Second Point

When reflecting on the past 100 pages it has become evident that the novel has been more mentally demanding to continue reading. This is mainly caused by Joseph Boyden’s decision to elaborate on a subplot in the story. The subplot is Xavier’s Aunt’s love life with a promiscuous “Wemistikoshiw” French trapper. I personally found this part of the story overwhelmingly reliant on the use of descriptive sex scenes that go above and beyond what the reader needs to know. On the contrary I still found the World War I scenes very descriptive but mature in the manner of drawing the reader a realistic perspective of war.

In this part the book still maintains its original theme of survival and its secondary theme of exclusion, but with the addition of the theme addiction. Although addiction is present at the starting of the book it is not until now you find out Elijah, one of the main characters, has started abusing morphine, as shown in this quotation “He takes the short needle from the moosehide bag in his chest pocket and slips it in quickly, efficiently, wincing as he hits a tender area. His whole arm is tender. Elijah practises self-control, knowing as he floods his vein that he is using the medicine right now out of anger” (187).


Another secondary theme of exclusion is demonstrated in this part of the novel. Exclusion is shown between the Caucasian populace and the first Nations that have refused to give up their traditional ways. The exclusion from this is demonstrated in this quotation “The Indian name for us was awawatuk, and we had the unfair reputation of being thieves and murderers, all because we rejected the Wemistikoshiw” (60). The extent of the first Nations exclusion in this story didn’t stop there. The exclusion in Three-Day Road was also physical “We headed south. A man in a uniform said to us, soon as we got on, ‘No Indians in this car.’ He pointed down the aisle. ‘You belong four cars to the back.’ We pick up our packs and walk through the river of people who ignore us.... A few other Indians sit here... The seats wood and uncomfortable” (149).

Lastly, the main theme of survival still subsides in this selection of the book. The theme survival is still strong throughout the book and the main characters Elijah and Xavier face imminent danger as displayed through their run in with a German sniper.

“I continue staring through the scope, scanning the ground all around.... That is when he captures my eye. Not fifteen feet away a corpse moves slightly and a puff of smoke comes out from it. Almost simultaneously wood splinters and dirt clods explode between Elijah's head and my own and Elijah yelps in pain,.... I train my sights on it and can suddenly see the barrel of a rifle pointing out.... I know that the sniper is reloading and it is a matter of seconds before he will fire at us again. My rifle is steady on a place just above the rifle poking out from under the corpse and without any more thinking I pull the trigger.”

Although I’ve gone through a mild rough patch in my book, the overall read, once you get past the awkwardly descriptive sex scenes in the book, is one of worthwhile proportions. The book still accurately betrays the struggles these first Nations people went through.