Louise Erdrich’s novel Love Medicine reveals a lot about Chippewa(1) culture: it is a story of love and hate, of violence and peacefulness, of isolation and inclusion, interwoven with typical aspects of Chippewa cultural heritage and mythic elements. Within the space of her novel, she allows traditional Chippewa myths of transformation to meet, contradict and relativize each other.(2) One of the most important figures in Native American tradition is the so-called “Trickster” and it is particularly this individual Erdrich makes use of in Love Medicine in order to form her protagonists.
Reading the novel as a variation of traditional Chippewa Trickster Tales, this paper makes an attempt to describe and analyze the trickster-ego in some of Erdrich’s characters. It will begin with a general description of the tricky Nanabozho in Chippewa oral tradition and then continue with connecting typical traits of the legendary trickster with persons in Erdrich’s fiction. The major emphasis is placed on Gerry Nanapush, Lulu Lamartine and Lipsha Morrissey although several other characters do certainly show typical aspects of a trickster as well, such as June, Old Man Nanapush, Sister Leopolda, Marie, Moses etc.
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1 There are three principal designations for the Chippewa: Anishinaabeg, Ojibwa and Chippewa. Vizenor reveals that Chippewa and Ojibwa are contemporary labels used by white Americans to designate these peoples, whereas they refer themselves as Anishinaabe: Gerald Vizenor, The People Named the Chippewa: Narrative Histories (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984) 13-14. For this study I have selected Chippewa because Erdrich prefers this variation.
2 cf. Joni Adamson Clarke, “Why Bears Are Good to Think and Theory Doesn’t Have to Be Murder: Transformation and Oral Tradition in Louise Erdrich’s Tracks,” Studies in American Indian Literatures: The Journal of the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures 4.1 (Spring 1992): 32.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2.1 The Trickster
2.2 Nanabozho in Traditional Chippewa Culture
3.1 Gerry Nanapush
3.2 Lulu Lamartine
3.3 Lipsha Morrissey
4 Conclusion
5 Works Cited
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines Louise Erdrich’s novel Love Medicine through the lens of Native American oral tradition, specifically exploring how traditional Chippewa "Trickster" archetypes are embodied by modern characters. The central research inquiry focuses on how the author utilizes the mythological trickster-ego to shape the protagonists, allowing ancient concepts of transformation and resistance to collide with contemporary American life.
- The universal archetype of the Trickster in world mythology.
- Nanabozho as a fundamental figure in traditional Chippewa culture.
- Gerry Nanapush: The anti-social hero and political avenger.
- Lulu Lamartine: The female trickster as a symbol of transpersonal selfhood.
- Lipsha Morrissey: The contemporary transformation of the medicine man.
- The synthesis of traditional indigenous heritage and modern social struggle.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Gerry Nanapush
Gerry Nanapush, who carries the name of the trickster Nanabozho, is one of Erdrich’s most mysterious characters due primarily to his unique birth, for he stems from the unusual, forbidden union between Moses Pillager and Lulu Nanapush. Thus the characteristic Pillager traits of cunning trickery, a compelling physical appearance, resistance against infiltration, a compassion for teaching others, and inclination towards foolishness are augmented in his person. He unites the five traits of a trickster figure perfectly.
At first he is a tricky gambler and according to Lipsha his father’s ability to succeed at games of chance resembles his own healing powers flowing from his hands, but “Behind the bars, though, he [Gerry] hadn’t much chance to use it on humans.” (354), so his hands have developed the ability to read cards. Gerry’s immediate recognition of Lulu’s refined crimping system enables him to recognize Lipsha as his son, for Lipsha uses Lulu’s strategy of cheating, which she only passes on to her descendants (354). After all, it is not Gerry’s ability at gambling which Erdrich emphasizes the most but rather the related ability to elude the American police force.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter provides the theoretical foundation by introducing Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine as a repository of Chippewa cultural heritage and outlining the paper's intent to analyze character development based on the Trickster archetype.
2.1 The Trickster: This section explores the universal nature of the Trickster as a cultural hero and archetype, drawing on Paul Radin's definitions to frame the figure as both creator and destroyer.
2.2 Nanabozho in Traditional Chippewa Culture: This chapter defines the specific attributes of Nanabozho, the Chippewa trickster, categorizing his role as an influencer of cultural identity, survival teacher, and protector.
3.1 Gerry Nanapush: This chapter analyzes Gerry as a quintessential trickster, focusing on his rebellion against white law, his compelling physical presence, and his role as a political avenger.
3.2 Lulu Lamartine: This section examines Lulu as a female trickster who defies societal conventions and resists the government, serving as an articulate spokeswoman for tribal values.
3.3 Lipsha Morrissey: This chapter explores Lipsha as a "nascent shaman" and a contemporary incarnation of the trickster, highlighting his unique "touch" and his role in uniting fractured reservation factions.
4 Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the analysis, arguing that the characters are not marginalized outsiders but modern-day tricksters who bridge the gap between traditional history and contemporary existence.
5 Works Cited: This section lists the academic secondary sources and primary literature referenced throughout the study.
Keywords
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine, Trickster, Nanabozho, Chippewa, Native American Literature, Gerry Nanapush, Lulu Lamartine, Lipsha Morrissey, cultural identity, oral tradition, modern myth, shamanism, reservation life, resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper examines how the mythological Trickster archetype from traditional Chippewa oral history is manifest in the characters of Louise Erdrich's novel Love Medicine.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include cultural identity, the synthesis of Christian and indigenous beliefs, political resistance against systemic injustice, and the persistence of traditional folklore in modern settings.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to describe and analyze the "trickster-ego" in Erdrich’s characters to show that they are not mere products of marginalization, but active, modern-day transformers.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative, analytical approach, connecting specific literary characters to established anthropological and folkloric definitions of the Trickster (e.g., Paul Radin, Joseph Campbell).
What aspects are covered in the main body?
The main body breaks down the traits of Nanabozho and then applies those traits to the specific characters of Gerry Nanapush, Lulu Lamartine, and Lipsha Morrissey.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Trickster, Nanabozho, Chippewa, Shamanism, and Cultural Identity.
How does Gerry Nanapush specifically embody the Trickster?
Gerry embodies the Trickster through his miraculous escapes from prison, his role as an avenger against white laws, and his function as a role model who unites his community.
What makes Lulu Lamartine a unique "female trickster"?
Lulu is viewed as a female trickster because she rejects societal dictates regarding race and gender, resists the US government's census and land policies, and maintains a transpersonal connection to the world around her.
- Quote paper
- Jennifer Künkler (Author), 2001, Trickster Figures in Louise Erdrich´s - Love Medicine -, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/3778
