Literary Elements In Love Medicine By Louise Erdrich

Literary elements appear in all exceptional literature, they are what helps build a strong story. There are many literary elements visible in Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich. In the novel there are elements such as foreshadowing, tone, several examples of symbolism, and several major themes. In Love Medicine foreshadowing is demonstrated several times throughout the novel. In the second scene Albertine Johnson describes her family by saying, â€Å"Patient Abuse. There was two ways you could think of that title. One was obvious to a nursing student, and the other was obvious to a Kashpaw† (7). This tells the reader several details about Albertine and her family. First of all, it informs the reader of Albertine’s schooling and how she is†¦show more content†¦One recurring symbol is June Kashpaw as Jesus Christ. The first time the author symbolizes her as Jesus occurs as she is walking home right before she dies, â€Å"The snow fell deeper that Easter than it had in forty years, but June walked over it like water and came home† (7). She is similar to Jesus because both of them walk on water. Another time she is symbolized as Jesus is during the chapters, â€Å"Crown of Thorns† and â€Å"Resurrection.† Even the chapter titles represent Jesus because he wore a crown of thorns and was resurrected from the dead. In â€Å"Resurrection† Gordie Kashpaw, June’s husband, imagines June is resurrected like Jesus, and he hits her while driving. Although in reality, Gordie hits a deer, but because he has guilt for treating June badly during their time together, he imagines he hits June. Another literary element in Love Medicine is theme. Two themes from this novel are family and assimilation. The family relationships of the Kashpaws are so important and confusing in this novel. It is demonstrated by the family tree diagram in the beginning of the novel. The author would not have put the diagram there, if family is not an important. Another theme is assimilation of the Native Americans to the American culture. The family partially assimilates from its Chippewa roots to those of Western Christians. As a child Marie desires to have a life with the nuns, so she rejects her tribal heritage and assimilates. However towards the endShow MoreRelatedCultural Fusions Essay1125 Words   |  5 Pagesin shoots. I felt smallness, how the Earth divided into bits and kept dividingquot; writes Louise Erdrich in quot;Love Medicine.quot; This seemingly paradoxical epiphany, as experienced by Lipsha Morrissey, captures the emotional traumas faced by those who are on the quest for self- identity. During our lifetimes, we all undergo spiritual discovery and development that shape our beliefs and values. Erdrich reveals the burden of this daunting task on multiethnic individuals, such as the Chippewa peopleRead MoreLove, Family, And Identity2762 Words   |  12 PagesCorinne Murdock Nolan AP Lit 23 July 2015 Love Medicine Summary Notes Title †¢ Novel analyzes definition of love, family, and identity. †¢ Novel describes numerous love affairs between different people within several families. †¢ Lipsha Morrissey tries to fix the relationship between Grandma and Grandpa Kashpaw using a love medicine, but it ends up killing Grandpa Kashpaw. †¢ The author might have chosen the title Love Medicine in order to emphasize how people try to find a way to fix a broken heartRead MoreHow to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pagesrainbow as a promise of restoration vi. Christ figures (a later chapter): in 20th century, often used ironically vii. The Apocalypse—Four Horseman of the Apocalypse usher in the end of the world. viii. Biblical names often draw a connection between literary character and Biblical charcter. 8. Hanseldee and Greteldum--using fairy tales and kid lit a. Hansel and Gretel: lost children trying to find their way home b. Peter Pan: refusing to grow up, lost boys, a girl-nurturer/ c. Little Red Riding Hood: