how much
he cares about her.
Conflict
Man vs nature is present in Homer’s struggle against the turtle that he catches while fishing. Homer is an older
man, which makes it fairly difficult for him to effectively catch and subdue the creature. This leads to a long
sequence of him fighting against the turtle, eventually killing it, but leaving him tired and bloody. While the
struggle reveals many things about Homer’s character, such as his determination, it also serves as a
representation of the internal struggle that he is going through. This means that it reflects the man vs self
conflict that he is also experiencing. While there are multiple possible things that Homer could be fighting
against in himself, one interpretation is that he is struggling with his cultural identity, and how his Native
American heritage is represented within himself. This internal
conflict is also present in other parts of the story, notably when
he mentions that the part of him that uses his Native American
heritage as an excuse sometimes feels like a different person
entirely. His internal conflict directly covers the theme of
struggling with cultural identity, but without the natural conflict
against the turtle, this internal conflict would not be able to be
developed nearly as well.
Significant Symbolism
The most clear use of symbolism in the short story is with the turtle that Homer catches. Homer’s physical signs
of aging, which are detailed right before the encounter, mirror the description that is given shortly after of the
old, rough turtle. This establishes the fact that the turtle symbolizes Homer, and more specifically the internal
struggles that he is facing. Besides the simple struggle against age, the turtle also represents Homer’s struggle
with his Native American heritage, and how it factors into his individual identity. Homer’s complex relationship
with his Native American heritage is a key part of truly understanding his character, especially given context of
Native American history that could easily relate to his character.

Another use of symbolism comes in the form of the pond that Homer goes fishing at, where he eventually
struggles with the turtle. Similar to the turtle, the pond symbolizes Homer prioritizing himself and self
reflecting. He decides to go to the pond only after checking in with Amalia, where she mentions that he keeps
talking about going fishing, and that he should go do it. When he eventually does go to the pond, he has to
leave Amalia behind, and ends up tackling his internal struggles through the symbolism of the turtle. Mirroring
Homer’s pond trip, self reflection causes confrontations with internal struggles, and requires leaving thoughts of
other people behind. This symbolism ties into the idea of Homer’s conflict within himself, primarily regarding
his Native American heritage. Viewing Homer’s pond trip as his self reflection reframes the context of the story,
especially the direct consequence of his pond trip in Amalia being sent away.
Final Thoughts
“Turtle Meat” is a short yet complex story. The lack of information, especially
regarding connections to Native American culture, makes it difficult to analyze in
terms of Native American Literature. However, there are definitely some clear
examples of symbolism, characterization, and conflict that can be interpreted to
form some connections to Native American culture. As previously mentioned, the
specific details of Homer’s background being omitted make him a fairly complex
character. Many of his character details, including his relationship to his heritage,
are pretty much up to interpretation, only based on what can be made from
Bruchac’s sparse detail.
Works Cited/Referenced
Bruchac, Joseph. “Turtle Meat.” Great Short Stories by Contemporary Native American Writers, Dover Publications,
Mineola, NY, 2014, pp. 50–56.

“The Abenaki Community.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 21 Feb. 2023,
www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/historyculture/abenaki.htm.

“Abenaki.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Abenaki.

“Missisquoi History.” Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, abenakination.com/missisquoi-history. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.